Logical reasoning PrepTest 105 · Section 2 · Question 3

Flawed

Strengthen with Necessary Premise Questions

Goal 1 - Increase productivity Approach - Install new computer network Option 1 - Install during the day Option 1 downside - Disrupts work Option 2 - Install at night Option 2 downside - It costs more Goal 2 - Save money Therefore - Go with Option 1 (install during the day)

The argument here concludes a recommendation - install a new network at night. Whenever an argument makes a recommendation, it needs to establish the criteria by which such a recommendation could be made, and then show that the option in question would best meet that criteria. Here, we actually have two goals - save money, and increase productivity. There’s no indication which one is more important, but they’re both relevant in figuring out what to do here. The installation of the new network is meant to increase productivity, so it seems secondary to making this decision (since a single day of disrupting work pales in comparison to any productivity gains over time). So we should focus on saving money. And there, the disruption to work is relevant. While installing at night might cost more, there is a cost to disrupting productivity. That cost might be higher than the additional installation costs. In failing to establish that the installation costs are higher than the costs of the disruption, the Manager fails to establish that she’s reaching the goal of saving money with her recommendation. Let’s find an answer that establishes installing the new network during the day will save money, and that the installation costs are higher than the disruption costs.