Verbal: Critical Reasoning Assumptions Flashcards
7 cards from real GMAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Verbal: Critical Reasoning Assumptions flashcards as text
A restaurant concludes its new menu is popular because revenue rose. Which assumption is necessary?
Answer: Prices were not raised at the same time
Higher revenue could stem from price increases rather than menu popularity.
A scientist says a species is thriving because its population doubled in a protected zone. The argument assumes that:
Answer: The population was not simply migrating in from outside
A doubling could reflect inflow rather than genuine growth of the species.
A firm decides to cut its cheapest product line to boost average profit margin. This assumes that:
Answer: Cutting the line will not reduce sales of other products
If the cheap line drives traffic to higher-margin items, cutting it could backfire.
A college claims its graduates earn more because of its program. A necessary assumption is that:
Answer: The students would not have earned more regardless of the program
The program gets credit only if the earnings gap is not explained by who enrolls.
A coach argues practicing at dawn improves performance because the best players do it. The hidden assumption is that:
Answer: The dawn practice causes their success rather than the reverse
The argument confuses correlation with causation unless dawn practice truly causes skill.
A retailer says extending hours will increase profit because more hours means more sales. This assumes that:
Answer: Added revenue exceeds the added staffing and operating costs
Profit rises only if extra sales outweigh the extra costs of staying open.
An analyst predicts a stock will rise because it rose after every prior earnings report. A required assumption is that:
Answer: Past patterns will continue to hold this time
The forecast depends on the historical pattern repeating in the future.