Q4 - Consultant: Children taught using

[smiller]

Question Type:
Strengthen. This question is similar to question #1 in this section in that it contains an argument that is missing a premise. However, while the answer in question #1 must guarantee that the conclusion can be properly drawn, question #4 is only asking for the answer that "most logically completes" the argument—the answer that provides the most support.

Stimulus Breakdown:
Premises:
1. Children taught using new educational methods learn to think more creatively than children taught using rote methods.
2. Children taught using rote methods are better at memorization.
3. Jobs at Grodex require creative thinking, not memorization.

Conclusion:
Grodex should train employees using the new educational methods.

Answer Anticipation:
The conclusion is valid if all of Grodex Corporation's employees are children. Otherwise, we need to know that the new educational methods work the same way for adults. A correct answer is likely support one of these ideas—probably the latter.

Correct Answer:
(D)

Answer Choice Analysis:
(A) This is out of scope. It tells us that most of the employees have some creative thinking skills, and tells us when they began to learn those skills, but it doesn't help us conclude that Grodex should train employees now using the new educational methods.

(B) This sounds good if we just focus on the last sentence, and ignore the rest of the stimulus. It doesn't follow logically from the stimulus as a whole, though.

(C) This is irrelevant. It doesn't help us conclude that the company should use the new educational methods.

(D) This is the correct answer. It doesn't guarantee that the new educational methods work the same way for adults as they do for children. However, it supports that idea, while the other answer choices do not.

(E) This is irrelevant. Since most jobs at Grodex don't require memorization, the employees don't need to compensate for deficiencies in memorization skills.

Takeaway/Pattern: In this case we're looking for the best answer: one that supports the conclusion, and does so by connecting to the existing premises in the argument.

#officialexplanation

[AgopianR377]

I'm really confused how this question is a strengthen question. When I first read the stem "Which one of the following most logically completes the consultant's argument?" I thought it was an inference question. Can you provide more clarification how to tell each other apart and how not to make the same mistake again in the future. These "complete the argument" questions are really tricking me into thinking they are inference questions.

Thank you.