EA Critical Reasoning 1

Question 1

A company claims that installing ergonomic chairs reduced employee sick days by 20%. Which of the following, if true, most weakens this conclusion?

Accepted Answer

The company also introduced a wellness program at the same time.

Answer

An alternative cause (the wellness program) weakens the causal claim that chairs alone reduced sick days.

Question 2

Study: Cities that ban plastic bags report 15% less plastic litter. Conclusion: banning plastic bags reduces plastic litter. Which assumption underlies this argument?

Accepted Answer

The reduction is not due to other concurrent cleanup programs.

Answer

The argument assumes the bag ban caused the reduction, not other simultaneous factors — this is the unstated assumption.

Question 3

A business argues: 'Our customer satisfaction score rose from 70% to 80%, proving our new training program works.' What is the flaw in this reasoning?

Accepted Answer

The increase could be due to factors other than the training program.

Answer

The argument commits the post hoc fallacy — assuming the training caused the improvement without ruling out other causes.

Question 4

All A-rated suppliers meet delivery deadlines. Supplier X does not meet delivery deadlines. What can be concluded?

Accepted Answer

Supplier X is not an A-rated supplier.

Answer

By contrapositive: if a supplier doesn't meet deadlines, it is not A-rated; nothing else can be deduced.

Question 5

A manager argues against a new policy by saying, 'We've never had a data breach, so we don't need enhanced cybersecurity.' This is an example of which reasoning error?

Accepted Answer

Appeal to ignorance

Answer

Concluding safety from the absence of past incidents is an appeal to ignorance — past absence of evidence is not evidence of safety.

EA - Executive Assesment Practice Test

EA - Executive Assesment Practice Test

EA Critical Reasoning 1