Carl is clearly an incompetent

Answer choices

1. A

   Correct97% picked this

   Because the police chief regards Carl as the most capable detective, she assigns him only the most difficult cases, ones that

   Why this is right

   This is the alternative explanation. The chief, who regards Carl as the most capable detective, gives him only the hardest cases — the ones other detectives couldn't solve. So Carl's low solve rate isn't evidence of incompetence; it's the predictable result of a stacked deck. Even a top detective will struggle when handed exclusively cold cases. The author's comparison treats all detectives' caseloads as equivalent in difficulty, but this answer breaks that assumption directly.

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

   97%
2. B

   No Impact1% picked this

   Before he became a detective, Carl was a neighborhood police officer and was highly respected by the residents

   Carl's past life as a respected neighborhood patrol officer doesn't speak to whether he is competent as a detective. Being well-liked on a beat is a different skill set. This doesn't address why his detective solve rate is so low or whether the low rate fairly indicates incompetence.

   1%
3. C

   No Impact2% picked this

   Detectives on the police force on which Carl serves are provided with extensive resources, including the use of a large computer database,

   If all detectives have access to the same extensive resources, then Carl is on a level playing field with everyone else — which actually leaves the comparison of solve rates intact, or even strengthens it. This certainly does not weaken the argument that Carl's rate reflects his ability.

   2%
4. D

   Premise Support1% picked this

   Carl was previously a detective in a police department in another city, and in the 4 years he spent there, he solved

   This shows Carl had a similarly low solve rate (1 out of 30) at his previous police department. A consistent pattern of low solve rates across departments looks like additional evidence Carl is bad at this — it supports the conclusion, not weakens it.

   1%
5. E

   No Impact0% picked this

   Many of the officers in the police department in which Carl serves were hired or promoted within

   Hiring or promotion timing of other officers does not address Carl's solve rate or whether the rate fairly reflects his ability. Even if half the force is brand new, the argument still has Carl's 1-out-of-25 sitting at the bottom of the rankings, and there's no reason to think recent hires are skewing the comparison in his favor or against him.

   0%