Logical reasoning PrepTest 104 · Section 4 · Question 20

Question prompt

Art Historian: Robbins cannot Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: A

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

Argument or Facts

Argument

Valid or Flawed

Flawed

Question Type

Strengthen with Necessary Premise Questions

Stimulus Summary

Robbins’ understanding means she can’t dismiss nor praise Stuart’s art, so she can’t pass judgment on it.

Answer Anticipation

There’s not much to this argument - it’s pretty short! But that can make it deceptively difficult to find a flaw in, since everything feels connected.
What’s the conclusion here? Robbins can’t pass judgment on Stuart’s art. Why can’t she do so? Because she can’t dismiss it, and she can’t praise it.
While those are two judgments, those aren’t the only judgments - maybe Robbins could explain it, or appreciate some technical aspects. The argument is assuming that someone who can’t dismiss and can’t praise a work of art can’t pass any judgment on it, so let’s find an answer that draws that connection (or rules out another type of judgment that Robbins might make).

Answer choices

  1. A
    in order to pass Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A matches the stem
    This answer directly connects the premises and conclusion, making it a necessary premise. If Robbins can pass judgment on Stuart’s art even if she can’t dismiss or praise it, then it’s possible she can pass judgment on it here.

  2. B
    if art can be Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    The stimulus is about what can or cannot be done, not what “should” be done, so this answer is out of scope.

  3. C
    in order to understand Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    The premises of the argument establish that Robbins understands Stuart’s art to some level but not another, so this answer that treats understanding as something that either is or isn’t done doesn’t line up with the argument. It also negates the logic.

  4. D
    Stuart's art can be Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    This answer is too broad. Robbins can neither praise nor dismiss Stuart’s art, and thus the Historian claims she can’t judge it, but that doesn’t mean that others couldn’t praise or dismiss it and thus judge it.

  5. E
    if Robbins understands art Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    This answer guarantees that Robbins will praise art that she understands well, not that she would decide whether it’s praiseworthy once she reaches that level of understanding. That certainty is out of scope of the argument - it doesn’t care if Stuart’s art is praiseworthy, just whether Robbins is able to determine if it is or is not.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A Credited 69%
  2. B 5%
  3. C 13%
  4. D 5%
  5. E 9%

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