II. Typical Critical Reasoning Question Types

A. Must Be True Questions
B. Assumption Questions
C. Strengthen and Weaken Questions
D. Main Point Questions
E. Paradox Questions
F. Reasoning Questions

A. Must Be True Questions

Must Be True Questions are extremely common. These are the typical Must Be True Questions:

• If the statements above are true, which of the following must also be true?
• Which of the following is [implied, must be true, implicit, most reasonably drawn] in the passage above?
• Which of the following conclusions can most properly be drawn if the statements above are true?
• Which of the following inferences (inference means the same thing as "must be true" on the test) is best supported by the statement made above? (Conclusions differ from inferences in that conclusions are the result of premises and inferences are something that must be true.)

How to tackle Must Be True Questions:

1. Read the stimulus and look for the argument.
2. Note that Must Be True questions may not be an argument. They may just be a series of facts. Nevertheless, try to find the argument.
3. MUST BE TRUE questions should always be tackled using POE (process of elimination). Go through every answer choice systematically and check if it is ALWAYS true. If you can find a situation where it is not true, eliminate it. Gradually eliminate answer choices until you have one left.

SAMPLE QUESTION

Every store on Main Street in Summitville has an awning, and all of these awnings are either green or red. If the statement above is true, which one of the following must also be true?

1. Some awnings in Summitville are green.
2. If a store in Summitville does not have an awning, then it is not on Main Street.
3. If a store in Summitville has a red awning, then it is on Main Street.

a) I only

b) II only

c) I and II only

d) I and III only

e) I, II, and III

 

Explanation: Note that this question is not an argument. Statement I may not be true: the question states that all of the awnings on Main Street are either green or red, but this does not preclude the possibility that all of the awnings on Main Street are red. Statement III may not be true either: the question states that every store on Main Street has either a red awning or a green awning, but this does not preclude the possibility that a store on some other street has a red awning. Statement II must be true: if every store on Main Street has an awning, then a store without an awning cannot be on Main Street. The correct answer is B.

 

w B. Assumption Questions

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