Evaluating Arguments guide
VRP's current evaluation drills use five-choice questions, not binary Strong/Weak ratings. The guidance below explains the separate Watson-Glaser task: judge whether each argument is important and directly relevant to the question, regardless of which side it supports. These instructions do not turn our existing drills into a matching Watson-Glaser test.
The method
- Ask whether the argument bears directly on the question.
- Ask whether it is important to the conclusion, not just tangentially related.
- Judge strength independently of whether you agree with the side it takes.
- A strong argument is both relevant and material; a weak one fails on either.
Common mistakes
- Rating an argument strong because you agree with it.
- Dismissing an inconvenient but relevant and important argument.
- Treating mere relevance as strength without weighing importance.
- Letting the emotional appeal of a side decide the rating.
Frequently asked questions
What makes an argument 'strong' here?
It must be directly relevant to the question and important to the conclusion. Agreement is irrelevant — a strong argument can support the side you dislike.
Practise this now
Preview the question styleOpen the drill
Watson-Glaser guide and rehearsal availability
Editorial responsibility: Alexander Torstensson. See the verification and corrections process.