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Critical Reasoning
The questions on Critical Reasoning in GMAT are all of ‘multiple choice’ type.
There are 41 questions in the Verbal Part of GMAT, which are to be answered in 75 minutes. Of these, 12 to 14 will be on
Critical Reasoning and they are jumbled among the questions on Reading Comprehension and Sentence Correction.
The purpose of these questions is NOT to test your proficiency in any specific subject as mathematics, physics, economics,
psychology, politics, chemistry, biology etc…
What they seek to do broadly in the section on Critical Reasoning is to test your capacity to understand, analyze and evaluate arguments.
A specific question may be framed so as to test your capacity to recognize the point of argument, recognize the conclusions
that may be drawn from an argument, recognize the assumption on which an argument is based, evaluate an argument or a
counter-argument, analyze an evidence and to recognize the logical pattern of an argument.
Each question starts with a short passage which may contain some facts, some opinions, some assumptions or
some conclusions and is followed by a question that has a bearing on what is contained in that passage.
You have to choose the best answer to the question from among the five given choices
What they seek to do broadly in the section on Critical Reasoning is to test your capacity to understand, analyze and evaluate arguments.
Read Each Question Carefully
During the month of July in city X, the humidity was always 80% or higher whenever the temperature was 75 degree F or higher. Temperatures during this month ranged from 65 degree to 95 degree F.
If the statements in the passage above are true, it can be concluded which of the following CANNOT be an accurate Report of a temperature and humidity reading of city X in July?
(A) 77 degree of F, 81%
(B) 76 degree of F, 80%
(C) 75 degree of F, 79%
(D) 74 degree of F, 78%
(E) 73 degree of F, 77%
The information given is that, whenever the temperature in city X was 75 degree or above, the humidity was at least 80%. We have, in effect, been asked to spot the choice which contradicts this information.
(A) and (B) conforms this information and can be discarded.
(C)contradicts this information and is the answer.
The given passage deals with only those cases where the temperature is 75 degree F or higher. (D) and (E) refer to the days when the temperature was lower than 75 degree, and are irrelevant to the information in the passage. So, we can choose (C) as the answer.
Note that the question in this case itself is stated in the negative. It asks you not to spot which conforms to the given conditions, but the choice which violates the given conditions. Also note that two of the answer choices are wrong because they confirm to the given conditions. And two other choices are wrong because they are irrelevant to the question.
This will be the general pattern of how the wrong choices are constructed in such questions.
GMAT-Model Questions Index Page