What Is Logical reasoning on the GMAT?
Logical reasoning on the GMAT refers to the analytical skills tested in the Critical Reasoning section, where you evaluate arguments, identify assumptions, and strengthen or weaken conclusions. Mastering this skill is crucial for a high Verbal score, as it tests your ability to think clearly and critically under time pressure.
Definition
Logical reasoning on the GMAT is the ability to analyze and evaluate arguments. In the Critical Reasoning (CR) questions, you are presented with a short argument (premises and a conclusion) and asked to perform a specific task, such as finding the assumption, identifying a flaw, or choosing a statement that strengthens or weakens the argument.
This skill is not about prior knowledge of formal logic; it's about recognizing the structure of an argument and understanding how evidence supports (or fails to support) a conclusion.
Why It Matters on the GMAT
Critical Reasoning questions make up about one-third of the Verbal section, so performing well on them is essential for a competitive score. Moreover, the same logical reasoning skills are tested in Reading Comprehension, where you must infer, evaluate, and analyze passages. Strong logical reasoning also helps in the Integrated Reasoning section, where you need to assess tables, graphs, and multi-source information.
Business schools value this skill because managers constantly evaluate proposals, identify hidden assumptions, and make decisions based on incomplete information.
A Concrete Example
Consider a typical CR question:
Premise: The city has reduced the number of police officers on the streets. Conclusion: The city will see an increase in crime.
An assumption here might be that police presence deters crime. A question might ask you to strengthen the argument (e.g., 'Neighboring cities with fewer police have higher crime rates') or weaken it (e.g., 'The city has installed surveillance cameras everywhere').
In practice, you'll read a short passage, identify the conclusion, and then evaluate each answer choice for how it affects the argument's logic.
Common Mistakes
- Bringing outside knowledge: Using real-world facts or opinions instead of sticking to the argument's logic.
- Choosing extreme answers: Overlooking subtle, but logical, answer choices that use words like 'some' or 'often' instead of 'all' or 'always'.
- Misidentifying the conclusion: Confusing a premise with the main point, leading to wrong answers.
- Overlooking the question stem: Failing to notice whether the question asks to strengthen, weaken, find an assumption, or evaluate.
How to Practice It
Start by reading the question stem first to know your task, then read the argument and identify the conclusion and premises. Practice with official GMAT questions and review explanations to understand the reasoning behind correct and incorrect choices.
Create a mental checklist: What is the conclusion? What evidence supports it? What must be true for the conclusion to hold? Then, for each answer choice, ask: Does this affect the argument's validity? If yes, in which direction?
Work on timing: aim to solve CR questions in about 2 minutes each. Use timed practice sets and review your errors to spot patterns in your thinking.