GMAT Critical Reasoning
A short argument and a question about it. Every one of them turns on the same thing: the gap between the evidence and the conclusion. Finding that gap before reading the options is the whole method, and it works across every question family.
The method, for every family
- Read the question stem first — it tells you what to do with the argument.
- Find the conclusion. It is what the rest of the argument exists to support, and it is often not the last sentence.
- Find the evidence.
- Name the gap — what must be true for that evidence to give that conclusion.
- Only then read the options.
Candidates who read the options before naming the gap find three of them attractive. Candidates who name the gap first usually find the answer is the only option that touches it.
The question families
| The stem asks | The family | The answer |
|---|---|---|
| Which assumption does the argument rely on? | Assumption | States the gap |
| Which most strengthens / weakens? | Strengthen / Weaken | Supports or attacks the gap |
| Which would be most useful to evaluate? | Evaluate | Tests the gap |
| Which best explains the discrepancy? | Paradox | Reconciles two facts, attacking neither |
| Which conclusion is best supported? | Inference | Must be true from the statements |
Inference is the family that behaves differently: it does not have a gap to attack, and the answer is whatever must be true — which is usually the most cautious option, not the most interesting one.
Critical Reasoning — FAQs
2 questions
The stem. It changes how you read the argument.
No. The answer must follow from what is on the screen.
More verbal question types
Sources
Written from the test board's own published material and checked on 1 October 2026.