Logical reasoning PrepTest 106 · Section 1 · Question 1

Question prompt

A student has taken 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

Bizarro / Strengthen Questions

Stimulus Summary

Student’s history - 12 courses, most classes earned a B
Prediction - B in the next class

Answer Anticipation

This is a Bizarro Strengthen question, which means attempting to anticipate all four answers that strengthen the argument (and thus need to be eliminated) isn’t a good use of time. Instead, let’s identify any assumptions, and head into the answers with that more general view of what to look for.
Here, the argument makes a prediction about the future, based on the outcome of a majority of past examples. But there’s no indication that the current class is likely to have the same outcome as most past examples! Maybe the student is distracted this semester, or maybe this class is an area of relative weakness for her.
Any answer that makes this class more similar to the majority of prior classes where the student earned a B will strengthen this argument.

Answer choices

  1. A
    The student previously studied Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A matches the stem
    This is a great trap answer! It seems like this is a benefit to the student, making it more likely she’d do well in the class. But there are two issues here. First, this is a difference from the prior classes, and changing things up makes future predictions based on past outcomes questionable. Second, even if you viewed this as a benefit, if anything, that would make it more likely she receives a better than average grade, and the conclusion is that she will receive a B, not a B or better. In bringing up a difference, this answer weakens the argument, and it’s therefore the correct answer.
  2. B
    The twelve courses together Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    This answer suggests that the student received a B in a wide variety of subjects, making it more likely that the current course is similar in subject matter to at least one of those B classes. That strengthens the argument by increasing the probability of a similarity between the past and the present.
  3. C
    The student previously studied Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    This answer brings up similar study practices, and similarities strengthen this argument.
  4. D
    The student received a Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    The stimulus stated that she received a B in a majority of the classes, and this punches that up by making it 11/12. That makes the student much more clearly a B student, increasing the odds that that trend continues in the future.
  5. E
    The current course is Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    This answer suggests that the course is similar to one in which she already received a B, increasing the likelihood that she’ll receive a B in this one.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A Credited 78%
  2. B 11%
  3. C 4%
  4. D 3%
  5. E 3%

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