Critical Reasoning

The headmaster at Leawood Day School noticed that scores on math tests were lower this year than in previous years. This year, all students took math courses during the first period of the school day; in years past, they had taken math during the final period of the day. Reasoning that the students perform better on math tests when they are fully awake, the headmaster concluded that test scores would be higher if math classes were moved to the end of the day.

The headmaster’s reasoning depends upon which of the following assumptions?

(A) It would be possible to reconfigure the school’s schedule to accommodate having math classes in the afternoon.
(B) Several schools similar to Leawood Day School hold math classes in the afternoon.
(C) The quality of the teaching has little bearing on test scores.
(D) This year the math department started using new, unfamiliar curricular materials.
(E) Students are more likely to be fully awake during the final period of the day than they are during the first period of the day.


OA E

Source: Manhattan Prep