GMAT Verbal Reasoning: Critical Reasoning

Critical Reasoning (CR) questions are the core of GMAT Verbal Reasoning and constitute approximately half of the Verbal section. Each CR question presents a short argument (typically 3-8 sentences) followed by a question stem and five answer choices. To answer CR questions efficiently, you must first understand the argument's structure: identify the conclusion (the main claim the argument is trying to establish), the premises (the evidence or reasons supporting the conclusion), and any assumptions (unstated premises that the argument depends on being true). The conclusion is often (but not always) the last sentence. Watch for conclusion indicator words: 'therefore,' 'thus,' 'hence,' 'consequently,' 'so,' 'it follows that.' Watch for premise indicator words: 'because,' 'since,' 'given that,' 'due to,' 'as a result of.' Many GMAT CR arguments have an unstated assumption — a gap between the premises and conclusion that the argument implicitly relies on. Identifying assumptions is critical for answering Weaken, Strengthen, and Assumption question types. A common argument structure on the GMAT: 'Evidence shows X occurred. Therefore, Y must be the cause.' The implicit assumption: X and Y are actually related; no other factor explains X; the causal direction is correct. Weakening the assumption weakens the argument; strengthening the assumption strengthens the argument.