Introduction to Critical Reasoning on GMAT

Introduction to Critical Reasoning on GMAT

The focus of the critical reasoning Questions on the GMAT test is test how good are you in analyzing fact sets from a bunch of lines. On, age, you have 1 minute and 45 seconds to complete each question. So sometimes the pressure goes really high when the paragraph is little longer or when the paragraph is to confusing. The GMAT is a structured test so it will test you on a predictable pattern. In critical reasoning, there are certain question types that are tested again and again.

A typical GMAT critical reasoning Question

Every critical reasoning question that you see on the GMAT will have three parts to it:

1) The Stimulus,

2) The Question Stem, and

3) The Options

Now that you know the structure of an actual GMAT Question on the GMAT test, you are ready to know what are the components of an argument.

Components of an Argument

Every argument in a critical reasoning question on the GMAT test has three pasts.

1) Evidence or stated facts

2) Conclusion

3) Assumptions

You need to remember that

EVIDENCE + ASSUMPTION leads to (=) CONCLUSION.

Almost every question will be missing the ASSUMPTION part, that is the test takers will have to analyze the assumption based on the evidence and conclusions. Sometime, it may also happen that the stimulus will be just a collection of facts and no conclusion will be provided. In such cases, it will be most likely that the question stem will ask you to find the conclusion from the options.

Assumption

The stimulus will usually appear in two forms - as an argument or as several statements of facts and the hidden assumption. You need to understand that assumptions are a critical part of GMAT critical reasoning. Just think it in this way, every author who ever writes an article or an argument is always based on some prior assumption that he or she makes.

For example:

In response to the increasing cost of producing energy through traditional means, many utility companies have begun investing in renewable energy sources, chiefly wind and solar power, hoping someday to rely on them completely and thus lower energy costs. As one can easily see, these sources will be less risky for the utilities than nonrenewable sources, such as gas, oil, and coal, whose prices can fluctuate dramatically according to availability.

So what do you think is the assumption behind this argument. Here are few assumptions on which this argument could be based on:

(i) Running cost is low or negligible in using renewable energy sources

(ii) One can predict weather patterns

Conclusion

Always start by reading the stimulus. Some students prefer reading the question stem first but I see that as waste of time because you will read the question stem, then read the stimulus and then habitually read the question steam again. You should take an average of two minutes to answer each critical reasoning question. This is an average and not hard and fast rule. Some questions may take more and some may take less.