Mastering Assumptions in Logical Reasoning for CAT 2025 Success

How to Identify Assumptions in CAT Logical Reasoning Questions depends on a variety of factors including whether they act as connecting links between Premise and Conclusion, support the conclusion, and given as necessary truths that are implicit in nature. A significant number of questions are asked from Assumptions in the CAT Logical Reasoning and you must be competent enough to differentiate between what is asserted, what is conjectured, and what might follow logically. It is not the same as Inferences in which you merely draw conclusions by going through the information provided, rather, it is a hypothesis or presupposition justifying the conclusion logically.
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Ways to Identify Assumptions in CAT Logical Reasoning Questions

If you come across any question that has any of the following qualities, be rest assured that it is based on Assumption:

• If the question is framed in the manner “Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?”
• You do not need to provide any evidence to solve Assumption questions; they can be solved based on beliefs, previous knowledge, hypotheses, or generalizations.
• However, you must not rely on personal beliefs or conceptions to solve Assumption problems. The author’s perspective needs to be prioritized here and a thorough scrutiny of the options must be carried out to determine which assumption, if considered true, validates the argument, and if rendered invalid, leads to the disruption of the argument.
• Assumptions are implicit and will not be stated directly but some information or factual statements will be provided. These are a very necessary set of statements. In order for that information to be true, that is for the conclusion to be legitimate and valid, the given statement has to be true and reasonable as well. This statement is regarded as Assumption.
• Among the answer options, if you find any statement where certain information or details have been stated explicitly, it cannot be regarded as Assumption.
• Instead of containing anticipated and generalized truths, Assumptions include necessary truths for the argument to be true.
• The gap between premise and conclusion will be bridged by Assumptions. The premise can be identified by the presence of keywords like "since", "because", "given that" etc. and the conclusion is provided with terms like "thus", "therefore", "hence", or "consequently". Now, Assumption is the link that is not explicitly stated but must be true and valid to justify that the conclusion has been drawn logically. Premises are the fundamental points which the argument is dependent upon; Conclusions are supported by the Premises; and Assumptions aim to reduce the disparities between Premises and Conclusions.
• Assumptions are connected to the Conclusions in a manner that the Conclusion can be determined by the validity of the Assumption. The Conclusion loses its value if the Assumption is considered null & void since they act as underlying presumptions or hypotheses supporting the Conclusion.
• You will never be able to deduce an assumption logically, reasonably, or reasonably from the information or facts provided. This is because it includes some new information that was not explicitly stated in the original statements.
• Either there must be a conclusion in the passage provided or in the question stem for the problem to be regarded as an Assumption question.

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