Logical reasoning PrepTest 123 · Section 3 · Question 12

Question prompt

Novel X and Novel 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

Flawed

Question Type

Main Point Questions

Stimulus Summary

A description of similarities between two novels is given, and a potential conclusion from these similarities is stated. The author then pivots to a more likely conclusion, based on similarities between the authors.

Answer Anticipation

The author pivots in that second sentence ("However . . . ") and states that one explanation is "more likely" than that in the previous sentence. The explanation is followed by a clause starting with "since," showing that this following sentence supports the explanation. A pivot to a statement that both has support and disagrees with the counterpoint? That's the main point of the argument.

Answer choices

  1. A
    Novel X and Novel Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    Incorrect. This answer choice is a premise—the similarities that might lead one to come to a conclusion the argument ends up saying is less likely than an alternative.
  2. B
    The fact that Novel Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    Incorrect. This answer choice is the counterpoint—a conclusion that the argument says one might reach based on certain facts, but is in fact less likely than an alternative.
  3. C
    The author of Novel Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    Incorrect. This is another premise, both for structural reasons ("since"), and logical ones (it supports the explanation that the similarities are a coincidence).
  4. D
    It is less likely Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D matches the stem
    Correct. This answer choice is almost word-for-word the clause of the argument that we anticipated, since it shows an opinion that is backed up by a premise.
  5. E
    If the authors of Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    Incorrect. While this answer choice is very close to the conclusion, the argument itself goes a step further by stating that coincidence is a more likely explanation than plagiarism instead of stating just that plagiarism isn't likely. This also takes the conclusion a step further, from "more likely" to "very likely".

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A 7%
  2. B 9%
  3. C 8%
  4. D Credited 43%
  5. E 33%

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