Logical reasoning PrepTest 103 · Section 3 · Question 16

Question prompt

The recently negotiated North Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: D

The notes below walk through why it fits the stem and how to eliminate the rest.

Argument or Facts

Argument

Valid or Flawed

Valid

Question Type

Methods of Reasoning Questions

Stimulus Summary

NAFTA is misnamed, because it has restrictions that Adam Smith says defeat free trade.

Answer Anticipation

There are some common methods of reasoning that you should be aware of in order to tackle this question type. This one has two elements that suggest specific methods.
First, it brings up Adam Smith - “the economist who first” defined free trade. It relies on what he says in order to draw a conclusion that NAFTA isn’t truly a free trade agreement. One method of reasoning is appealing to expert authority (even if arguments often appeal to an inappropriate authority), so we have one potential answer.
Second, the argument brings up a definition of free trade. Another method of reasoning is analyzing definitions and how they apply to certain situations, so we have another potential answer.
Let’s find something that says the argument appeals to expert authority, or it defines a key term and applies it to a specific situation.

Answer choices

  1. A
    ruling out alternatives
    Why choice A is not credited
    There are no alternatives raised or ruled out. While this is a common method of reasoning, it’s not one that applies here.

  2. B
    using a term in Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    While this answer is related to an appeal to a definition, it’s specifically about using a word in two different senses. The argument, however, doesn’t shift between meanings of free trade - rather, it shows how one case doesn’t apply. This answer might be correct if the namers of NAFTA presented their own definition.

  3. C
    citing a nonrepresentative instance
    Why choice C is not credited
    While the argument contends that NAFTA isn’t an instance of free trade, this answer describes an argument that proves a point (poorly) by bringing up a nonrepresentative sample. This argument, instead, shows how the sample in question doesn’t match a given definition.

  4. D
    appealing to a relevant Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D matches the stem
    Adam Smith is an economist who defined free trade, so he’s certainly a relevant authority on whether something counts as free trade. Since the argument relies crucially on Smith’s views, this is the correct answer.

  5. E
    responding to a different Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    This answer describes a rebuttal that misses the point of the opposing view. However, here, there’s no opposing view. At most, you could say that those who named NAFTA are an “opposed” view, but they don’t put forward any argument that can be responded to!

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A 7%
  2. B 15%
  3. C 5%
  4. D Credited 65%
  5. E 8%

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