Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Hard

PT136 S4 Q20 Explanation

University president: We will be forced

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

TopicsSufficient Assumption

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Stimulus

University president: We will be forced to reduce spending next year if we do not increase our enrollment. So, if we are to maintain the quality of the education we provide, we must market our programs will be unable to increase our enrollment.

What this question is testing

Sufficient Assumption

Your task

Find the assumption that, if added, guarantees the conclusion follows.

Common trap

Answers that only partly bridge the gap, leaving the conclusion unproven.

Winning move

Identify the new term in the conclusion and pick the choice that links it to the evidence.

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

The question
20.

The conclusion of the university president's argument can be properly drawn if which one of the

Answer choices

  1. Reversal2% picked this

    The university will not maintain the quality of the education it provides if it

    For this to prove the ↑E → ~MQ conclusion, it would require reversing the second premise.

  2. Negation6% picked this

    The university will not need to reduce spending next year if it

    This negates the ↑E → ~↓S first premise.

  3. Negation14% picked this

    The university will increase its enrollment if it markets its programs

    This negates the ↑M → ↑E second premise.

  4. Correct67% picked this

    The university will not maintain the quality of the education it provides if it reduces

    Why this is right

    This bridges the MQ → ~↓S gap between maintaining the quality of education provided by the university and the need to not reduce spending.

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

  5. Negation11% picked this

    The university will not need to reduce spending next year if it markets its

    This negates the ↑M → ~↓S inference of the first and second premise.

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