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Bocconi Test study materials
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Bocconi Test practice questions

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Question 1Reading Comprehension

In the 1890s, bicycle makers in Coventry experimented with ball bearings, lightweight tubing and interchangeable parts. These innovations were later taken up by the emerging car industry, which drew many of its first engineers from bicycle workshops. The passage is mainly concerned with

  1. why Coventry became a racing centre
  2. the decline of bicycle output in the 1890s
  3. how bicycle innovations shaped early car making Correct answer.
  4. rivalry between bicycle and car firms

Explanation

The passage links bicycle-era innovations and bicycle-trained engineers to the early car industry, so its central point is that transfer. It says nothing about racing, decline or competition between the two industries.

Question 2Reading Comprehension

The committee's report was praised for its candour: it named the officials responsible and admitted that earlier assurances had been misleading. In this passage, 'candour' most nearly means

  1. caution
  2. brevity
  3. frankness Correct answer.
  4. politeness

Explanation

The colon introduces a gloss: naming names and admitting past errors are acts of open, direct honesty, which is what candour denotes. The other options describe qualities the described behaviour does not display.

Question 3Reading Comprehension

Researchers tracked 1,200 commuters for two years and found that those who cycled to work took fewer sick days than those who drove, regardless of age or income. According to the passage, the difference in sick days was independent of

  1. the season of the year
  2. the length of the commute
  3. the city where people worked
  4. age and income Correct answer.

Explanation

The words 'regardless of age or income' state explicitly that the gap held across those variables, so it did not depend on them. The other factors listed are simply not discussed.

Question 4Reading Comprehension

The novel's plot is thin, its dialogue stilted, and its characters forgettable; yet somehow the book is impossible to put down. The author's attitude toward the novel is best described as

  1. neutral indifference
  2. puzzled appreciation Correct answer.
  3. open contempt
  4. unreserved admiration

Explanation

The author lists real faults but concedes a strong pull to keep reading, and the word 'somehow' signals surprise at that enjoyment. That combination is admiring while puzzled, not wholehearted or hostile.

Question 5Reading Comprehension

Every applicant who submitted the form before Friday was interviewed. Marta was not interviewed. Which conclusion follows?

  1. Marta never applied for the position
  2. Marta was rejected after an interview
  3. Marta submitted the form late
  4. Marta did not submit the form before Friday Correct answer.

Explanation

The first sentence guarantees an interview to anyone meeting the deadline condition; since Marta had no interview, she cannot have met that condition. Anything more specific about her timing or application cannot be derived.

Question 6Reading Comprehension

Warning: this trail crosses unstable scree and is unsuitable for children or dogs. Turn back at the second bridge if the weather worsens. The main purpose of the text is to

  1. describe local wildlife
  2. alert walkers to hazards Correct answer.
  3. record the trail's history
  4. advertise a scenic route

Explanation

The wording is instructional and cautions about unstable ground, unsuitable companions and bad weather, all of which are safety warnings. Nothing in the text promotes, historicises or naturalises the route.

Question 7Reading Comprehension

The museum's Egyptian gallery will close for renovation in March. Its most fragile pieces will tour to Turin, while the remainder go into storage. During the renovation, the most fragile objects will

  1. stay on display in the museum
  2. be sold to another collection
  3. be shown in Turin Correct answer.
  4. be restored on site

Explanation

The sentence pairs 'most fragile pieces' with 'will tour to Turin', so they will be exhibited there during the closure. The remaining objects, not the fragile ones, go into storage.

Question 8Reading Comprehension

Honey has been used as a wound dressing for millennia. Modern trials suggest it can slow bacterial growth, though its effectiveness varies greatly between types. The passage mainly

  1. reviews honey's medical use across history Correct answer.
  2. traces the trade in honey
  3. explains how bees make honey
  4. criticises modern wound care

Explanation

The text moves from ancient practice to modern trial evidence about honey as a treatment, so it surveys its medicinal use over time. The other options name subjects the passage never touches.

Question 9Reading Comprehension

Although the firm's profits rose, its share price fell sharply. Analysts noted that the gains came entirely from selling a subsidiary, not from operations. It can be inferred that the analysts believed

  1. the subsidiary was sold too cheaply
  2. the underlying business had not improved Correct answer.
  3. the share price would soon recover
  4. the profit figures had been misreported

Explanation

If every gain came from a one-off sale rather than from operations, then the core business contributed no improvement, which explains investor disappointment. The passage makes no claim about price, value or accounting accuracy.

Question 10Reading Comprehension

The council argues that removing parking meters from the high street will revive local shops, since shoppers currently avoid the area to dodge parking fees. The argument depends on the assumption that

  1. parking fees are a significant reason shoppers stay away Correct answer.
  2. other towns have tried the same policy
  3. shops would lower their prices afterwards
  4. parking meters raise little revenue

Explanation

The evidence offered is that shoppers avoid the area because of fees, so the conclusion only follows if that motive is genuinely important rather than marginal. Without that link the removal of meters would change nothing.

Question 11Reading Comprehension

A survey found that students who eat breakfast score higher in exams. The authors conclude that eating breakfast improves academic performance. Which finding would most weaken the conclusion?

  1. breakfast cereals vary widely in price across brands
  2. a small minority of students skip breakfast entirely
  3. exam scores fluctuate noticeably from one year to the next
  4. wealthier students both eat breakfast and score higher Correct answer.

Explanation

If a third factor such as family wealth drives both breakfast habits and exam results, the correlation need not reflect any causal effect of breakfast. That removes the support the survey was meant to provide.

Question 12Reading Comprehension

The proposal was initially dismissed as quixotic, yet within a decade its central idea had been adopted by every major bank. In this passage, 'quixotic' most nearly means

  1. technically complex
  2. deliberately deceptive
  3. financially risky
  4. impractically idealistic Correct answer.

Explanation

The contrast with later universal adoption shows the proposal seemed wildly unrealistic at first, which is the core sense of quixotic. The word describes unrealistic idealism, not cost, complexity or dishonesty.

Question 13Reading Comprehension

Critics often call the building brutalist. True, it is made of raw concrete. But its curves and courtyards owe more to baroque churches than to any modernist grid. The author mentions baroque churches in order to

  1. praise modernist architecture
  2. challenge a common label for the building Correct answer.
  3. criticise the use of concrete
  4. date the building's construction

Explanation

The baroque comparison is the evidence in a 'but' clause that undercuts the brutalist label by pointing to different stylistic ancestors. It serves the argument about classification, not about dating or about concrete as such.

Question 14Reading Comprehension

For years the lake was closed to swimming because of industrial runoff. Last spring the tests finally came back clean, and the town council reopened the beaches. Which is the most reasonable inference?

  1. the council had been waiting for acceptable water quality Correct answer.
  2. the tests are conducted every spring
  3. the factories closed voluntarily
  4. swimmers had ignored the ban

Explanation

The word 'finally' plus the immediate reopening once results were clean shows the closure was tied to water quality and the council acted when that condition was met. Nothing supports claims about factories, rule-breaking or testing schedules.

Question 15Reading Comprehension

Employees who took part in the mentoring scheme were promoted sooner than those who did not. The company concludes that mentoring speeds promotion. Which would most strengthen the conclusion?

  1. the scheme is expensive to run
  2. participants were assigned to the scheme at random Correct answer.
  3. mentors enjoyed the programme
  4. promotion rates differ between departments

Explanation

Random assignment removes the worry that keen or able employees chose mentoring and would have risen faster anyway, making the comparison causal. The other options either concern cost and satisfaction or introduce new variation irrelevant to the inference.

Question 16Reading Comprehension

Some historians claim the printing press caused the Reformation. Others reply that printed pamphlets mattered only because literacy had already spread. Both sides, however, agree that the two developments were entangled. The passage is primarily

  1. narrating a sequence of events
  2. defending one side in a dispute
  3. summarising a debate and a point of agreement Correct answer.
  4. rejecting both explanations

Explanation

The text sets out two rival positions and then identifies what they share, which is the structure of a summary of a dispute. It does not take sides, tell a story, or dismiss both views.

Question 17Reading Comprehension

The recipe warns that the dough must be chilled for at least two hours; otherwise the butter melts during baking and the layers collapse. According to the passage, chilling the dough

  1. adds flavour to the butter
  2. prevents the layers from collapsing Correct answer.
  3. makes the dough easier to roll
  4. shortens the baking time

Explanation

The warning states that without chilling the butter melts and the layers collapse, so chilling is what keeps the layers intact. The other effects are not attributed to chilling anywhere in the text.

Question 18Reading Comprehension

She read the minister's statement twice, underlined the word 'eventually', and said nothing. Her reaction suggests that she

  1. fully agreed with the statement
  2. doubted the promise it contained Correct answer.
  3. had not understood the statement
  4. was pleased by the announcement

Explanation

Rereading and singling out a vague time word point to scepticism about when, or whether, the pledge will be honoured, and silence reinforces reserve. The behaviour signals scrutiny rather than assent, confusion or delight.

Question 19Reading Comprehension

All students who pass the entrance exam are offered a place. Some of those offered a place decline it. Bianchi accepted a place. Which must be true?

  1. Bianchi is the only candidate
  2. Bianchi passed the entrance exam Correct answer.
  3. Bianchi declined a place elsewhere
  4. Bianchi applied after the deadline

Explanation

A place can only be offered to someone who passed, and Bianchi held and accepted one, so passing is entailed. The other statements add facts the passage neither states nor implies.

Question 20Reading Comprehension

The biography is exhaustive. Every letter is quoted, every dinner party recorded. One closes it knowing a great deal about the man's schedule and very little about the man. The author's comment is best described as

  1. wry criticism Correct answer.
  2. angry denunciation
  3. cautious approval
  4. enthusiastic endorsement

Explanation

The final sentence is a pointed joke whose contrast between schedule and person delivers a criticism of the book's method. The tone is dry and ironic rather than warm, furious or hesitant.

Question 21Reading Comprehension

It is often said that patents reward invention. Yet the firms that file most patents are rarely the ones that bring products to market; they are the ones with the largest legal departments. The author implies that

  1. inventors should not be rewarded
  2. legal departments are unnecessary
  3. the patent system may serve litigation more than innovation Correct answer.
  4. products should be sold without patents

Explanation

The contrast between firms that patent most and firms that market products suggests patents are used as legal weapons rather than as incentives to invent. That is a claim about how the system works in practice, not a proposal to abolish it.

Question 22Reading Comprehension

The city should ban cars from the centre, since pedestrian zones increase retail sales. In the two nearby towns that pedestrianised their main streets, shop revenue rose by a fifth. Which is an assumption of the argument?

  1. shopkeepers support the ban
  2. residents own more cars than visitors do
  3. other cities have made similar bans work
  4. the revenue rise was caused by pedestrianisation and not by other trends Correct answer.

Explanation

The evidence is a rise in revenue following pedestrianisation, so the argument needs that rise to be an effect of the policy rather than of coinciding factors. Otherwise the nearby towns provide no reason to expect gains.

Question 23Reading Comprehension

The drug lowers blood pressure reliably in trials, yet in a large real-world study patients taking it had no fewer heart attacks than those taking a placebo, and compliance was similar. Which would best resolve the paradox?

  1. heart attacks are rarely fatal in older patients
  2. the drug is expensive to manufacture
  3. the trials measured blood pressure inaccurately
  4. blood pressure was a minor risk factor in that population Correct answer.

Explanation

The paradox exists only if lowering blood pressure should reduce heart attacks; if blood pressure contributed little to risk in that group, the drug could work as advertised yet change nothing. The other options leave the expected link intact or attack the trial data without explaining the outcome.

Question 24Reading Comprehension

The report's conclusion rests on a survey with a 12% response rate. Those who take the trouble to reply to such surveys are, almost by definition, the ones with strong views. The author suggests that the survey

  1. over-represents strongly opinionated respondents Correct answer.
  2. used questions that suggested the desired answer
  3. contained too few respondents to be analysed statistically
  4. was carried out too quickly to be reliable

Explanation

The second sentence states that responders are typically those with strong views, which means an 88% non-response rate distorts the sample toward the opinionated. The objection is about who replied, not about sample size, wording or speed.

Question 25Reading Comprehension

We cannot conclude that the vaccine failed merely because some vaccinated people fell ill. A leaky roof is not proved useless because a few drops get in. The comparison is used to make the point that

  1. protection can be real without being absolute Correct answer.
  2. most cases were misdiagnosed
  3. roofs should be tested more rigorously
  4. vaccines are as unreliable as roofs

Explanation

The analogy works because a roof that keeps out most rain is still doing its job, just as a vaccine that prevents many but not all infections is still effective. The point is about partial effectiveness, not about equating the two things.

Question 26Reading Comprehension

The town library recently extended its weekday opening hours from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. In the first month, evening visits accounted for 18% of total visits, and the number of books borrowed rose by 7% compared with the same month last year. The library director said the change had "clearly paid off." Which statement is best supported by the passage?

  1. Most borrowers now visit only in the evening.
  2. The library's total visits fell during the month.
  3. Evening visits made up a noticeable share of library use. Correct answer.
  4. The extension caused borrowing to double.

Explanation

The passage reports that evening visits were 18% of the total, which supports the claim that they formed a noticeable share. It does not say most borrowers come only in the evening, that total visits fell, or that borrowing doubled.

Question 27Reading Comprehension

Although the committee had a generous budget, it chose a frugal approach: second-hand furniture, shared office space, and homemade refreshments at events. As used in the passage, "frugal" most nearly means:

  1. luxurious
  2. economical Correct answer.
  3. secretive
  4. disorganized

Explanation

The examples of second-hand furniture, shared space, and homemade refreshments show that the committee spent little money. "Economical" matches this meaning. The other options describe luxury, disorder, or secrecy, none of which fits the context.

Question 28Reading Comprehension

In March, the city painted a two-kilometre cycle lane along Harbour Road. Within six months, bicycle counts at the road's main junction rose by 40%, while car counts fell by 5%. The city plans to extend the lane to the station next year. According to the passage, what happened within six months?

  1. The lane was extended to the station.
  2. Bicycle counts rose by 40%. Correct answer.
  3. The lane was removed.
  4. Car counts rose by 40%.

Explanation

The passage states directly that bicycle counts at the main junction rose by 40% within six months. Car counts fell, the lane was not removed, and the extension is only planned for next year.

Question 29Reading Comprehension

Dr. Alvarez begins each lecture by stating a common misconception, then asks students to predict the outcome of an experiment. Only after they have committed to an answer does she reveal the data. Her aim is not to embarrass but to make the gap between intuition and evidence memorable. What is the primary purpose of describing Dr. Alvarez's method?

  1. to explain a teaching technique Correct answer.
  2. to argue that lectures should be abolished
  3. to criticize students for making predictions
  4. to compare her with other teachers

Explanation

The passage describes a sequence of classroom steps and states their intended effect, so its main purpose is to explain a teaching technique. It does not argue against lectures, criticize students, or compare teachers.

Question 30Reading Comprehension

A software company moved all employees to a four-day week without reducing pay. After a year, output per employee had risen slightly, sick days fell, and voluntary turnover dropped by half. Managers reported that meetings were shorter and that staff protected their focused work time. Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?

  1. It preserved productivity and improved retention. Correct answer.
  2. Meetings became longer but more productive.
  3. The company saved money by cutting salaries.
  4. Employees were required to work more hours per day than before.

Explanation

The passage says output per employee rose slightly and voluntary turnover dropped by half, supporting the claim that productivity was preserved and retention improved. It does not say salaries were cut or that daily hours increased.

Question 31Reading Comprehension

In coastal towns, ice-cream sales and drowning rates both rise in July and August. Therefore, eating ice cream must increase the risk of drowning. The argument's main flaw is that it:

  1. uses a term inconsistently
  2. relies on a sample that is far too small to be reliable
  3. mistakes a correlation for a causal relationship Correct answer.
  4. generalizes from a single case

Explanation

The argument treats two things that rise together as if one causes the other. Warmer summer weather could increase both ice-cream sales and swimming, so correlation alone does not establish causation.

Question 32Reading Comprehension

The city plans to ban single-use plastic bags in supermarkets. Officials argue that this will significantly reduce plastic waste in local rivers, because most river plastic comes from bags discarded by shoppers. The argument assumes that:

  1. supermarkets oppose the ban
  2. plastic waste is the only pollution problem
  3. the ban will reduce bags reaching rivers Correct answer.
  4. shoppers will switch to paper bags instead

Explanation

The conclusion about river plastic depends on the ban actually reducing the number of discarded bags that reach rivers. If shoppers obtain bags elsewhere or dispose of them as before, the ban would not have the claimed effect.

Question 33Reading Comprehension

Students who took the optional online review course scored higher on the final exam than those who did not. The course director concludes that the online course improves exam performance. Which finding would most weaken the conclusion?

  1. The exam was graded anonymously.
  2. The course was available to all students.
  3. Several students watched only part of the online course before the exam.
  4. The course attracted students who were already high achievers. Correct answer.

Explanation

If the students who chose the course were already stronger, their higher scores may reflect their prior ability rather than the course. This provides an alternative explanation for the observed difference.

Question 34Reading Comprehension

The novelist's latest book is not bad, exactly. The sentences are clean, the plot moves, and the characters say what they mean. Yet one finishes it with the sense of having eaten a perfectly adequate meal at a restaurant one has no intention of returning to. The reviewer's attitude toward the novel is best described as:

  1. politely unenthusiastic Correct answer.
  2. indifferent to its quality
  3. openly hostile
  4. wildly admiring

Explanation

The reviewer grants that the novel is competent but compares it to an adequate meal one would not repeat, which conveys mild, polite lack of enthusiasm. The tone is not hostile or admiring, and the reviewer is clearly evaluating quality.

Question 35Reading Comprehension

Remote work is often praised for saving commuting time. But time saved is not automatically time well used. If employees simply begin their day earlier or answer messages later, the gain may vanish. The real benefit depends on whether workers and managers redirect the saved hours toward focused tasks. Which statement best expresses the main point?

  1. Remote work's value depends on how saved time is used. Correct answer.
  2. Remote work is less productive than office work.
  3. Managers should ban after-hours messages.
  4. Commuting is the main source of stress for most employees.

Explanation

The passage argues that saving commuting time is not enough by itself; the benefit depends on redirecting that time toward focused work. It does not claim remote work is less productive overall or that commuting is the main stressor.

Question 36Reading Comprehension

Archaeologists uncovered a paved road in a forest, its stones fitted without mortar. Wear marks appear only in two parallel strips, and coins found beneath the paving date to the second century. The road connects a former quarry to a river landing. Which inference is best supported by the passage?

  1. The road mainly carried wheeled vehicles transporting stone. Correct answer.
  2. The road was abandoned before coins were minted.
  3. The road was built primarily for ceremonial processions.
  4. The road was paved with mortar.

Explanation

Two parallel wear strips suggest the repeated passage of wheeled vehicles, and the road links a quarry to a river landing, supporting the idea that stone was transported. The passage says the stones were fitted without mortar and that coins beneath the paving date to the second century.

Question 37Reading Comprehension

A study of short naps found that participants who napped for twenty minutes performed better on a later memory task than those who stayed awake. Naps of sixty minutes produced no such advantage and sometimes left participants groggy. The researchers caution that the results apply to young adults tested in a laboratory. Which statement accurately reflects the study?

  1. Twenty-minute naps improved later memory performance. Correct answer.
  2. Sixty-minute naps improved memory more than twenty-minute naps.
  3. All naps left participants groggy.
  4. The study tested older adults in their homes.

Explanation

The study found that participants who took twenty-minute naps performed better on a later memory task than those who stayed awake. Sixty-minute naps showed no such advantage, and the participants were young adults in a laboratory.

Question 38Reading Comprehension

After the museum made admission free on Sundays, attendance rose by 30% on Sundays compared with the previous year. The director concluded that free admission attracts new visitors. However, the same year saw a major exhibition of Egyptian artefacts advertised across the region, and several local schools scheduled Sunday trips. Which point most seriously challenges the director's conclusion?

  1. The museum did not advertise the free Sundays.
  2. Attendance on other days of the week was not reported.
  3. The exhibition and school trips may explain the rise. Correct answer.
  4. Some visitors may have come more than once.

Explanation

The passage itself introduces two other changes that could have increased Sunday attendance: a major exhibition and school trips. If these caused the rise, the director's conclusion that free admission attracted new visitors is undermined.

Question 39Reading Comprehension

The school board argues that teaching children in two languages from an early age will improve their overall academic performance. They point to bilingual students who score above average in mathematics. Critics note that many of these students come from families that value academic achievement and provide extensive home support. The critics' point suggests that the board's argument assumes that:

  1. mathematics is the most important subject in the curriculum
  2. all children can become equally bilingual
  3. early language learning is harmful
  4. family background does not explain the high scores Correct answer.

Explanation

The critics suggest that family support and values may be the real reason bilingual students score highly. For the board's argument to work, it must assume that this family background is not the main explanation.

Question 40Reading Comprehension

Some economists argue that automation will destroy more jobs than it creates, because machines are becoming cheaper than workers. Others respond that the same prediction was made during earlier industrial revolutions, when employment eventually rose. Both sides agree that the transition may be painful for displaced workers; they disagree about whether the long-run total of jobs will fall. Which statement best captures the disagreement?

  1. Whether earlier industrial revolutions occurred.
  2. Whether displaced workers suffer during transition.
  3. Whether automation will cut long-run total jobs. Correct answer.
  4. Whether automation is technically possible.

Explanation

The passage explicitly states that both sides agree about transition pain but disagree about whether the long-run total of jobs will fall. The debate is therefore about the long-run employment effect of automation.

Question 41Critical Reasoning

A bakery began printing discount coupons on the back of its receipts. Two months later the manager concluded that the coupons had increased repeat visits, because the number of customers returning with a coupon had risen sharply. The argument depends on assuming that

  1. most customers who received a receipt did not use the coupon
  2. customers who returned with a coupon would not otherwise have come back Correct answer.
  3. coupons are more effective than other forms of advertising
  4. the bakery's prices stayed the same during the two months

Explanation

The manager treats the rise in coupon users as proof of extra repeat visits. That inference requires that the coupon users were not simply customers who would have returned anyway. Without this assumption, the coupons may have had no effect on visits.

Question 42Critical Reasoning

The city's buses are more than fifteen years old and emit high levels of pollution. New buses emit far less pollution, and the city's air quality has worsened over the past decade. Replacing the fleet is therefore the most effective step the city can take to improve air quality. Which statement is the main conclusion?

  1. The city's air quality has worsened over the past decade.
  2. Replacing the fleet is the most effective step the city can take to improve air quality. Correct answer.
  3. The city's buses are more than fifteen years old.
  4. New buses emit far less pollution than the old ones.

Explanation

The main conclusion is the claim the argument is trying to establish, supported by the other statements. The pollution and air-quality claims are premises offered in support. The final claim about the most effective step is the overall conclusion.

Question 43Critical Reasoning

A gym introduced a 6 a.m. yoga class. Attendance was high in the first week but fell by half in the second. The manager concluded that demand for yoga is too low to keep the class. Which fact, if true, most strengthens the manager's conclusion?

  1. The yoga instructor also teaches popular evening classes.
  2. Several members said they would attend if the class started later.
  3. Yoga classes at gyms in nearby towns are also poorly attended.
  4. Attendance fell even though the class time, instructor, and price were unchanged. Correct answer.

Explanation

Strengthening evidence makes an alternative explanation less likely. If nothing about the class changed, the drop is more plausibly due to weak demand. Options about other gyms or later times do not address the drop as directly.

Question 44Critical Reasoning

A town banned single-use plastic bags at checkout. Six months later, plastic-bag litter collected in the town center had fallen by 40 percent. Officials concluded that the ban caused the decline. Which fact, if true, most weakens the officials' conclusion?

  1. Plastic bags decompose slowly in landfills.
  2. A volunteer cleanup campaign began in the town center at the same time as the ban. Correct answer.
  3. Some shoppers now bring reusable bags to stores.
  4. The ban was approved after a long public debate.

Explanation

To weaken a causal claim, show a plausible alternative cause for the observed effect. A simultaneous cleanup campaign could explain the drop in litter without the ban. The other facts do not provide an alternative explanation.

Question 45Critical Reasoning

All volunteers at the shelter are trained in first aid. Some volunteers at the shelter also handle adoptions. Which statement must be true?

  1. No one who handles adoptions lacks first-aid training.
  2. All people trained in first aid volunteer at the shelter.
  3. Some people trained in first aid handle adoptions. Correct answer.
  4. Some people who handle adoptions do not volunteer at the shelter.

Explanation

The volunteers who handle adoptions are a subset of shelter volunteers, and all shelter volunteers are trained in first aid. Therefore at least some first-aid-trained people handle adoptions. The other options reverse or overextend the relations.

Question 46Critical Reasoning

A survey of subscribers to a cooking magazine found that 80 percent prefer organic produce. The magazine concluded that about 80 percent of the general public prefers organic produce. The reasoning is flawed because

  1. subscribers to a cooking magazine are not representative of the general public Correct answer.
  2. the survey relied on people's stated preferences rather than behavior
  3. the survey did not ask about other kinds of produce
  4. 80 percent is too high a figure to be accurate

Explanation

The conclusion generalizes from a sample to the whole public, so the sample must resemble the public. Cooking-magazine subscribers are likely more interested in food than average, so their preferences may differ. The other issues do not undermine the generalization as directly.

Question 47Critical Reasoning

A senator argues that a proposed environmental law must be constitutional because polls show that a majority of voters support it. The senator's reasoning is most vulnerable to criticism because it

  1. ignores the economic costs of the law
  2. treats popular support as proof of legal validity Correct answer.
  3. relies on a poll with an unknown sample size
  4. assumes voters understand the law's details

Explanation

Popularity and constitutionality are different questions; a law can be popular yet unconstitutional, or unpopular yet constitutional. The argument's error is conflating majority support with legal validity. Poll quality and voter knowledge are secondary.

Question 48Critical Reasoning

If a plant receives enough water, its leaves will be green. This plant's leaves are green. Therefore the plant received enough water. Which statement best describes the flaw?

  1. It denies the antecedent instead of affirming the consequent.
  2. It concludes that the plant is healthy from a single feature.
  3. It assumes that all green plants receive enough water.
  4. It treats a condition sufficient for green leaves as if it were necessary. Correct answer.

Explanation

The first premise says enough water is sufficient for green leaves, not required for them. Observing the result (green leaves) does not establish the condition (water). The argument therefore reverses a sufficient condition into a necessary one.

Question 49Critical Reasoning

A software company switched to a four-day workweek. Over the next quarter, output per employee rose by 15 percent. The CEO concluded that the shorter week caused the productivity increase. The conclusion depends on assuming that

  1. no other major change affecting productivity occurred during the quarter Correct answer.
  2. employees preferred the four-day schedule to the five-day one
  3. the company did not hire any new employees during the quarter
  4. output per employee is the best measure of productivity

Explanation

The argument infers causation from an observed improvement after a change. That inference requires ruling out other changes, such as new tools or new management, that could also explain the improvement. Preference and measurement issues are not required for the causal claim.

Question 50Critical Reasoning

A city added a toll to a congested bridge. Average travel time on the bridge fell by 20 percent. Officials concluded that the toll reduced congestion. Which fact, if true, most strengthens the officials' conclusion?

  1. The toll revenue was used to repair roads elsewhere in the city.
  2. Traffic on parallel free roads did not increase during the same period. Correct answer.
  3. Many drivers complained about the new toll.
  4. The bridge had been congested for more than a decade.

Explanation

If drivers simply shifted to nearby free roads, the bridge would look less congested without any real reduction in total traffic. Flat traffic on parallel roads makes that alternative less likely, supporting the claim that the toll reduced congestion overall.