Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Hard

PT120 S4 Q26 Explanation

The number of applications for

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Logical Reasoning question.

TopicsWeaken

Keep going in LSAT Lab

  • Save & drill this skill — build targeted practice sets from questions like this one

  • Video walkthroughs — watch every question solved step by step

  • 81 official LSATs — as questions, timed sections & full-length tests

Start practicing free

Free to start

Full official LSAT questions are available through LawHub. This page provides LSAT Lab's explanation, strategy, and review tools without republishing the full official question.

Stimulus

The number of applications for admission reported by North American Ph.D. programs in art history has declined in each of the last four years. We can conclude from this that interest among recent North American college and university graduates has declined in the last four years.

What this question is testing

Weaken

Your task

Find the choice that makes the argument's conclusion less likely to be true.

Common trap

Answers that look negative but attack a claim the argument never relied on.

Winning move

Find the assumption the argument depends on, then pick the choice that undermines it.

Reading along? Open the full official question in LawHub — we show a fragment here and keep the reasoning in our own words.

The question
26.

Each of the following, if true, weakens the

Answer choices

  1. Alternate Explanation4% picked this

    The number of North American Ph.D. programs in art history that opted to report data about applications for admission has declined in

    The real reason the number of applications has declined is because fewer Ph.D. programs are reporting their data (thus we never hear about the applications occurring at their schools).

  2. Correct60% picked this

    The average age of applicants for admission to North American Ph.D. programs in art history has increased in each

    Why this is right

    This is either irrelevant or somewhat Strengthens the author's causal story. Since he is saying that careers in art history are a dying trend among recent grads, the fact that the people who are applying are older could reinforce the idea that younger people don't have much interest in pursuing this career.

    Skill tested: Weaken · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

  3. Alternate Explanation3% picked this

    The number of errors in data about applications for admission to North American Ph.D. programs in art history has increased substantially

    The real reason the number of applications has been lower is just crappy data. Naturally, this answer didn't say that the errors involved undercounting the number of applications, but alternative explanations just have to be suggested, not clearly established, in order to create some weakening doubt.

  4. Alternate Explanation11% picked this

    The number of North American employers willing to hire individuals without a Ph.D. for jobs in art history has increased in each

    The real reason the number of Ph.D. apps has declined is because you increasingly don't need a Ph.D. to get a job in art history.

  5. Alternate Explanation23% picked this

    The percentage of applications for admission received from outside North America by North American Ph.D. programs in art history has declined substantially

    The real reason the number of Ph.D. apps has declined is because of a decline in interest among international students, not among recent North American grad students.

Continue the review in LSAT Lab

Save this question, watch the video walkthrough, and drill similar questions in your LSAT Lab account.

Save and practice this skill
LSAT Lab

Turn this review into a targeted study plan.

Save this question, drill more like it, watch the video walkthrough, and track your progress in your LSAT Lab account.

Start practicing free