One routine, then the question families
Critical Reasoning gives a short argument (usually under 100 words) and one question. The official subtypes are Analysis, Construction, Critique, and Plan, but it's faster to work by the task the stem names. Either way, one routine comes first:
Always: read the stem, find the conclusion, name the gap — before the options.
- Read the question stem first so you know the task. 2. Underline the conclusion (the claim the argument is for). 3. State the gap between the evidence and that conclusion in your own words. The right answer almost always operates on that gap.
The task playbook
| Stem says… | Your job | The answer… |
|---|---|---|
| Strengthen | reinforce the gap | adds a fact that makes the conclusion more likely (often: rules out an alternative cause) |
| Weaken | widen the gap | introduces a fact that makes the conclusion less likely (an alternative cause, a broken link) |
| Assumption | name the unstated bridge | states what must be true; confirm by negation |
| Flaw | label the error | names the reasoning mistake (correlation→causation, sample, % vs #) |
| Evaluate | find the hinge | poses a question whose two answers swing the conclusion opposite ways |
| Explain / Resolve | reconcile a surprise | a fact that makes both puzzling observations consistent |
| Inference / "must be true" | stay inside the premises | the only choice the statements guarantee — usually the timid one |
| Boldface (Analysis) | identify roles | describes what each portion does (premise? conclusion? objection?) |
| Plan | judge fitness for a goal | tells what must hold for the plan to work, or what dooms it |
Traps that catch strong readers
Strengthen/Weaken answers must hit this conclusion, not a neighbor. A choice that bolsters a related claim (a "scope shift") is the most common wrong answer — it feels on-topic but misses the argument's actual conclusion. Re-check the option against the exact conclusion you underlined.
Strengthen/Weaken is about probability, not proof. You're not asked to prove or destroy the conclusion — only to move it. The right answer often shifts the likelihood modestly; reject the instinct to demand a knockout.
For "Evaluate" questions, the answer is a question, and the test is the variance test: imagine its two possible answers. If "yes" supports the argument and "no" undermines it, that's the hinge — pick it. If both answers leave the argument unchanged, it's irrelevant.
For Assumption, negate the candidate. If the argument falls apart when the option is false, it's a necessary assumption. If the argument survives the negation, the option wasn't required — eliminate it.
Method, in order
- Read the stem; classify the task.
- Find and underline the conclusion.
- State the gap (the assumption) in your own words.
- Predict the answer's shape, then match — eliminating scope-shifts and out-of-scope facts.
Checklist
- Stem read first; task named
- Conclusion underlined (not just the last sentence)
- Gap stated in your own words
- Answer checked against that conclusion (no scope shift)
- Assumption candidates tested by negation
Sample Questions
81 practice questions
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