Inconclusive about drawing a conclusion

[KatharineT943]

Hi there,

I've had a number of "Draw a conclusion" CR questions on my CATS, but I don't remember reading about this type of CR question in the foundations books. How is this question type different from a "Find an inference" question type? I have been interpreting these "Draw a conclusion" questions as "inferences", because in the books it says that the word "conclude" in a question signifies an "inference" question, but I keep getting this question type wrong. I am thinking this is because the goal for "conclusion" questions is a little different then "inference" questions. Can you please help clarify? Or is there a chapter on this that I am missing?

Thanks,

Katharine

[RonPurewal]

those are the same.

in both cases, you need to PROVE one of the answer choices from the information originally given.
it makes no difference which of those terms is used -- or if some other phrasing is used instead (e.g., "which of the following statements is supported by the given information? / "...follows from the given information?" / "if the statements above are true, which of the following must also be true?" / etc).

[KatharineT943]

Okay thanks! I'm confused though as to why the CAT assessment reports would list 'Inference" and "Draw a conclusion" as different question types, if they are the same...?

[RonPurewal]

Okay thanks! I'm confused though as to why the CAT assessment reports would list 'Inference" and "Draw a conclusion" as different question types, if they are the same...?

is one of those for RC and the other for CR?
i'm guessing that "inference" is for RC, while "draw a conclusion" is for CR?
if so, then, of course they're different -- because they're from two different components of the exam.

RC inferences (+ any other RC detail questions) require that you prove the correct answer choice, just as CR conclusion problems do.
the difference is that, on the CR version, you'll have to combine two or more statements from the passage to arrive at your answer... whereas on RC detail questions, the correct answer should basically be a rephrased version of a SINGLE fact from the passage.
(the primary skill tested on RC details is your ability to properly narrow a search and FIND the requisite information, efficiently. on CR these things are complete non-issues, because the passages are so short -- so, instead, the primary challenge/skill is whether you can see how the given statements work TOGETHER and COMBINE to create the "conclusion" that you want.)

__

if those really ARE both for CR, though -- as you wrote in your original post -- then, well, that shouldn't happen.
but first, let's make sure that my guess (= you're actually looking at one CR category and one RC category) isn't the case.

[KatharineT943]

Thanks! Both are for CR though - when I look at my assessment reports from my CATs, it lists 'Inference' and 'Draw a Conclusion' as two different question types for CR. Also, the MPrep books refer to this CR question type as an 'Inference' question, so I assumed that's what it would be called as in the assessment reports. Perhaps I am looking at some dated information?

[RonPurewal]

hm, interesting. i'll note this.
long story made short = no difference.

remember, this is a standardized test -- and so it needs to have the same degree of rigor that's expected, in general, from anything "standardized". among other things, that means every question must have 4 choices that are clearly incorrect, and 1 choice that's clearly correct.

as a result, when YOU have to derive the correct answer FROM a set of given statements, the only acceptably "correct" answers are the ones you can actually PROVE from those statements -- either with complete logical rigor, or else to such an extent that any possible objection would be ridiculous.
this is true regardless of whether the question happens to use the term "conclusion", "inference", or any other such thing. so, there is no distinction -- these questions will work in the same way.

[RonPurewal]

Also, the MPrep books refer to this CR question type as an 'Inference' question, so I assumed that's what it would be called as in the assessment reports. Perhaps I am looking at some dated information?

no, i looked at the materials and you're right.

i think that's an ... interesting decision, because GMAC uses the word "infer[ence]" a LOT in RC, but basically never on CR.

but, again, the only thing that's actually important to know is that you have to prove the correct answers.