Logical reasoning PrepTest 126 · Section 3 · Question 25

Question prompt

Dean: The mathematics department Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: B

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

Errors in Reasoning Questions

Stimulus Summary

Math Dept: We should teach Stats for Social Sciences
Dean: It only uses high school math, and having math doesn’t mean a class needs to be taught by math professors, so the Math Dept’s claim is unjustified.

Answer Anticipation

The Dean’s argument rebuts a claim made by the Math Department. When that happens, we should see how the rebuttal happens and if it’s done so effectively.
Here, the Dean is the one responsible for laying out the Math Department’s argument. However, all we get is the conclusion of that argument - that it should be given sole responsibility for this course. Their reasoning isn’t listed.
That’s suspect! Without knowing why the math department thinks they should teach this class, it’s difficult to form a proper rebuttal. The Dean would have to show that there’s no reasonable argument that they could make to justify that conclusion.
Instead, the Dean rebuts one specific argument that the Math Department could make. In bringing up an argument that the Math Department doesn’t make, the Dean is making a Straw Man argument. She’s rejecting one reason for the conclusion, but there could be other reasons that would justify their conclusion.
In short, by attacking reasoning that isn’t shown to be the basis for the opposing point, the Dean created a Straw Man argument, ignoring other potential reasons behind that opposing point’s conclusion.

Answer choices

  1. A
    presumes, without providing justification, Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    The debate isn’t over whether the math department can teach this class, just whether they should be given sole responsibility over teaching it.
  2. B
    purports to refute a Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B matches the stem
    The Dean throws out the Math Department’s conclusion based on one reason that might justify it being insufficient. Without analyzing other reasons, or the reason that the Math Department actually puts forward, that rebuttal is flawed.
  3. C
    presumes, without providing justification, Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    The knowledge of the students is out of scope here since the argument is over who should have the responsibility to teach a specific course.
  4. D
    fails to establish that Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    The Dean doesn’t conclude that the math professors can’t teach this course, just that their argument that they should have sole responsibility for teaching it is unjustified. She very well could believe that they could teach it, just that they shouldn’t necessarily be the only ones with input.
  5. E
    presumes, without providing justification, Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    This answer is too broad in talking about “any” policies. This answer is also messing up its interpretation of the analogy - that doesn’t say that history course policies must be justified with respect to math, but rather that a similar situation in history would not lead to the conclusion that the Math Department wants to draw.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A 14%
  2. B Credited 55%
  3. C 4%
  4. D 12%
  5. E 15%

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Discussion

  • Why is D Wrong? 1 reply

    Started by mahosmar

  • Answer C 1 reply

    Started by TimB

  • Why B 1 reply

    Started by Meredith

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