GMAC Critical Reasoning Flashcards

A GMAT boldface Critical Reasoning question labels one sentence as the 'main conclusion.' Which role does the boldface sentence play if it begins with 'Therefore'?

Answer: It is the main conclusion

'Therefore' is a conclusion indicator word, signaling that the sentence is the main conclusion drawn from preceding premises.

'City X banned plastic bags, and plastic bag litter in City X decreased by 40%. Other cities should ban plastic bags too.' Which of the following, if true, most strengthens this argument?

Answer: Similar bans in other cities produced comparable litter reductions

Evidence that similar interventions produced similar results in other cities strengthens the generalization.

An argument states: 'No evidence of fraud was found during the audit; therefore, no fraud occurred.' This argument assumes:

Answer: The audit was thorough enough to detect any fraud if it existed

The argument assumes absence of evidence equals evidence of absence, which requires the audit to be comprehensive.

Which of the following is an example of an 'appeal to authority' fallacy in a GMAT argument?

Answer: A celebrity endorses a financial product as safe without financial expertise

Citing a celebrity—who lacks financial expertise—as evidence of safety is an appeal to irrelevant authority.

'Surveys show that employees are happiest at Company Z. Therefore, Company Z must have the best management practices.' The argument is weakest because:

Answer: Employee happiness may result from factors unrelated to management

Happiness could stem from pay, culture, location, or other factors, so attributing it solely to management is unwarranted.

In a GMAT inference question, which answer choice is most directly supported by the following: 'All GMAT test-takers who score above 700 are admitted to at least one top-10 MBA program'?

Answer: A test-taker who scored 710 was admitted to at least one top-10 program

The statement guarantees that any score above 700 leads to admission; 710 > 700, so that person was admitted.