GMAT CR – Flaw in the Reasoning Questions 1

Critical Reasoning
FLAW IN THE REASONING QUESTIONS
Set 1

1. Charity
Studies show that impoverished families give away a larger percentage of their income in charitable donations
than do wealthy families. As a result, fundraising consultants recommend that charities direct their marketing
efforts toward individuals and families from lower socioeconomic classes in order to maximize the dollar value
of incoming donations.

Which of the following best explains why the consultants' reasoning is flawed?

A Marketing efforts are only one way to solicit charitable donations.

B Not all impoverished families donate to charity.
C Some charitable marketing efforts are so expensive that the resulting donations fail to cover the costs of the
marketing campaign.
D Percentage of income is not necessarily indicative of absolute dollar value.
E People are more likely to donate to the same causes to which their friends donate.

2. Overtraining
Long-distance runners sometimes get shin splints from overtraining. Shin splints are also common among
freestyle skiers. Freestyle skiers are also guilty of overtraining.

Which of the following, if true, most weakens the conclusion drawn above?

A Sprinters are also prone to getting shin splints.

B Freestyle skiers often exhibit other signs of overtraining such as dehydration.
C Long-distance runners are less prone to long-term stress injuries.
D Freestyle skiers get shin splints from landing jumps incorrectly.
E Freestyle skiers, on average, train fewer hours than do long distance runners.

3. Numbers
The mathematical constant ‘e’, the base of the natural logarithm, is transcendental, and is therefore irrational. In
1882, the mathematician Johann Heinrich Lambert proved that the number ‘pi’ is irrational. Pi must therefore
be transcendental.

Which of the following statements, if true, most weakens the conclusion drawn above about the number pi?

A The exact value of transcendental numbers cannot be given.

B The number √2 is irrational but not transcendental.
C The mathematician Fernard von Lindermann used the fact that e is transcendental to prove that pi is
transcendental.
D The number √3 is transcendental but not irrational.
E It is extremely difficult to prove that a number is transcendental.
 GMAT CR – Flaw in the Reasoning Questions 2

4. Typing Accuracy
In the secretarial schools of the mid-20th century, accuracy of typing was valued as much as speed. Business
letters were supposed to be error-free with no visible corrections, and on typing tests, deductions were made
from the speed scoring for every error found. The development of so many varieties of correction methods and
technologies in this time period is therefore somewhat of a mystery.
Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the conclusion drawn above?
A Business letters were typed on a heavyweight paper that not only looked good, but could endure repeated
erasure.
B A special kind of typewriter paper called erasable bond was invented to allow easier removal of type from
the page.
C Typewriters are more difficult to type on than keyboards, and even the most sophisticated typewriters would
sometimes jam.
D In the mid-20th century, typewriters were as ubiquitous as computers are today.
E Typing mistakes were considered sufficient reason for firing a secretary.

5. Preventive Care
The life expectancy of people living below the poverty line in the United States is seven years shorter than the
national average. A public health advocate argues that this is due to the fact that the poor cannot afford
preventative medical care and often live in substandard housing where harmful substances such as lead paint
and asbestos are common. An expansion of health insurance services to those below the poverty line is an
ultimately more cost-efficient way of raising life expectancy, because preventative care will forestall many
expensive emergency treatments.
Which of the following, if true, accurately identifies the most significant flaw in the public health advocate’s
argument that health insurance services for those below the poverty line should be expanded?
A The public health advocate does not provide sufficient information about the amount of money that will be
saved by preventing emergency medical treatments.
B The expansion of health insurance services to those below the poverty line will not address health problems
caused by substandard housing.
C Many health care providers are especially concerned with treating complications caused by exposure to lead
paint and asbestos.
D Census results do not clearly indicate what percentage of the population falls below the poverty line.
E Lead paint and asbestos, though they cause medical problems, have not been conclusively proven to shorten
life expectancy.

6. Child Custody
Some observers have taken the position that the recently elected judge is biased against men in divorce cases
that involve child custody. But the statistics reveal that in 40% of such cases, the recently elected judge awards
custody to the fathers. Most other judges award custody to fathers in only 20%–30%of their cases. This record
demonstrates that the recently elected judge has not discriminated against men in cases of child custody.
The argument above is flawed in that it ignores the possibility that
A A large number of the recently elected judge's cases involve child custody disputes.
B Many judges find objectivity in child custody cases to be difficult to achieve.
C The recently elected judge is prejudiced against men in divorce cases that do not involve child custody issues.
D The majority of the child custody cases that have reached the recently elected judge's court have been
appealed from a lower court.
E The evidence shows that men should have won custody in more than 40% of the recently elected judge's
cases involving divorcing fathers.
 GMAT CR – Flaw in the Reasoning Questions 3

7. Economic Advisor
Editorial: The premier’s economic advisor assures her that with the elimination of wasteful spending, the goal of
reducing taxes while not significantly decreasing government services can be met. But the premier should not
listen to this advisor, who in his youth was convicted of embezzlement. Surely his economic advice is as
untrustworthy as he is himself, and so the premier should discard any hope of reducing taxes without a significant
decrease in government services.

Which one of the following is a questionable argumentative strategy employed in the editorial’s argument?

A rejecting a proposal on the grounds that a particular implementation of the proposal is likely to fail
B trying to win support for a proposal by playing on people’s fears of what could happen otherwise
C criticizing the source of a claim rather than examining the claim itself
D taking a lack of evidence for a claim as evidence undermining the claim
E presupposing what it sets out to establish

8. Magazine Article Writer

Cotrell is, at best, able to write magazine articles of average quality. The most compelling pieces of evidence for
this are those few of the numerous articles submitted by Cotrell that are superior, since Cotrell, who is incapable
of writing an article that is better than average, must obviously have plagiarized superior ones.

The argument is most vulnerable to criticism on which one of the following grounds?

A It simply ignores the existence of potential counterevidence.

B It generalizes from atypical occurrences.
C It presupposes what it seeks to establish.
D It relies on the judgment of experts in a matter to which their expertise is irrelevant.
E It infers limits on ability from a few isolated lapses in performance.

9. Irradiated Food
Activist: Food producers irradiate food in order to prolong its shelf life. Five animal studies were recently
conducted to investigate whether this process alters food in a way that could be dangerous to people who eat
it. The studies concluded that irradiated food is safe for humans to eat. However, because these studies were
subsequently found by a panel of independent scientists to be seriously flawed in their methodology, it follows
that irradiated food is not safe for human consumption.

The reasoning in the activist’s argument is flawed because that argument

A treats a failure to prove a claim as constituting proof of the denial of that claim
B treats methodological flaws in past studies as proof that it is currently not possible to devise methodologically
adequate alternatives
C fails to consider the possibility that even a study whose methodology has no serious flaws nonetheless might
provide only weak support for its conclusion
D fails to consider the possibility that what is safe for animals might not always be safe for human beings
E fails to establish that the independent scientists know more about food irradiation than do the people who
produced the five studies
 GMAT CR – Flaw in the Reasoning Questions 4

10. The Pursuit of Truth

Philosopher: Scientists talk about the pursuit of truth, but, like most people, they are self-interested. Accordingly,
the professional activities of most scientists are directed toward personal career enhancement, and only
incidentally toward the pursuit of truth. Hence, the activities of the scientific community are largely directed
toward enhancing the status of that community as a whole, and only incidentally toward the pursuit of truth.

The reasoning in the philosopher’s argument is flawed because the argument

A improperly infers that each and every scientist has a certain characteristic from the premise that most
scientists have that characteristic
B improperly draws an inference about the scientific community as a whole from a premise about individual
scientists
C presumes, without giving justification, that the aim of personal career enhancement never advances the
pursuit of truth
D illicitly takes advantage of an ambiguity in the meaning of “self-interested”
E improperly draws an inference about a cause from premises about its effects

11. Public Opinion on Movies

Several legislators claim that the public finds many current movies so violent as to be morally offensive. However,
these legislators have misrepresented public opinion. In a survey conducted by a movie industry guild, only 17
percent of respondents thought that movies are overly violent, and only 3 percent found any recent movie
morally offensive.
These low percentages are telling, because the respondents see far more current movies than does the average
moviegoer.

The reasoning in the argument is flawed in that the argument

A attempts to undermine the legislators’ credibility instead of addressing their argument

B bases its conclusion on subjective judgments rather than on an objective criterion of moral offensiveness
C fails to consider the possibility that violent movies increase the prevalence of antisocial behavior
D generalizes from a sample that is unlikely to be representative of public sentiment
E presumes, without providing justification, that the people surveyed based their responses on a random
sampling of movies

12. Levels of Smog

On some hot days the smog in Hillview reaches unsafe levels, and on some hot days the wind blows into Hillview
from the east. Therefore, on some days when the wind blows into Hillview from the east, the smog in Hillview
reaches unsafe levels.

The reasoning in the argument is flawed in that the argument

A mistakes a condition that sometimes accompanies unsafe levels of smog for a condition that necessarily
accompanies unsafe levels of smog
B fails to recognize that one set might have some members in common with each of two others even though
those two other sets have no members in common with each other
C uses the key term “unsafe” in one sense in a premise and in another sense in the conclusion
D contains a premise that is implausible unless the conclusion is presumed to be true
E infers a particular causal relation from a correlation that could be explained in a variety of other ways
 GMAT CR – Flaw in the Reasoning Questions 5

13. The Far Side of the Moon

Astronomer: I have asserted that our solar system does not contain enough meteoroids and other cosmic debris
to have caused the extensive cratering on the far side of the moon. My opponents have repeatedly failed to
demonstrate the falsity of this thesis. Their evidence is simply inconclusive; thus they should admit that my thesis
is correct.

The reasoning in the astronomer’s argument is flawed because this argument

A criticizes the astronomer’s opponents rather than their arguments

B infers the truth of the astronomer’s thesis from the mere claim that it has not been proven false
C ignores the possibility that alternative explanations may exist for the cratering
D presumes that the astronomer’s thesis should not be subject to rational discussion and criticism
E fails to precisely define the key word “meteoroids”

14. Good Health

Some people believe that good health is due to luck. However, studies from many countries indicate a strong
correlation between good health and high educational levels. Thus research supports the view that good health
is largely the result of making informed lifestyle choices.

The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument

A presumes, without providing justification, that only highly educated people make informed lifestyle choices
B overlooks the possibility that people who make informed lifestyle choices may nonetheless suffer from
inherited diseases
C presumes, without providing justification, that informed lifestyle choices are available to everyone
D overlooks the possibility that the same thing may causally contribute both to education and to good health
E does not acknowledge that some people who fail to make informed lifestyle choices are in good health

15. Fundraising Method

Charity Hospital Board Member: It does not make sense to continue pouring money into print advertising when
telephone solicitation is a more effective fundraising method. We currently employ three people full-time whose
only job is to call families of former patients and ask them to donate.

Each of the following, if true, undermines the argument that print advertising should be discontinued in favor of
telephone solicitation EXCEPT

A Funds paying the salaries of the telephone solicitors represent a slightly larger dollar amount than money
received through their fundraising efforts.
B Inaccurate record-keeping makes it difficult to determine what percentage of total fundraising dollars were
raised according to which method.
C A survey reveals that most of those who gave money to the hospital were first exposed to a fundraising ad in
the newspaper and viewed the telephone call as a follow-up.
D A survey reveals that most of those who gave money to the hospital did so because they had emotionally
connected with a fundraiser over the telephone.
E A survey reveals that most of those who declined to donate to the hospital did so because they were offended
by the approach of the telephone solicitors.