Assumption Question

By Abhishek Tomar on Sep 10, 2009 with Comments 0

As you know the Assumption question ask you about the unstated premise. It is hard to determined and GMAT plays with it. For these type .of question you read the passage and you are looking for GAP that the author has made. Even though GAP cannot be filled easily but following some of the basic GMAT Critical Reasoning strategies you can make your life little bit easier during the exam. How the assumption Question difficult? OR How do you over assume your answers?

Sometime when students deal with these type of question they either use their external knowledge to answer the assumption questions or they over assume their answers and their you raise your wrong foot and your are DONE. GMAT Examiner knows and they put these type of choices for you only. Remember do not over assume and do not use your information during the exam. Use only the information in the passage. Lets move forward and try to understand the type of Assumption Questions.

There are three type of Assumption Questions

1. Causal Assumption Questions
2. Analogy Assumption Question
3. Statistical Assumption Question

Causal Assumption Questions

As you know there are some questions that based on cause and effect. Where some thing has happened and you have to determine the cause of it OR because of this cause that effect has taken place. GMAT like these question and you should be sure you will have the taste of it in the exam. Error that students do and should be avoided is that not to assume too much. Think logically and remember to read all the answer choices before reaching the conclusion. Here these type of question are solved. Once you think you have the right answer you try to negate it and if by doing so the conclusion falls apart you have the right answer.

Analogy Assumption Questions

In the Analogy Assumption Questions you will have the passage that will compare two or more things together OR compare two situation among them self. Here things that you will have to remember is that you have to see that two thing that are been compared are logically comparable. Statement above means that you have to compare two even thing, for example, fruits should be compared with fruits.

Statistical Assumption Questions

Remember what Mark twain said ” There are lies, damned lies and statistics.”  GMAT uses statistical data to prove a point in the passage. Remember data are always deceptive. Data can be manipulated. Mostly data in the GMAT are wrong and provide wrong information. Whenever you come across Statistical Assumption Questions, you should ask yourself are the statistics representative?

One this is for sure that neither Statistical Assumption Questions nor Analogy Assumption Questions are as common as Causal Assumption Questions

Recognizing an Assumption Questions

Generally you will find the working similar to these one:

• Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
• The argument above assumes which of the following?
• The claim above rests on the questionable presupposition that…..

Strategies and Tips to handle Assumption Questions

1. Never choose the answer choice that come straight from the passage given. why, because assumptions are never stated in the passage
2. Assumption supports the conclusions, so find the conclusion and try to climb back to the assumption
3. Always be logical, assumptions are gap and they generally try to make conclusion illogical. Specially in the cause and effect assumption questions