Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Easy

PT136 S4 Q3 Explanation

Some members have criticized

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

TopicsNecessary Assumption

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Stimulus

Some members have criticized the club's president for inviting Dr. Hines to speak at the annual awards banquet without consulting other club members beforehand. But a few years ago the previous club president hired a tax accountant even though he had not discussed it with club in the way in which she invited Dr. Hines.

What this question is testing

Necessary Assumption

Your task

Find the assumption the argument requires in order for its conclusion to hold.

Common trap

Answers that would help the argument but aren't strictly required (sufficient, not necessary).

Winning move

Negate each choice — the right one breaks the argument when negated.

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

The question
3.

Which one of the following is an assumption on which the

Answer choices

  1. Too Strong4% picked this

    The previous club president had also invited speakers without first consulting

    This need not be assumed for the previous club president to serve as support for the current club president’s action.

  2. Out of Scope5% picked this

    At the time the previous club president hired the tax accountant, most club members did not expect to

    The expectations of club members are not necessarily relevant to determine whether consultation would have been appropriate.

  3. Out of Scope1% picked this

    Dr. Hines accepted the president's invitation to speak at the club's

    Whether or not the invitation was accepted is not relevant to an argument about whether it was appropriate to extend the invitation in the first place.

  4. Weaken2% picked this

    The club president has more discretion in hiring an accountant than in

    This makes it less likely that the club president acted appropriately.

  5. Correct88% picked this

    The club's previous president acted appropriately in hiring the tax accountant without first consulting

    Why this is right

    In order for the example with the previous club president to serve as evidence for the assertion that the current club president acted appropriately, it must be true that previous club president also acted appropriately.

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

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