GMAT Verbal: Critical Reasoning Evaluate the Argument 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A city claims its new bike-share program reduced car traffic because car counts on Main Street fell 15% after launch. Which question is most useful to evaluate this argument?
- Did overall city traffic change, or did cars simply reroute to other streets? (Correct answer)
- How many bikes are in the program?
- What color are the bikes?
- Who funded the bike-share program?
Correct answer: Did overall city traffic change, or did cars simply reroute to other streets?
If cars merely rerouted, total traffic was unchanged and the program gets undeserved credit.
Question 2: A company argues that its wellness program cut sick days because employees who joined took fewer sick days than those who didn't. What would most help evaluate the argument?
- Whether healthier employees were the ones who chose to join the program (Correct answer)
- The name of the wellness vendor
- How many employees work at the company
- Whether the cafeteria serves salad
Correct answer: Whether healthier employees were the ones who chose to join the program
Self-selection of already-healthy employees would explain the difference without the program causing it.
Question 3: An editor argues that adding more photos increased magazine sales, since the issue with the most photos sold best. Which is most useful to evaluate this claim?
- Whether that issue also had a uniquely popular cover story (Correct answer)
- The magazine's founding year
- How much ink each photo uses
- The photographer's salary
Correct answer: Whether that issue also had a uniquely popular cover story
A standout cover story could be the true cause of high sales, undermining the photo explanation.
Question 4: A school says a new tutoring program raised test scores because scores rose the year it began. What information would best help judge this conclusion?
- Whether scores were already trending upward before the program (Correct answer)
- The tutors' favorite subjects
- How many desks are in each classroom
- The school's mascot
Correct answer: Whether scores were already trending upward before the program
A pre-existing upward trend would mean the rise was not caused by the program.
Question 5: A manager concludes that remote work lowers productivity because output dropped the quarter remote work began. Which question best evaluates this?
- Did an industry-wide demand slump occur the same quarter? (Correct answer)
- How fast is employees' home internet?
- What software did the team use before?
- How many employees own pets?
Correct answer: Did an industry-wide demand slump occur the same quarter?
An external demand slump could fully explain the output drop independent of remote work.
Question 6: A pharmacy claims a supplement boosts immunity because customers who buy it report fewer colds. What is most useful to evaluate the argument?
- Whether supplement buyers also tend to exercise and eat better (Correct answer)
- The supplement's bottle size
- The store's opening hours
- How the supplement tastes
Correct answer: Whether supplement buyers also tend to exercise and eat better
Correlated healthy habits among buyers could account for the fewer colds, not the supplement.
Question 7: A town argues that a new streetlight reduced crime because reported crimes near it fell. Which question would most help evaluate the claim?
- Did crime simply shift to nearby unlit areas? (Correct answer)
- What wattage is the streetlight?
- Who installed the streetlight?
- What time does the light turn on?
Correct answer: Did crime simply shift to nearby unlit areas?
If crime relocated rather than dropped overall, the light did not actually reduce crime.
GMAT Verbal: Critical Reasoning Evaluate the Argument 2
A city claims its new bike-share program reduced car traffic because car counts on Main Street fell 15% after launch.
Which question is most useful to evaluate this argument?