Logical reasoning PrepTest 134 · Section 2 · Question 9

Incorrect. The argument is not over whether teachers would accept the change in schedule but rather whether it would let them cover more material, so this answer is out of scope.

Incorrect. This answer might be a mark in favor of the new schedule, but it doesn't address Samantha's argument which is limited to discussing whether it would allow more new material to be covered.

Incorrect. The schedule under discussion doesn't increase the total number of school days, so this answer choice doesn't apply to the plan being debated and is thus out of scope.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument/Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Flawed/Flawed

Question Type:
Weaken

Stimulus Summary:
Background — Should a year—round school schedule be adopted?

R: Teachers need to cover more material than they have time for, so yes.

S: The plan cuts out summer break but adds in 2—week breaks, so the total number of days is about the same and teachers won't be able to cover more.

Answer Anticipation:
While it's not particularly common to have a two—speaker Weaken question, they do show up. Here, we're tasked with finding a counter to Samantha's argument, so we need something that undermines—or weakens—that argument.

Samantha's conclusion is that teachers won't be able to cover more material with the changes to the school year—in other words, the change in schedule won't result in a change in ability to cover material. In yet other other words, she's arguing that things will stay the same.

Why? Because, while the schedule will be different in how things are split up, it's similar in one way—the total number of days in the classroom. Samantha bases her conclusion that the total amount teachers can cover will be similar after the change based on this similarity between the two schedules.

As such, Robert can counter her argument by bringing up a relevant difference. Sure, with the 6 2—week breaks, the total number of days in class might be the same, but that shift from a 3—month break to shorter breaks might make it easier to cover more material. Any answer that highlights how shorter, more frequent breaks will allow a teacher to cover more material in the same number of days than with a longer break will serve to weaken Samantha's argument.

Answer Explanation:
This answer highlights a relevant difference between two schedules that have students in school the same number of days, but with one having shorter breaks and the other having a longer. If the shorter breaks result in only a single day of review, but the longer breaks require a month of review, then there will be more days to cover non—review material—that new material that Robert says they need time to teach. This answer is therefore correct.

Key Takeaway:
Arguments that conclude something won't have a given effect are essentially comparisons, concluding that the outcome of a change will be similar to the current reality. When such an argument relies on a similarity (here, the similar number of total school days), then it will frequently be weakened by a relevant difference.

Incorrect. Which schedule students prefer is out of scope—what matters is whether the new schedule allows for more new material to be covered.