ISAT - International Student Admissions Identifying Assumptions in Arguments Questions and Answers

Question 1

A city council member argues, 'To reduce traffic congestion during peak hours, we must invest in expanding our subway system. A larger, more efficient subway will persuade thousands of commuters to abandon their cars for public transit.' Which of the following is a necessary assumption in the council member's argument?

Accepted Answer

A significant number of commuters who currently drive would be willing and able to use the expanded subway system.

Answer

The argument's conclusion that expanding the subway will reduce traffic rests on the unstated premise that drivers will actually switch to using it. Without this assumption, the premise (expanding the subway) does not logically lead to the conclusion (reduced traffic). The other options are not necessary for the argument's logic; cost comparison (A), the current state of the subway (C), and the relative importance of the issue (D) are all secondary to the core assumption about commuter behavior.

Question 2

A financial analyst stated, 'Our company's stock price has risen 20% in the last year, a direct result of our new CEO's innovative leadership.' The analyst's conclusion depends on which of the following assumptions?

Accepted Answer

The new CEO's leadership was the primary factor driving the stock price increase, and not other external factors like a strong overall market.

Answer

The analyst attributes the stock's rise *directly* to the CEO. This argument assumes that other potential causes, such as a general economic boom or favorable industry trends, were not the main reason for the increase. If a strong market was the real cause, the CEO's leadership wouldn't be the 'direct result.' The prior stock performance (A) isn't necessary, increased profits (C) are a possible result but not a required assumption for the analyst's claim, and the 'all leaders' statement (D) is an overgeneralization not required by the argument.

Question 3

A university administrator claims: 'To improve our graduation rates, we should require all first-year students to attend mandatory weekly study skills workshops.' Which of the following is an assumption underlying this claim?

Accepted Answer

A significant portion of students who fail to graduate do so because they lack effective study skills that can be taught in a workshop.

Answer

The argument proposes a solution (workshops) to a problem (low graduation rates). For this solution to be effective, it must address a root cause of the problem. The argument therefore assumes that a lack of study skills is a key reason why students are not graduating. If students were failing for other reasons (e.g., financial issues, personal problems), the workshops would not improve graduation rates, and the administrator's claim would be invalid.

Question 4

An advertisement for a new sports drink, 'Quench-It,' states: 'Top marathon runner Helena Price drinks Quench-It before every race. To achieve peak athletic performance like Helena, you should drink Quench-It.' What assumption does the advertisement ask the consumer to make?

Accepted Answer

The sports drink is the causal factor for Helena Price's success, and it will have a similar effect on other consumers.

Answer

This is an argument from authority or association. It links a product to a successful person and implies that the product causes the success. The core assumption is that the drink is a key reason for Helena's performance and that other athletes can gain the same benefit. Without this assumption, the fact that she drinks it is just a correlation, not a reason for others to buy it.

Question 5

A public health official stated, 'Our city has seen a dramatic rise in cases of Type 2 diabetes. Since regular exercise is known to help prevent this condition, we are launching a campaign to provide free access to all city-owned gyms.' The official's plan to combat diabetes relies on which of the following assumptions?

Accepted Answer

The cost of gym memberships was the primary barrier preventing residents from exercising regularly.

Answer

The plan offers a solution (free gym access) to encourage an action (exercise). This plan only makes sense if the reason people weren't exercising was related to the cost of access. The argument assumes that cost is the main obstacle. If the barriers were actually lack of time, motivation, or knowledge, providing free access would not significantly increase exercise rates and thus would not be an effective way to combat diabetes.

ISAT - International Student Admissions Test Practice Test

ISAT - International Student Admissions Test Practice Test

ISAT - International Student Admissions Identifying Assumptions in Arguments Questions and Answers