Antoine: The alarming fact is that among children aged 19 years and younger, the number taking antipsychotic medicines soared 73 percent in the last four years. That is greater than the increase in the number of adults taking antipsychotic medicines during the same period.

Lucy: But the use of antipsychotic drugs by adults is considered normal at the current rate of 11 adults per 1,000 taking the drugs. In contrast, the number of children on antipsychotic medication last year was 6.6 per 1,000 children.

Lucy’s argument relies on the assumption that ______.

A)normal levels of antipsychotic drug use are rarely exceeded.

B)the percentage of adults taking antipsychotic medication is always higher than the percentage of children on such medication.

C)the use of antipsychotic medication in children is no different from the use of such medications in adults.

D)Antoine is not consciously distorting the statistics he presents.

E)a rapid increase in the number of children taking antipsychotic drugs generates more fear of random violence by adolescents than does knowledge of the absolute number of children on such medications.

OA is C. While I can't find anything wrong with the OA, my question is whats wrong with D?

Although Lucy is not directly using the statistics presented, she has to assume that they are accurate to counter argue. so for that she has to believe in Antoine which means D.

TestLuv,

I am trying to apply denial test to assumption questions recently, but it doesn't seem to work for me. When I deny a choice, how can I tell that it should be the assumption? Is it because it changes the meaning of because it changes the tone of the passage?

Can you please explain me about denial test in brief. May be with a relatively easier example.
Thanks

Thanks Testluv,

I got it right now. I tried answering an assumption question that says about pesticides and apples. My denial test worked for it.

But, for questions where we are asked to identify what strengthens the argument, can we apply denial test? Since strengthen question supports the conclusion and also says that the assumption of the argument is true. Doesn't it work that way?

Correct me If i am thinking too far.

Thanks a lot !

My exam is just 2 weeks away from now. sometimes i get confused mainly in the CR section and that eats lot of my time.

Do you have any specific strategy on how to attack questions that need inferences from the arguments? It would be helpful to all of us, if not only to me.

thanks testluv
one more thing is out of scope type ans not correct for except type question?.
suppose the q stem asks all of the following is weakening/strnthng/mbt except....
if out of 5 choices 3 are weakening/strnthng or mbt
one is out of scope and last one is may be strenthening instead of weakening or may be weakening rather strengthening , or may be Cud be false rather mBT then which one to pick .....

how GMAT gives the option will it give a 4 favouring and one not favouring OR 3 favouring , 1 not favouring and 1 out of scope option....

In the given CR i find 4 and 5 as out of scope as production and cost is not disccused...2nd as cud be false...
so as per my inf B has to be the ans

pls clarify ........

Testluv,

As you explained to the xcusemeplz2009, i tried the MBT from the link you gave in the previous post, I removed all the 4 out of scope options that could be true/ could be false but not completely false. It works!

But, my question is that, are there any chances that the out of scope answer will be the option we have to chose i.e., can it be the one option that is not true when compared to the other 4 options that COULD be true?

Pls explain.