Critical Reasoning

Nursing schools cannot attract a greater number of able applicants than they currently do unless the problems of low wages and high-stress working conditions in the nursing profession are solved. If the pool of able applicants to nursing school does not increase beyond the current level, either the profession will have to lower its entrance standards, or there will soon be an acute shortage of nurses. It is not certain, however, that lowering entrance standards will avert a shortage. It is clear that with either a shortage of nurses or lowered entrance standards of the profession, the current high quality of health care cannot be maintained.
Which one of the following can be property inferred from the passage?
(A) If the nursing profession solves the problems of low wages and high-stress working conditions, it will attract able applicants in greater numbers than it currently does.
(B) The nursing profession will have to lower its entrance standards if the pool of able applicants to nursing school does not increase beyond the current level.
(C) If the nursing profession solves the problems of low wages and high-stress working conditions, high quality health care will be maintained.
(D) If the nursing profession fails to solve the problems of low wages and high-stress working conditions, there will soon be an acute shortage of nurses.
(E) The current high quality of health care will not be maintained if the problems of low wages and high-stress working conditions in the nursing profession are not solved.

OA E


Can someone tell me why not a
I always tend to select the reverse. Is thr any strategy for such questions

It is clear that with either a shortage of nurses or lowered entrance standards of the profession, the current high quality of health care cannot be maintained.

---> Conclusion

The major concern is about maintaining the high quality of health care. So answer should address it , which E does.

Let's write down the conditions:

S = solve the problem of low wages and high-stress working conditions
I = increase number of able applicants

First sentence can be written as:

not S ---> not I be careful because this does not mean S ---> I. If the problems are solved we cannot inference that the Nursing schools will be able to attract a greater number of applicants.

so we can eliminate option A.

I still feel A should be the answer.