Critical Reasoning

A recent article stated that only 5.5% of American colleges grant the majority of their degrees in the liberal arts. Citing this, a reader wrote to lament that this was further evidence of the decline of academic rigor in American post high school education.

Which of the following is an assumption on the part of the reader?
A. The percentage of American colleges granting liberal arts degrees would continue to drop.
B. All colleges should grant the majority of their degrees in the liberal arts.
C. Most post-secondary scientific, engineering, and vocational training does not involve as much academic rigor as liberal arts training.
D. Academic rigor is the most important aspect of post high school education.
E. Of the colleges that do not grant the majority of their degrees in the liberal arts, many granted fewer than a quarter of their degrees in the liberal arts.

Help me pls. Thanks

Only B and C hold any water
B is too extreme as it talks about "All colleges"
hence, I would go with C.

Test C by doing a logical negation

Most post-secondary scientific, engineering, and vocational training does involve as much academic rigor as liberal arts training.

Which does weaken the argument.

C is the only option that addresses the bit about academic rigor and that phrase seems to lie at the heart of the reader's conclusion. Hence, I think C is the answer.

whats the OA?

IMO A

further evidence of the decline;

He assumed it would drop further and wanted to complain about this!

Hope this helps
Ramana

IMO C

Reader wrote drop was further evidence of decline of academic rigor in American post high school education.

A is out of scope for me.
C addresses academic rigor as well as post secondary education.

What is OA?

the entire time i was thinking C couldn't possibly be it, because eschool is def harder than liberal arts.

IMO - C

lunarpower wrote:

maria wrote:A recent article stated that only 5.5% of American colleges grant the majority of their degrees in the liberal arts. Citing this, a reader wrote to lament that this was further evidence of the decline of academic rigor in American post high school education.

Which of the following is an assumption on the part of the reader?
A. The percentage of American colleges granting liberal arts degrees would continue to drop.
B. All colleges should grant the majority of their degrees in the liberal arts.
C. Most post-secondary scientific, engineering, and vocational training does not involve as much academic rigor as liberal arts training.
D. Academic rigor is the most important aspect of post high school education.
E. Of the colleges that do not grant the majority of their degrees in the liberal arts, many granted fewer than a quarter of their degrees in the liberal arts.

Help me pls. Thanks

whenever a conclusion contains specifics that do not appear in the premises, you have a logic gap, which MUST be filled in by an assumption.

in this case, the premises only address percentages of degrees granted in the liberal arts (vis-a-vis other subjects); the conclusion invokes academic rigor.

I wasn't able to make the connection between liberal arts and 'subjects'.

The Answer is (C). Let me break down the CR

(1) only 5.5% of American colleges grant the majority of their degrees in the liberal arts--Just a Statement as of now
(2) Citing this(above)[Reader is becoming too specific]--reader laments : this was further evidence of the decline of academic rigor in American post high school education---Reader thinks (assumes)Liberal arts has more academic Rigor than any other subjects

So answer Choice is (C)