Identification of Question Category GMAT.

[sunilpanigrahi27]

Hello All,

Could you please help me out to know the below question falls into which category in GMAT. I am getting confused as to it falls into what category hence ticking on the wrong option. I am getting confused between strengthen the question pattern and draw a conclusion question pattern. Please help me with it .

1. Which one of the following inferences is most strongly supported by the information above?
2. Which one of the following inferences is most supported by the information above?
3. If all of the statements above are true, which one of the following must be true?
4. Which one of the following can be logically inferred from the passage?
5. Which one of the following logically follows from the statements above?


Regards,
Sunil

[RonPurewal]

these are all "draw a conclusion".

more importantly-- you should be able to just read the words and do what they say. ideally, you shouldn't even have to detour into "question categories"; you should just be able to process the questions and answer them, just as you would in, say, an interview.

these questions are not written in an obscure manner, nor do they contain "big" words. and, remember, there are NEVER any "tricks" in the way anything on this exam is written.
so, the question is ... what, exactly, is making this difficult for you? (are you looking for "tricks" that aren't there?)

[sunilpanigrahi27]

Hey ,

Thanks a lot for the detailed explanation .

But I get confused with the question pattern . Specifically between strengthen the conclusion and Draw a conclusion questions. As while appearing strengthen the question we can add additional info in solving the probs but in draw a conclusion ques we need to gather info from the stimulus only.

1. Which one of the following inferences is most strongly supported by the information above?
2. Which one of the following inferences is most supported by the information above?

i initially felt the above 2 fall into Strengthen the Conclusion category ..

[RonPurewal]

you can figure this stuff out by just using everyday common sense.

in any "strengthen" question, the correct answer (= the thing that actually "strengthens" the argument) must be NEW information-- i.e., something that we haven't yet been told in the passage.
in any such problem, the prompt question will contain language implying "stuff we don't know yet".
e.g.,
Which of the following, if true, would strengthen the argument?
("if true" means "stuff we don't know yet".
"would" implies the same-- that the statements are hypothetical.)

by contrast, "inference" questions require you to work only with what you already know-- and, likewise, any such question will contain language indicating that limitation.
e.g.,
Which one of the following inferences is most strongly supported by the information above?
Which one of the following inferences is most supported by the information above?
"IS supported" (NOT "would be supported") --> you can only use the stuff you already know.
"..by the information above" --> exactly what it says.

[RonPurewal]

note that absolutely everything above is just ordinary common sense-- and, if you encounter any such questions on planet earth, you will know EXACTLY what is permitted.

e.g.,

your boss says "what would help your team do a better job?" (or "what tools, if available, would help your team do a better job?"
--> boss is asking for something you don't already have.

your boss says "what is the best you can do with the tools you have?"
--> well, that means exactly what it says.

basically, you just have to read the words and do what they say. if you understand what the words say, and can DO what the words say, then there's no reason to bother with "classifying".