Assumption questions are relatively common on the GRE Critical Reasoning component of the Reading Comprehension section. You know you are dealing with an assumption when the question is something like this:
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?
Much like Strengthen/Weaken questions, Assumption questions require you to identify the premises and the conclusions. Once you’ve done so, keep in mind that the conclusion cannot be properly drawn without an additional piece of information. This missing information is the assumption. In other words, there is a gap in the argument, and unless it is filled, so to speak, the conclusion is not valid.
Let’s take a look at the following example:
Maria studied 3 months for the GRE. Therefore she will score in the top 10%.
In this mini-argument, the premise is that Maria studied 3 months. From this a conclusion is drawn: she will score in the top 10%. What is the assumptionhere? That one only need study for 3 months to score in the top 10%.
Without this assumption, we cannot draw a valid conclusion. The key to answer an assumption question correctly is to identifying what is an assumption, and what is not assumption.
Negating the Assumption
To do so I am going to introduce a technique called Negating the Assumption. The idea is if you take an answer choice and turn it into its opposite form then the conclusion will fall apart. If you negate an answer choice and it does not do anything to the conclusion, then you know that answer choice is not an assumption the argument depends on. Look at the answers below:
- Studying for three months automatically means a student will score in the top 10% on the GRE.
- Using prep materials is the only way to score in the top 10%.
Let’s negate both of these answer choices to see what happens.
- Studying for three months does NOT automatically mean a student will score in the top 10%.
- Using prep materials is NOT the only way to score in the top 10%.
By negating (A), the argument falls apart. If studying for three months does not automatically mean scoring in the top 10%, then the conclusion above that Maria will score in the 10% cannot be validly drawn.
By negating (B), we do not affect the conclusion, so we know that answer choice (B) is not an assumption the argument depends on.
Magoosh Practice Question
Now’s let’s try an actual question from Magoosh. Remember to first identify the premises and conclusion. Next make sure to negate each answer choice. Also, make sure to pick the best answer. Don’t pick an answer because when you negate the assumption the conclusion kind of falls apart. When you negate the answer choice, the conclusion will completely fall apart.
http://gre.magoosh.com/questions/1905
Hey Chris what about the questions that say this is a theory. The second sentence is a fact. Or this question is something tha t strengthens the argument. Are these those questions?
Hi Craig,
I’m not quite sure I understand what you are asking? Could you rephrase that
?
Questions that have bolded statements
Hi Craig,
Assumption questions are not the same as bold-faced questions. The latter deal with the structure of the paragraph, and the parts, within that paragraph, that the bold parts play.
Hope that helps!
Chris,
i was wondering if you could tell me some strategy to tackle the RC’s that fall under the social science and arts & literature….
they are proving to be impeding….it affects the composure….it disturbs the overall flow…
could you suggest something?
so awaiting your reply….
good day…
The social science passages are a bane for many. I think reading artsy stuff from resources such as The New Yorker, The London Review of Books, UK Guardian Art Section will help.
Of course doing those specific passages in GRE, GMAT, LSAT would help. I think overall these passage are more about big picture meaning and how the paragraphs flow together (what are those few big ideas the author is trying to impart).
So keep at it, and let me know how it goes
.
hello Chris,
i got your explanation but couldn’t apply it on this example……could you please help me out…..
Extensive housing construction is underway in
Pataska Forest, the habitat of a large population of
deer. Because deer feed at the edges of forests, these
Line deer will be attracted to the spaces alongside the new
5 roads being cut through Pataska Forest to serve the
new residential areas. Consequently, once the
housing is occupied, the annual number of the forest’s
deer hit by cars will be much higher than before
construction started.
Q. Which of the following is an assumption on which
the argument depends?
A The number of deer hit by commercial
vehicles will not increase significantly when
the housing is occupied.
B Deer will be as attracted to the forest edge
around new houses as to the forest edge
alongside roads.
C In years past, the annual number of deer that
have been hit by cars on existing roads through
Pataska Forest has been very low.
D The development will leave sufficient forest to
sustain a significant population of deer.
E No deer hunting will be allowed in Pataska
Forest when the housing is occupied.
The assumption here is that ‘edge of the forest’ is the same as ‘edge of the street.’ If deers do not regard the edge of the street the same way do the edge of the forest then they will not congregate here. And the conclusion that they are more likely to be struck by cars will not hold.
Hope that helps
.
hey Chris,
that was very helpful…
thanks….Magoosh GRE blog has been always there to help me out….
the way you explain the questions is pretty good…
thanks again…
No problem
.
hey Chris,
they have given the answer as D…..??
Oops, I totally jumped the gun on don’t want and neither read answer choice (B) carefully, nor even look at (D).
(B) says the “forest edge around new houses…”. What I mistakenly interpreted was that deers will think that the road edge is no different from the forest edge. But this answer choice is talking about the forest edge around new houses, which is not quite the same thing.
The key to answer this question is to focs on the conclusion: the number of deers getting hit by cars will increase.
(D) gives us an assumption, without which, the conclusion falls apart. If the forest cannot sustain as many deer, then the deer population will plummet. If there are far fewer deers, then there are far fewer deers that will be hit by cars.
Hope that makes sense, and sorry for any confusion!
Thank you Chris your answer help me a lot
I’m happy you found it helpful
Hello Chris
The engineering faculty that I applied for , asks 155 for the quantitative section , without mentioning the rest of GRE part sections scores . So my question : does it mean that the rest of sections are not important even if I got low scores?
thank you very much Chris
If you are applying to engineering school, I think you should be okay with a strong quant and a low verbal score, esp. if the school stated as much. At the same time, a candidate who totally blows away the verbal section may stand out over a student who score 135 on Verbal but has the same quant score. Or maybe not.
Hope that helps
Hi Chris,
I am retaking GRE in September . My previous score was 317 and want to improve it to at least 325 + . I have taken the magoosh membership and found it very useful in terms of practice questions.
I believe , I will be having ample of time after i complete all the magoosh practice questions.
Kindly suggest me some good practice books,also I am having hard time in solving verbal reasoning questions.
Thanks
Apoorv
Hi Apoorv,
Beyond Magoosh, the best practice books are MGRE. However, let me qualify that: the Manhattan GRE books provide solid strategies. It is their on-line tests (which come free with purchase of any of their books) that provide helpful practice questions. That is plenty of practice questions, not to mention the 200+ we are soon releasing.
Hi Chris,
The negating tool worked really well.
Thanks
You are welcome
Hi, I am having the worst time with RC, which book would you recommend for helping with RC. I start using one book but than still have a hard time. My fear of getting the question wrong is overwhelming.
Thank you
Hi Komaldevi,
Getting the question wrong is actually part of the learning process. By understand why you missed a question, and why the correct answer is correct, will, over time, mean you are missing fewer and fewer question. So remember: a wrong mistake is simply an opportunity to become even better
.
For RC sources, which books have you looked at so far?
Hi Chris,
Thank you for replying to my question.
I have all the books! No really! I kinda went a little over zealous on them. I have MGRE, Kaplan, PR, Mac, Barrons. My test is on August the 8th. And I am just really scared of getting the RC completely. wrong. Sometimes it feels like I am understanding the material, and two seconds later, boom! Completely Wrong. I am just so off the mark!
Maybe you could tell me which book is a good representation of the GRE RC questions? Honestly, it feels like I am bashing my head against the wall!
P.S. I love your vocab. list. I am doing okay on that.
Komaldevi
Hi Komaldevi,
Hmmm….one good strategy to remember is that the wrong answer choices are written in such a way as to seem superficially plausible. Oftentimes a wrong answer is simply the matter of one word in the answer choice that is off.
Here is a post that elaborates on this issue: http://magoosh.com/gre/gre-reading-comprehension/
Then, there are also the Magoosh lesson videos, which are part of product, lessons in which I expand on these concepts: gre.magoosh.com
As for my write up of sources, take a look at the book reviews (though nothing beats official material):
http://magoosh.com/gre/2011/new-gre-book-reviews/
Hope that helps!
Hello Chris,
Can you kindly give me one more example?I am asking it because I did not understand the point very well and need more clarification.
Hi Shuddha,
As for negating the assumption let’s take another example:
“Tom is graduating from law school so he will soon be making over 100,000.”
The assumption is that graduating from law school will automatically mean a person makes over 100K. If we negate this assumption, then the argument above is no longer airtight:
Graduating from law school does NOT automatically mean a person makes over 100K.
Hope that helps!
Hey Chris,
Just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate all of the resources Magoosh puts out. The blog along with the youtube videos are a constant supplement to all the practice I’m doing. Thanks so much!
Thanks for the kudos Jenny!
To me, it’s a very unrealistic assumption. I would call this circular reference. This is like saying that a car is black because it is black. Reasoning is introduced like
argument = Maria studied 3 months –> 10 percentile on GRE
choice A) = 3-month study –> 10 percentile on GRE.
Choice A) duplicates/restates evidence, i.e. it employs circular reasoning for the argument. This passage is not complete. To complete it we need another much stronger assumption: “all 10 percentile scorers on GRE throughout several years of an exam administration have reported studying for exactly three months” This is stronger evidence and hinges on studying followed by taking GRE exam, Also, we have the probabilistic theory here involved, which confirms our statement; another way of detracting circular reasoning in arguments.
Hi Pemdas,
I believe (A) only points out an assumption in the argument. Also the word ‘automatically’ is strong, and encompasses anyone who falls into that category. So I’m not quite sure how the argument is circular. Could you elaborate a little
.
Chris,
Really astute and educational post
Thanks, I appreciate the insight from these posts and the fact that they are available at no cost online.
Keep up the good work!
Hi Sammy,
You are welcome!