Critical Reasoning

This tests logical thinking. Critical thinking items present an argument that the test taker is asked to analyze. Questions may ask test takers to draw a conclusion, to identify assumptions, or to recognize strengths or weaknesses in the argument. It presents brief statements or arguments and ask to evaluate the form or content of the statement or argument. Questions of this type ask the examinee to analyze and evaluate the reasoning in short paragraphs or passages. For some questions, all of the answer choices may conceivably be answers to the question asked. The examinee should select the best answer to the question, that is, an answer that does not require making assumptions that violate common sense standards by being implausible, redundant, irrelevant, or inconsistent.

The term critical reasoning describes a set of analytical skills that enable people to make effective arguments and evaluate arguments made by others. Sometimes critical reasoning is merely a matter of common sense. For example, if there is a hurricane outside, but I say it’s a good day to go for a walk and get some fresh air, you know something is wrong with my argument. But written and spoken arguments are often much more complicated, and the ability to think critically and judge the effectiveness of an argument is important to your success on the GMAT® exam

Elements of an Argument

In the realm of critical reasoning, an argument is a set of claims with a premise(s) and a conclusion. A claim is a statement (as opposed to a question or interjection) with a truth value—it is either true or false (although you may not know which). The conclusion of the argument is its main claim—what the arguer wants us to see, do, or believe. The premise is the claim or claims that provide support or reasons to accept the conclusion. To make an argument, you must articulate at least two claims, and at least one of the claims must offer (or attempt to offer) support for the conclusion.

Here are some examples. The conclusion of each argument is underlined:

I do not see Xiomara anywhere. She must not have arrived yet.

You should spend ten minutes each day doing yoga. Deep breathing and stretching will improve your health and mood, and they are easy to fit into your day.

The more reasonable the premises and the more premises offered, the more convincing and effective the argument.

Argument = Conclusion (main claim) + Premise(s) (supporting claim[s])

Complicating Arguments

Within arguments, you will often find two factors that complicate arguments:

1. The conclusion of one argument serves as the premise for another.
2. The conclusion and/or one or more premises are unstated.

The conclusion of one argument serves as the premise for another. Like essays, arguments are often richly layered. For example, look at the following argument:

You should present our position to the board. The board members trust you because they have known you for years, and you know our position better than anyone.

The claim the board members trust you actually serves as both the premise for the conclusion you should present to the board and the conclusion for a second argument: The board members trust you (conclusion) because they have known you for years (premise). This might be represented as follows:

conclusion ?premise/(becomes) conclusion ?premise

Just as an essay may have many main ideas (a main idea for each paragraph), it also has an overall main idea. Similarly, an argument can have many different conclusions that are part of a larger argument, and the argument should have one main claim (the overall conclusion). Label this main claim C1 (conclusion 1). Then look carefully at the premises. Do they directly support C1? If so, label them P1 (premises that support C1). But if they do not directly support C1, then you might have a secondary (or tertiary, etc.) conclusion.

The premise and/or conclusion of an argument is unstated. These arguments are common both in real life and on the GMAT exam. The problem with an argument that contains unstated premises and conclusions is that it leaves room for the premise or conclusion to be misunderstood. For example,

You should turn her in for cheating. She violated the honor code.

This argument has an unstated premise—a key idea that links the conclusion and premise together. In order for this argument to be clear and strong, you need to know the unstated assumption that makes this argument possible:

People who violate the honor code should be turned in.

This could be stated in a slightly different way, but the assumption behind this argument is now clear. This is crucial because unless you understand all of the premises upon which an argument is based, you cannot effectively evaluate that argument and determine whether or not it is valid.