BREAKING: Target Test Prep releases Brand New 2026 On Demand GMAT prep course

Redeem

Target Test Prep · GMAT

Choose how you want to prepare

Learn live with an expert or move at your own pace. Every option includes the complete TTP study system.

★★★★★5.0559 reviews
Vote for Target Test Prep, Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards 2026
NEWSWEEK READERS’ CHOICE 2026

BIG NEWS! Target Test Prep has been nominated, and they’d love your vote!

TTP has worked incredibly hard to build the best test prep experience possible, and winning Newsweek’s 2026 Readers’ Choice Award for Best Test Prep would mean a lot to them. If TTP has helped you, they’d be incredibly grateful for your vote. You can vote once each day through September 9.

Vote for TTP
GMATLiveTeach 7 seats left
Chris Peckover
NEXT LIVE COHORT

Oct 13 to Jan 7, 2027

with Chris Peckover

Schedule
Tue, Thu · 8:00 to 10:00 PM ET
Included
40 live hours + 6 months of GMAT OnDemand
  • Live instruction and real-time questions
  • Class recordings and assigned practice
View class & enroll
Limited cohort · enrollment openTarget Test Prep
EALiveTeach 5 seats left
Logan Thompson
EXECUTIVE ASSESSMENT

Sep 6 to Dec 6, 2026

with Logan Thompson

Schedule
Sun · 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM ET
Included
40 hours of live online classes plus six months of access to the complete TTP EA OnDemand course.
  • 165+ EA Score Guarantee
  • 4,100+ Quant, Verbal, and Integrated Reasoning practice questions
  • 400+ hours of in-depth video lessons
  • 3,000+ step-by-step video solutions
View EA class & enroll
Limited cohort · enrollment openTarget Test Prep
GMATOnDemand Start anytime
SELF-PACED MASTERCLASS

Target Test Prep GMAT OnDemand

Complete access from day one. Study on your schedule.

715+ score guarantee
$0to start then $127/mo
  • Personalized study plan and analytics
  • Thousands of lessons and practice questions

Compare the format, schedule, and included access before enrolling. Prices and seat counts shown reflect the supplied offer details.

Assumption qns

Expert replies
by papgust » Sun Jan 03, 2010 2:38 am
I have a query regarding assumption questions.

Are assumption questions always 100% within the scope of the argument? What i mean to ask is, in inference/must be true questions, correct answer choice must be intact within the scope of argument i.e. not even a single word must be irrelevant to the argument.

Is this the same case with assumption questions as well?

Experts please respond!
Join the discussion
Source: — Critical Reasoning |

by Testluv » Sun Jan 03, 2010 2:51 am
Hi papgust,

The meaning of an assumption answer choice must be 100% within scope to be correct. This is because the moment it strays outside the scope, it is wrong. If it is a necessary assumption question (as most assumption questions are), then every part of the answer choice must be crucial to the author's reasoning-there can't be anything extraneous. As for whether all the words must be within the scope, in a manner of speaking, yes. There may be some correct answer choices where, depending on interpretation, you might argue that a certain word was extraneous or unnecessary but that's about it.

Now, the case is very different with sufficient assumption questions, which are fairly rare on the GMAT, although there are some examples in the OG. With those, the correct answer may very well be extreme and include in its scope items that are not within the scope of the stimulus. To understand this, one must understand the difference between necessary and sufficient assumption questions....: https://www.beatthegmat.com/profits-t48598.html
Kaplan Teacher in Toronto
Join the discussion

by papgust » Sun Jan 03, 2010 6:05 am
Thanks Deepak! This helps.
Join the discussion

by mmslf75 » Mon Jan 04, 2010 5:09 am
papgust wrote:Thanks Deepak! This helps.[/quote


You indeed explained very well here.
Add a fan to your already long list ;-)

https://www.beatthegmat.com/profits-t48598.html

CONFIRM on the takeaways please
1)
In Strngth/Weaken and Sufficient Assumption -- EXTREME choices possible
In Necc Assumption and Inference -- Avoid EXTREME



2)
Any other tips to identify NECC and SUFFICIENT assumption

3)
CR bible says two types of assumptions DEFENDER and SUPPORTER..wat are those then ?

4)
Also I have seen that many times,
If assumptions are negative then it can go out of scope .right ?
In Strengthen/Weaken the answer choice can go out of scope and have an immediate impact on the line of reasoning in the problem . right ?
Join the discussion

by Testluv » Mon Jan 04, 2010 11:06 am
1)
In Strngth/Weaken and Sufficient Assumption -- EXTREME choices possible
In Necc Assumption and Inference -- Avoid EXTREME
Correct.
2)
Any other tips to identify NECC and SUFFICIENT assumption
Several. You can glean some from my other posts. A tip for necessary assumption questions: use the denial test. But you can't use denial test in sufficient assumption questions.
3)
CR bible says two types of assumptions DEFENDER and SUPPORTER..wat are those then ?
I have never even looked at the CR bible. However, judging from other posters' use of the terms, I believe DEFENDER = NECESSARY ASSUMPTION and SUPPORTER = SUFFICIENT ASSUMPTION. I don't really like those terms though; they don't do as good a job of capturing the logic of what is going on.
4)
Also I have seen that many times,
If assumptions are negative then it can go out of scope .right ?
In Strengthen/Weaken the answer choice can go out of scope and have an immediate impact on the line of reasoning in the problem . right ?
It depends on what you mean by "scope". It is true that in stn/wkn questions, you should generally not eliminate answer choices because you think they are outside scope. This is because the right answer in stn/wkn may seem to be outside the scope. In other words, scope isn't your friend in stn/wkn questions. However, as a matter of logic, if a fact is to strengthen/weaken an argument, it HAS to be within the scope created by the arguer. And some wrong answers to stn/wkn are outside the scope.

And it is definitely true that the right answer to stn/wkn has to have an impact on the argument's line of reasoning.

Because negative assumptions are very broad, they can include things that the argument didn't discuss. (I don't think this makes them outside the scope though).
Kaplan Teacher in Toronto
Join the discussion