GMAT Critical Reasoning: Strengthen and Weaken

Vocabulary-style flashcards based on the textbook chapter regarding GMAT Assumption Family questions: Strengthen and Weaken types.

Strengthen the Argument Questions

A question type that asks for a new piece of information that, if added to the existing argument, will make the conclusion more likely to be true, typically by providing evidence to support an assumption.

Weaken the Argument Questions

A question type that asks for a new piece of information that will make the conclusion less likely to be valid, usually by attacking an unstated assumption.

The Argument Core

The combination of the conclusion and the major premise or premises that lead to it.

Assumptions

Unstated pieces of information that an author must believe to be true in order to draw his or her conclusion; they are not stated explicitly in the argument.

Reverse Logic

A common trap where an answer choice does the opposite of what is requested, such as weakening the conclusion when the question asks to strengthen it.

No Tie Trap

A type of wrong answer that may be logically true or address a premise but does not have a logical connection to the conclusion and thus neither weakens nor strengthens the argument.

Fill in the Blank (FitB)

A question format where the argument ends in a blank; if the blank is preceded by "since" or "because," it is almost always a Strengthen the Argument question.

EXCEPT Questions

A negative question form where four answer choices do the same thing (e.g., weaken) and the correct answer is the "odd one out" that does not (it may be neutral or do the opposite).

Odd One Out Strategy

A method for solving EXCEPT questions by labeling choices as "S" (Strengthen), "W" (Weaken), or "N" (Neutral) to identify the unique choice.

Causation Weakener

A method to attack an argument by providing an alternate cause, reverse causation, or an outside cause for the situation described.

Plan Weakener

A method to attack an argument by presenting an unexpected cost or a reason the proposed plan will not work as expected.

Profit Weakener

A method to attack a profit-based argument by providing additional information about costs or revenues, often focusing on whichever side was not discussed in the argument.

Digital Video Recorders Case Study Fact

More than $10 imes 10^6$ households own digital video recorders, and approximately $75\,\text{percent}$ of these households fast-forward over at least one commercial per $30\,\text{minute}$ program.

QuestCorp Case Study Result

In a scenario where employees quit after losing a client, the conclusion is weakened if a new competitor provides health insurance, as it offers an alternative cause for the employees leaving.

Machu Picchu Permit Program

A program implemented by the Peruvian government in $2001$ that restricted Inca Trail hikers to $500$ people per day to prevent deterioration of archaeological treasures.

APR CEO Scenario

A plan to increase interest rates from an annual percentage rate (APR) of $9.5\,\text{percent}$ to $12\,\text{percent}$ to compensate for high default rates.