Cheat Sheets – Critical Reasoning

Critical Reasoning is an interesting topic that is based on pure logical thinking. Solving a critical
reasoning question requires nothing but your reasoning ability. This cheat sheet is designed to
give you extensive practice in the same. The critical reasoning section contains questions that
are to be answered based on logic derived from the arguments presented. Every critical
reasoning exercise contains two parts:
● Argument
● Question
Argument - Identifying the different parts:
Argument is a set of statements provided which are connected by a ‘line of reasoning’. It has
the following three constituents:
a) Premise
b) Assumption
c) Conclusion
The ‘premise’ is a piece of information that is stated in the question. A premise may be a fact,
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DM5IL9NRVCan opinion or a claim. It provides support for the conclusion. The ‘assumption’ is an unstated

part of the argument that is highly necessary to reach the conclusion. The ‘conclusion’ is the
most vital part which is ‘logically derived’ from the assumption and premise.
So, we can say that: Conclusion = Premise + Assumption
How to identify the different parts of an Argument?
To crack a critical reasoning question, you must identify the different parts of an argument.
Let us consider the following example:
“BMW is a leading contender for the ‘Car of the Year’ award. If BMW wins the award, it must
have a 2998 cc engine.”
1. The first step is to look for the premise. The premise is what leads to the conclusion.
Thus, in an argument, all the pieces of information, opinions, facts, etc. form the
premise. Now, what is the premise in the previous example? The first sentence is the
information provided by the author. Thus, it forms the premise.
Premise: BMW is a leading contender for the ‘Car of the Year’ award.

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 Cheat Sheets – Critical Reasoning

2. The second step is to look for the conclusion. The conclusion is the central point of the
argument. It is what the author ‘believes’ and ‘logically derived’ based on the premise
presented. In most cases, it is the last sentence of an argument. But remember that this
need not be the case all the time. In the previous example, where does the conclusion
occur? The main point which the argument is driving at is the last sentence.
Conclusion: If BMW wins the award, it must have a 2998 cc engine.
3. Most of the time, it is enough that you find the conclusion and premise. But sometimes,
you will be asked to deduce an assumption too. Assumptions are not stated in the
argument, but can make or break the conclusion. Let us try to find the assumption
which supports the conclusion in the example given above.
Assumption: Only bikes with 2998 cc engine capacity can be selected as ‘Car of the Year’.
Types of Questions:
The major question types that come up in critical reasoning are the following:
1. Deduce the assumption:
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DM5IL9NRVCAssumption is the unspecified part of an argument, but is very essential in order to arrive at the

conclusion. It should be in the same line of reasoning as that of the argument, thus helping to
prove the conclusion right.
Avoid answers that restate information already provided in the premise.
Consider the following example:
“Absinthe is injurious to health. Hence, drinking alcohol should be banned by the Government.”
What is the author’s assumption?
Look at the argument carefully. The author is clear that Absinthe is injurious to health. But she
comes up with a conclusion which states that ‘drinking alcohol’ must be banned. Thus, it is
assumed that Absinthe, only in the form of drinking alcohol, is injurious to health and hence
must be banned.
2. Find the strengthening statement:
This type involves finding the statement which strengthens the conclusion. In other words, the
statement chosen from the answer options should provide support to the conclusion.

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 Cheat Sheets – Critical Reasoning

e.g., Richard Castle: “The Harley-Davidson can accelerate from 10 to 100 kmph in 1.5 seconds
and is one of the fastest bikes in the market. Clearly, it is the bike you should buy.”
Which of the following statements most strengthens Richard Castle’s argument?
a. The Harley-Davidson is cheaper than other bikes.
b. You are looking for a bike which has a fast rate of acceleration
c. Richard Castle’s claim about Harley-Davidson’s capabilities has been proven to be
scientifically incorrect.
d. The Harley-Davidson has the best mileage in the market.
Options (a) and (d) are irrelevant to the scope of the argument, for ‘cost’ and ‘mileage’ are not
our topics of concern. Thus, they can be eliminated. Option (c) weakens the argument and
hence can be eliminated. Option (b) provides support to the argument. 10 to 100 kmph in 1.5
seconds is a fast rate of acceleration? Thus, Harley-Davidson has a fast rate of acceleration.
Only if you are looking to buy a bike with a fast rate of acceleration will you consider the Harley-
Davidson. Thus, (b) is the strengthening statement.
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DM5IL9NRVC3. Find the weakening statement:

A weakening statement is one which proves the conclusion to be wrong, thus exposing a
‘weakness’ in the argument. Let us take up the same example mentioned previously.
e.g., Richard Castle: “The Harley-Davidson can accelerate from 10 to 100 kmph in 1.5 seconds
and is one of the fastest bikes in the market. Clearly, it is the bike you should buy.”
Which of the following statements most weakens Richard Castle’s argument?
a. The Harley-Davidson is cheaper than other bikes.
b. You are looking for a bike which has a fast rate of acceleration
c. Richard Castle’s claim about Harley-Davidson’s capabilities has been proven to be
scientifically incorrect.
d. The Harley-Davidson has the best mileage in the market.
The logic in Richard Castle’s argument flows the following way. Harley-Davidson ’s rate of
acceleration is one of the highest in the market. Hence, you must buy it. To weaken Richard
Castle’s argument, you have to come up with a statement which proves that Harley-Davidson is
clearly NOT the bike you should buy. This can be done by casting doubt on the ‘claim’ about
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 Cheat Sheets – Critical Reasoning

Harley’s rate of acceleration. According to option c, Richard Castle’s ‘claim’, which provides
data about Harley, is scientifically incorrect. Thus, it breaks the logical base on which the
conclusion is built by ‘disproving’ the premise. Thus, (c) is the most weakening statement.
4. Deduce the conclusion:
In this type of question, the conclusion will not be provided in the argument. The argument
given by the author thus contains only the premise. When finding a conclusion, look for an
option that is well supported by the information provided. Any option that brings in extra
information is out because the place for extra information is in the passage, not outside it.
Consider the following example:
“Only great actors win National Film awards. Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Hassan have won
the most number of National awards for Acting.”
Which of the following statements is the best suitable conclusion to the argument?
a. Amitabh Bachchan is a better music director than Kamal Hassan.
b. Kamal Hassan has won the award three times.
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DM5IL9NRVCc. Kamal Hassan and Amitabh Bachchan are India’s greatest actors.

d. Mohanlal has won the award twice.

Options (a) and (d) are irrelevant to the argument. Option (b) is relevant to the argument but it
is not something that can be ‘logically derived’ from the given statements. Option (c) flows with
the logic presented in the premise and is something that can be ‘derived’ logically from the
argument.
5. Mimic the reasoning pattern:
This type of question requires you to look for an answer option which has the same reasoning
pattern as that of the given argument.
Consider the following example:
“Potassium hydroxide is an alkali. All alkalis are bases. Hence, Potassium hydroxide is a base.”
Which of the following arguments have the same reasoning pattern as that of the passage
above?
a. If bats live young, they must be mammals. So if they are amphibians, they must lay eggs to
reproduce.
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 Cheat Sheets – Critical Reasoning

b. Mammooty is an actor. All actors direct. Hence, Mammooty is a director as well.

c. India is my country. All Indians are my brothers and sisters. Hence, my brother is an Indian.
d. If earth scientists are correct, global temperatures are rising. If the earth’s temperature
increases, ocean levels will rise. So if ocean levels rise, earth scientists were correct.
Consider the pattern given in the passage. It has three elements, which are explained below.
Let P = Potassium hydroxide, Q = Alkali, R = Base.
The passage is of the following pattern. P is Q. All Qs are R. Hence, P is R.
Option (a): If P, then Q. If R, then S. Not mimicking the pattern. (Eliminated)
Option (b): P is Q. All Qs Are R. Hence P is R. Mimics the pattern given in the passage.
Option (c): P is Q. All Rs are Ts and Ss. Hence, my T is R. Not mimicking the pattern. (Eliminated)
Option (d): If P, then Q. If Q, then R. So if R Then P. Not mimicking the given pattern.
(Eliminated)
Tips to remember while solving:
1. Identify the conclusion. Signpost words can be very useful in achieving this task. Conclusions
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DM5IL9NRVCusually contain some common signpost words. Thus, in general, a sentence containing signpost

words can be considered to be the conclusion. Some examples are: therefore, so, since,
because, should, due to, given that, as a result of, consequently, suggests, thus, indicates,
hence, accordingly, it follows that, etc.
2. As and when you read an argument, break it up into its constituent parts: Premise and
Conclusion. Doing this helps you achieve two things:
i. You read with ‘purpose’, thus identifying the parts essential to solving the question
quickly.
ii. Sometimes, you have a tendency to assume logical connections between the premise
and conclusion of an argument that “don’t” exist in the given statement itself. You
prevent yourself from doing that.
3. Read the ‘Question’ carefully. Be clear about your objective before looking at the answer
options.
4. Don’t assume information unless you see it in the argument.
For example, consider the following question.
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 Cheat Sheets – Critical Reasoning

“All men are intelligent. Sherlock Holmes is intelligent.”

What is the conclusion from the argument given above?
Is it okay to conclude that Sherlock Holmes is a man? If you answer yes, you would be wrong,
for there is no information in the argument which provides a logical basis for that. For instance,
Sherlock Holmes could be the name of a dog. Thus, it is essential to leave out ‘outside
knowledge’ and prejudices before looking at a critical reasoning question.
5. When looking for an answer option, stick within the scope of the argument. Even if the
option seems right, ask yourself if it’s in the context of the argument. Eliminate answer options
that are irrelevant and out of scope.
6. Keep an eye out for the ‘Except’ questions. In such questions, the answer is the one which
least significantly affects the conclusion.
PRACTICE EXERCISE
1. Mark Twain is the greatest American author who ever lived. After all, more analytical papers
have been written about Huckleberry Finn, Twain’s most famous novel, than about any
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DM5IL9NRVC
other novel ever written. Which of the following assumptions is indicated in the above
argument?
A. Only American novels become the subject of analytical papers.
B. Only authors whose novels are the subject of analytical papers can be considered great.
C. Huckleberry Finn is a more famous novel than Moby Dick.
D. No great novels have ever been written in Russian.
2. University systems that use graduation rates to determine which campuses are allotted
additional funds, are acting counter to their stated goals. The universities say they are trying
to raise academic standards, yet they are actually encouraging campuses to graduate
students regardless of achievement. Which of the following, if true, would help to validate
the approach taken by the university systems mentioned above?
A. Graduation rates for university systems with this policy are among the highest in the
nation, but the graduates from these systems score poorly on the tests of basic skills.

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 Cheat Sheets – Critical Reasoning

B. The campuses that need the additional funds the most are the ones that have the
lowest graduation rates.
C. The new funds will be allotted for facility upgrades, not new faculty positions or pay
increases for staff.
D. Graduation examinations currently exist that require every graduate at each university
to demonstrate minimum levels of achievement.
3. One way to measure the performance of a firm is to compare it with other firms. This
method, commonly called “benchmarking,” permits the director of a company to discover
better industrial nuances and can provide a justification for the adoption of good changes.
Any of the following, if true, is a valid reason for benchmarking the performance of a
company against companies with which it is not in competition rather than against
competitors EXCEPT:
A. Comparisons with competitors are most likely to focus on practices that the director
making the comparisons already employs.
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DM5IL9NRVC B. Getting “inside” information about the unique practices of competitors is particularly
difficult.
C. Since companies that compete with each other are likely to have comparable levels of
efficiency, only benchmarking against non-competitors is likely to reveal practices that
would aid in beating competitors.
D. Much of the success of good companies is due to their adoption of practices that take
advantage of the special circumstances of their products or markets.

4. For an exchange ban against a particular country to succeed, a high degree of both accord
and ability to prevent items from entering or leaving that country must be sustained. A total
stop of Ghana’s ports is necessary to a ban, but such an action would be likely to cause UN
discord over the ban. The claims above, if true, most strongly support which of the following
conclusions?
A. The balance of opinion is likely to favor Ghana in the event of a ban.
B. As long as UN opinion is unanimously against Ghana, a trade ban is likely to succeed.
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 Cheat Sheets – Critical Reasoning

C. A naval blockade of Ghana’s ports would ensure that no items enter or leave Ghana.
D. Any trade ban against Ghana would be likely to fail at some time.

5. Mr. Sherlock: Ms. Adler’s qualifications are ideal for the position. She is intelligent, forceful,
determined and trustworthy. I suggest hiring her immediately. Which one of the following,
if true, would most weaken Mr. Sherlock’s statement?
A. Ms. Adler is not interested in being hired.
B. There are two other applicants whose qualifications are identical to Ms. Adler’s.
C. Ms. Adler is currently working for a rival company.
D. Mr. Sherlock is not speaking directly to the hiring committee
SOLUTIONS
1. Option(b)
Premise: The most number of analytical papers have been written about his novel - Huckleberry
Finn.
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DM5IL9NRVC
Conclusion: Mark Twain is the greatest American author.
For the author to come up with the above argument, he should have assumed that the
greatness of a novel is dependent only on the number of analytical papers written about it; the
more the number of analytical papers written, the greater the novel. Option b) is the only
option that is related to this and hence, is the required answer.
2. Option (d)
We need to validate the approach of the university systems in allocating additional funds to
campuses based on the graduation rates but the passage argues against it by highlighting that
they are not raising the academic standards rather encouraging campuses to graduate more
students regardless of achievement. Among the given options, option (d) states that there is a
minimum level of achievement in the graduation examinations which each student has to
pass to become a graduate and hence, this justifies the university systems approach
and nullifies the argument given in the passage against it.
3. Option (d)

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 Cheat Sheets – Critical Reasoning

Please note here that the question has an “EXCEPT”. This means that among the options, three
are valid reasons for the argument and one is not. We need to find that one.
(a) – This is not the required answer as it supports the argument of benchmarking the
performance of a company against the companies with which it is not in competition rather
than against the competitors.
(b) – It is true that getting inside information about competitors’ unique practices is particularly
difficult but it won’t be so in case of a non-competitor. So, this also supports the argument and
is not the required answer.
(c) – On a single reading of this option, we can clearly say that this again supports the
argument. Thus, this cannot be our answer.
(d) – Now this option describes that good companies take advantage of special circumstances
which might be sector specific and so, it implies that it might not be helpful to compare the
performance of a company with non-competitor companies. Hence, this is the correct answer.
4. Option (d)
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DM5IL9NRVCWe need to find the conclusion based on the given passage. The passage gives an explanation

on how to successfully implement an exchange ban and the implications of such a ban on
Ghana.
(a) – The passage does say that such an action is likely to cause discord in UNI but that does not
mean it will go in favour of Ghana only. So, this is incorrect.
(b) – This is a general statement that is quite obvious because that is how a trade ban can be
made a success but this does not conclude the passage as this very fact is stated in the first line
of the passage. Thus, it is incorrect.
(c) – This is a solution on how to implement the ban successfully but not a conclusion as it does
not address the fact that there is likely to be a UN discord due to such a ban.
(d) – This is the required answer. This is because the option clearly jots down the gist of the
passage. It is given that the ban is likely to cause a UN discord which means a disagreement
among the members of the UN. Now if everybody is not in favour of such a ban they might be
involved in trade with Ghana which would violate the ban. There is a high possibility of such a
thing happening in future. Thus, this option is the correct conclusion for this passage.
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 Cheat Sheets – Critical Reasoning

5. Option (b)
Based on Ms. Adler’s qualifications, Mr. Sherlock suggested that she should be
hired immediately. This should be based on the assumptions that these are the required
qualifications and Ms. Adler is the only person having these qualifications.
Ways of weakening Sherlock’s statement:
1) Proving that Ms. Adler does not possess any of the qualifications that Sherlock mentioned
she did.
2) Proving that Ms. Adler should not be hired immediately.
Of the given options, only option B states a fact that weakens his assumptions. If there are two
other candidates with identical qualifications, there is no need to hire Ms. Adler immediately.
There must be further scrutiny.
a) Whether or not Ms. Adler is interested in the job does not make what Sherlock said to be
correct/incorrect about her. Ms. Adler’s interest will affect her taking the job, not her
qualifications for the job. Sherlock is concerned only about her qualifications.
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DM5IL9NRVCc) Does not weaken anything Sherlock said in his argument.

d) Same as option a.

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