Verbal ReasoningPractice

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Recognising Assumptions

Recognising Assumptions questions ask which unstated claim the argument depends on. An assumption is a required bridge between the premises and the conclusion — not just any related true fact.

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How to think about it

  1. Apply the negation test: negate the candidate assumption.
  2. If the argument falls apart once the candidate is false, it was a required assumption.
  3. If the argument survives the negation, the candidate was not assumed — even if it's true.
  4. Look for definitional and enabling bridges the conclusion silently relies on.

The most common trap

Treating 'it's true' as 'it's assumed'.

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Question preview

Recognising Assumptionscausal assumptionhard

Patients who used the clinic's new follow-up app recovered more quickly than patients treated before the app existed. Both groups received the same course of medical treatment. The follow-up app is therefore speeding up patients' recovery.

Assumption to consider: The patients treated before the app existed were not recovering from more serious conditions on average. Is this an assumption on which the argument depends?

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