PrepTest 113, Section 2, Question 3
Joan got A's on all her homework assignments,(50 more words not shown)
The argument's reasoning is questionable(3 more words not shown)
- Aignores the possibility(20 more words not shown)
- Bpresupposes without justification(21 more words not shown)
- Coverlooks the importance(9 more words not shown)
- Dignores the possibility(24 more words not shown)
- Efails to take(19 more words not shown)
Reading the argument
Maybe Joan has another way to pass without the presentation.
A's on the homework alone don't tell us everything about her course grade. Some classes put a lot of weight on other work. Here, though, the passage gives us a specific rule to accept: with her homework grades, an A on the term paper would let her pass without doing the presentation. That is one route to passing while skipping it.
She didn't get the paper grade. Does that close every route? Suppose her midterm performance could also put her far enough ahead to pass without the presentation. The stated rule about an A on the paper could be true, and she could still pass by another route. We aren't told whether that alternative exists, but the argument needs to rule it out before saying she has to present.
What we’re looking for
For the flaw question, I'd look for the assumption that the paper route was the only way to avoid needing the presentation. Failing to meet one stated condition doesn't establish that every other possibility has disappeared.
Working the answers
- A
This would help the argument, not expose its mistake. If Joan really must either get an A on the term paper or do the presentation to pass, then failing to get the A leaves the presentation as a requirement. That is precisely the restriction the author is treating as true without establishing it. The author hasn't overlooked it; the reasoning depends on it.
- BCorrect
Strip away the long wording: the author assumes that without an A on the paper, Joan cannot pass unless she presents. But the premise only tells us what an A would allow. It doesn't tell us that no other grade combination could let her skip the presentation.
The hypothetical midterm route shows the difference. Joan could miss the A on the paper but satisfy some other rule that lets her pass without presenting. That would leave the stated premise true while making the conclusion false. B identifies the unsupported step that excludes such alternatives.
- C
The author doesn't overlook the presentation's importance. The conclusion makes it essential for Joan to pass. We need to question whether that requirement has been established, not accuse the author of failing to give the presentation enough weight.
- D
This says that if the presentation is required, Joan didn't get an A on the paper. That fits the opening rule: an A, combined with her homework grades, would mean she could pass without presenting. It doesn't establish the author's disputed claim that lacking the A makes the presentation required. The problem is going from no A to no other way to pass, not failing to consider D's compatible statement.
- E
Other students might get an A on the term paper and fail for reasons that don't apply to Joan. For example, they might not have her A's on all the homework. The given route concerns Joan with her stated record, not every student who gets an A on a paper. E doesn't show that she lacks another way to pass without presenting.
More Flaw questions
Learn the LSAT our way
Our platform drills Flaw questions at your level and adjusts as you improve.