Verbal: Strengthen/Weaken Arguments Flashcards
7 cards from real GMAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Verbal: Strengthen/Weaken Arguments flashcards as text
A city claims that adding bike lanes reduced traffic accidents because accidents fell 20% the year after lanes were added. Which option most weakens this argument?
Answer: The city also lowered the speed limit citywide that same year
An alternative cause (the speed-limit drop) for the same drop in accidents undermines the claimed causal link.
An ad argues that a supplement boosts memory because users scored higher on a memory test than non-users. Which assumption must be true for this to hold?
Answer: Users and non-users were comparable in memory before taking it
The argument assumes the two groups were similar beforehand, so the difference reflects the supplement rather than pre-existing gaps.
A manager argues that remote work lowers productivity because output dropped after the firm went remote. Which finding most strengthens the argument?
Answer: Output per employee stayed low even after remote workers got better equipment
Ruling out a plausible alternative (poor equipment) and still seeing low output supports the claim that remote work itself is responsible.
A study concludes coffee causes insomnia because heavy coffee drinkers report more sleeplessness. Which option most weakens this conclusion?
Answer: People with insomnia drink more coffee to stay alert during the day
It reverses the causation: insomnia may cause coffee consumption rather than the other way around.
A politician argues a new tax cut will boost spending because past tax cuts were followed by higher consumer spending. Which most weakens the argument?
Answer: The past cuts coincided with large stimulus checks that drove the spending
Attributing the prior spending to stimulus checks removes the tax cut as the cause, undermining the prediction.
An argument states that a school's new tutoring program raised test scores, citing higher scores after launch. Which most strengthens it?
Answer: Only students who attended tutoring improved; non-attendees did not
A dose-response pattern—improvement only among participants—directly links the program to the higher scores.
A company claims its rebranding caused a sales increase. Which question is most useful in evaluating this claim?
Answer: Did sales rise for competitors who did not rebrand during the same period?
Comparing to a control group that did not rebrand tests whether the rebrand, not a market-wide trend, drove sales.