Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Hard

PT156 S4 Q13 ExplanationIf the natural history museum stays within

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

TopicsSufficient Assumption

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Stimulus

If the natural history museum stays within this year's budget, it will be unable to stay within next year's budget, for renovating next year will make the museum's expenditures exceed next year's very tight budget. After all, the museum will have to renovate next year, because work from previous renovations is deteriorating rapidly.

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
13.

The argument's conclusion can be properly inferred if which one of the

Answer choices, explained

  1. Trap6% picked this

    The museum will stay within this

  2. Trap5% picked this

    This year's budget is less than next

  3. Trap4% picked this

    The museum will not renovate next

  4. Correct48% picked this

    The museum will exceed this year's budget if it renovates

    Why this is right

    Answer D is correct.

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

  5. Trap38% picked this

    The museum will stay within this year's budget if it does not

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