Logical reasoning PrepTest 113 · Section 4 · Question 1

Question prompt

Criminals often have an Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: C

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

Argument or Facts

Facts

Valid or Flawed

NA

Question Type

Argument Completion Questions

Stimulus Summary

Embezzlers - “I’m just borrowing money!”
Violent criminals - “They deserved it!”
Other violent criminals - “It wasn’t my fault!”
Therefore - Criminals believe __________

Answer Anticipation

This Argument Completion question leads into the statement that we’re trying to find with a, “Thus,” so we’re presented with the premises and need to fill in the conclusion. That makes it an Argument Completion (Must be True) question.
In those premises, we get something that we don’t frequently get - the subjective assessment of people. We’re told exactly what the criminals are thinking about their actions - three specific examples. Since we’re trying to reach a conclusion that reflects these thoughts, we need to find an answer that connects all three of the examples.
It’ll most likely be easier to identify it when we see it than trying to anticipate it ahead of time, so let’s head to the answers with our approach in mind.

Answer choices

  1. A
    they ought to be Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    Only the second criminal makes a statement that suggests he might believe he deserves a reward for attacking someone who deserved it. Just borrowing money doesn’t get you a reward, nor does doing something that wasn’t your fault.
  2. B
    they are perceived to Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    Maybe you could make an argument for the second and third examples involving another criminal, but borrowing money doesn’t involve being the victim of one, so this answer fails to connect all the ideas.
  3. C
    their actions are not Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C matches the stem
    Each statement reflects a belief that the actions weren’t criminal. Just borrowing money isn’t a crime. Being “justified” in attacking someone who deserved it wouldn’t be truly criminal. And if it wasn’t the person’s fault, then they aren’t really a criminal. Since this answer ties all the examples together, it’s the correct answer.
  4. D
    the criminal justice system Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    These individuals might believe that their convictions were unfair, but there’s no hint that they believe the system is inherently unfair.
  5. E
    they deserve only a Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    They don’t believe they committed a crime at all, so they wouldn’t expect any sentence.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A 1%
  2. B 6%
  3. C Credited 91%
  4. D 2%
  5. E 1%

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