Getting a CR question right often requires noticing a key detail.

The prompt here states the following.

- The number of employees with the qualifications now required for promotion to department head equals only half the expected vacancies.

It also rules out various options for filling the vacancies that cannot be filled via promotion.

- No outside hiring.

- No having one person head multiple departments.

- No reducing departments.

Conclusion:

Some departments will be without department heads next year.

The blank has to be filled with something Verbol will not do, something such that should Verbol do it, all the departments would have heads.

Will Verbol not 3D print duplicate employees? Will Verbol not use robots as department heads? Let's go to the answer choices to see what Verbol will not do.

(A) We already know that there are not enough people to promote. So promoting more than one employee from some departments will not help, because doing so will not add to the number of people available for promotion to department head.

(B) Doing this would not add to the number of department heads. It would reduce the number of department heads.

(C) Ahah. Here is where the key detail comes in. Verbol may not have enough employees with qualifications for PROMOTION, but it may have employees who would not be promoted if they became department heads. Employees who are already senior to department heads would not be promoted in becoming department heads. So here is another thing that Verbol Corporation could do to increase the number of department heads. Therefore one could say that some departments will be without department heads next year, since, in addition to not doing those other things, Verbol will not have any managers who are currently senior to department heads serve as department heads.

(D) Reducing the responsibilities of departments does not reduce the need for department heads or add to the number of department heads.

(E) Reducing the number of employees per department might seem to reduce the need for department heads, but if you still have the same number of departments and still require the same qualifications for promotion to department head, you will still have departments without heads.

The correct answer is C.