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

Redeem

Over the last ten years

This topic has expert replies
Post new topic Post Reply
Previous Topic Next Topic
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 425
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2010 9:00 am
Thanked: 56 times
Followed by:7 members
GMAT Score:690

Over the last ten years

by LalaB » Tue Mar 27, 2012 8:34 am
Over the last ten years, the Office of the Provost has studied the courses selected by freshmen at State University. Without exception, and without regard to major, the students who enrolled in organic chemistry during their freshman year graduated with a higher overall grade point average than did the students who did not take organic chemistry during their freshman year. Thus, organic chemistry should be mandatory for freshmen since it clearly promotes academic success.

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the conclusion above?

-Most State University students who took organic chemistry in their freshmen year did not earn a high grade in that class.
-Currently, in order to enroll in organic chemistry as freshmen, students must pass a rigorous series of prerequisite exams.
-The average grade point average of graduates of State University has risen steadily over the past ten years.
-Many State University graduates who took organic chemistry in their freshman year did not graduate in the top 20 percent of the class.
-Most State University graduates who graduated in the top 20 percent of the class took at least one chemistry course every year during college.

source-kaplan

need explanation on B and C
Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.(c)

In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.(c)
Top
Source: — Critical Reasoning |
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2012 9:26 am
Thanked: 2 times

by Thiagaraj » Tue Mar 27, 2012 8:58 am
I ruled out C for the reason - I believe the stimulus compares the students from the same year. It is not concerned with the students of the past years. In the same year, it has found that those students who took O.C in their freshman graduated with higher CGPA than those who didn't.

I take it that B is right 'coz it says there is a different reason other than O.C being the cause for the academic success. It says, since the students were already selected for O.C. by a series of rigorous prerequisite exams, so they were already exceptional. No surprise that they graduated with a higher CGPA.


I went for A. Now, if you would be so kind to give me an explanation as to why you thought it didn't fit the boot please. I felt it right 'coz the conclusion says academic success, where the choice says the students have failed to reach the mark.
Last edited by Thiagaraj on Tue Mar 27, 2012 11:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
Top
User avatar
Legendary Member
Posts: 1239
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2011 6:25 am
Thanked: 233 times
Followed by:26 members
GMAT Score:680

by sam2304 » Tue Mar 27, 2012 10:31 am
Students who enrolled in Org Chemistry graduated with high grade points than those who did not take org chemistry => Org chemistry should be made mandatory since it improves academic success.

We are asked to find what weakens this arg. So anything other than Org Chemis which helped students score high grades would weaken the conc.

B - this gives us reason to doubt that if students are required to pass rigorous exams then they might be smart folks compared to others and hence high grade points.

C - an increase in Average grade point average does not mean that Org chemistry should be made mandatory. There is no proper link established between the two.

IMO B.
Getting defeated is just a temporary notion, giving it up is what makes it permanent.
https://gmatandbeyond.blogspot.in/
Top
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 425
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2010 9:00 am
Thanked: 56 times
Followed by:7 members
GMAT Score:690

by LalaB » Tue Mar 27, 2012 10:36 am
Thiagaraj ,thanks for ur explanation of the choice C. I got it at last where I was wrong!
i didnt get ur way of thinking.

the OA is not A (Most State University students who took organic chemistry in their freshmen year did not earn a high grade in that class.)

the OA is B, and the explanation is given by you ("It says, since the students were already selected for O.C. by a series of rigorous prerequisite exams, so they were already exceptional. No surprise that they graduated with a higher CGPA.")
Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.(c)

In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.(c)
Top
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 20
Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2012 9:26 am
Thanked: 2 times

by Thiagaraj » Tue Mar 27, 2012 11:03 am
Lala, I had given the B as C. I have edited my earlier response.

Can you gimme an explanation why A is wrong? I went through the other forum - gmatclub. I still could not work out why is A wrong.
Top
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 425
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2010 9:00 am
Thanked: 56 times
Followed by:7 members
GMAT Score:690

by LalaB » Tue Mar 27, 2012 11:08 am
here is the official explanation of every answer choice -

Answer Choice (B) suggests that the connection between taking organic chemistry and achieving academic success is that the students who take the class clearly are smart enough to pass a series of difficult tests. Therefore, students who take this course as freshmen are likely to do well overall because they are bright to begin with. So Choice (B) is the best answer.

Choice (A) says that most freshmen do poorly in the organic chemistry course, but this does not mean that they fail to earn high grades by the time that they graduate; the scope addressed here is too narrow.

Choice (C) is not relevant because the stimulus is not interested in trends in the average grade point average of all State University students; instead, it focuses on comparing those who enrolled in freshmen organic chemistry courses and those who did not.

Choice (D) is wrong because it challenges the evidence. Correct answers for Weaken questions on the GMAT will not challenge the evidence, but rather challenge the assumption.

Choice (E) is outside the scope - the stimulus only concerns organic chemistry courses.
Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.(c)

In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.(c)
Top
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 341
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 6:59 pm
Thanked: 17 times
Followed by:4 members
GMAT Score:720

by ice_rush » Tue Mar 27, 2012 3:20 pm
I was all for (B), but it says "currently" in order to enroll in organic chemistry.....The stats presented are for the last 10 years. Am I missing something?

Any comments?
Top
User avatar
Junior | Next Rank: 30 Posts
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:05 pm
Location: Chennai

by venkart89 » Tue Mar 27, 2012 8:55 pm
A tougher question indeed!!!
800 is my lucky number.

https://cat4iimgmat4isb.blogspot.in
Top
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 425
Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2010 9:00 am
Thanked: 56 times
Followed by:7 members
GMAT Score:690

by LalaB » Fri Mar 30, 2012 7:34 am
the OA is B

the OE is the following -

Identify the Question Type:

The words "casts the most doubt on" tell us that this is a Weaken question. We need to predict a Weakener that disproves the central assumption.

Untangle the Stimulus:

This stimulus concludes that organic chemistry should be mandatory for incoming freshmen. The evidence is twofold: the author's conjecture that organic chemistry promotes academic success in addition to the fact that students who took organic chemistry in their freshman year had a higher GPA upon graduation than those that did not. This is one of the 3 Special Cases-causality: the author assumes that nothing else caused the high GPA in students who took organic chemistry their freshman year.

Predict the Answer:

Any answer that suggests an alternative explanation for the high GPA will weaken the argument.

Evaluate the Choices:

Answer Choice (B) suggests that the connection between taking organic chemistry and achieving academic success is that the students who take the class clearly are smart enough to pass a series of difficult tests. Therefore, students who take this course as freshmen are likely to do well overall because they are bright to begin with. So Choice (B) is the best answer.

Choice (A) says that most freshmen do poorly in the organic chemistry course, but this does not mean that they fail to earn high grades by the time that they graduate; the scope addressed here is too narrow.

Choice (C) is not relevant because the stimulus is not interested in trends in the average grade point average of all State University students; instead, it focuses on comparing those who enrolled in freshmen organic chemistry courses and those who did not.

Choice (D) is wrong because it challenges the evidence. Correct answers for Weaken questions on the GMAT will not challenge the evidence, but rather challenge the assumption.

Choice (E) is outside the scope - the stimulus only concerns organic chemistry courses.
Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true.(c)

In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.(c)
Top
User avatar
Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
Posts: 287
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2012 12:33 am
Location: Pune,India
Thanked: 60 times
Followed by:6 members

by GMAT Kolaveri » Fri Mar 30, 2012 8:47 am
LalaB wrote:Over the last ten years, the Office of the Provost has studied the courses selected by freshmen at State University. Without exception, and without regard to major, the students who enrolled in organic chemistry during their freshman year graduated with a higher overall grade point average than did the students who did not take organic chemistry during their freshman year. Thus, organic chemistry should be mandatory for freshmen since it clearly promotes academic success.

Which of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the conclusion above?

-Most State University students who took organic chemistry in their freshmen year did not earn a high grade in that class.
-Currently, in order to enroll in organic chemistry as freshmen, students must pass a rigorous series of prerequisite exams.
-The average grade point average of graduates of State University has risen steadily over the past ten years.
-Many State University graduates who took organic chemistry in their freshman year did not graduate in the top 20 percent of the class.
-Most State University graduates who graduated in the top 20 percent of the class took at least one chemistry course every year during college.

source-kaplan

need explanation on B and C
This is a Causal reasoning. Organic Chemistry :Cause (C) --------> Academic success: Effect (E)
There are 5 common ways to weaken Causal statements.
1. Show that there is more than 1 cause.
2. Show that when the cause occurs the effect does not occur.
3. Show that the Effect occurs even without the Cause.
4. Reverse relationship.
5. Statistical data used is not correct.

Here we take the result out of a sample set (organic chemistry students) and apply it to a larger set (Entire university,all students). The best way to weaken this is by saying that the result will not hold because the sample set is a special group.

I'm sure the above explanation helps :D
Regards and Thanks,
Vinoth@GMAT Kolaveri
https://www.facebook.com/GmatKolaveri
https://gmatkolaveri.tumblr.com/

Click the thank you button if you like my reply :)
Top
User avatar
GMAT Instructor
Posts: 1248
Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2012 2:57 pm
Location: Everywhere
Thanked: 503 times
Followed by:192 members
GMAT Score:780

by Bill@VeritasPrep » Fri Mar 30, 2012 4:36 pm
ice_rush wrote:I was all for (B), but it says "currently" in order to enroll in organic chemistry.....The stats presented are for the last 10 years. Am I missing something?

Any comments?
I believe "currently" is used to draw a contrast between the existing situation and the new proposal (to require every freshman to take o-chem). We have no reason to believe that the prerequisites haven't been in place for the full 10 years.

Bill
Join Veritas Prep's 2010 Instructor of the Year, Matt Douglas for GMATT Mondays

Visit the Veritas Prep Blog

Try the FREE Veritas Prep Practice Test
Top
Post new topic Post Reply
• Page 1 of 1