Hi
The next 6-8 weeks will be tough for mentors and students alike.
Most queries sent to me on FB have a Turn around Time of 6-8 hours .
But some times even that is not fast enough because there is a
deadline looming .
So for queries requiring urgent resolution - please reach out
(preferably text) on 096749 24341
Will definitely respond either way .
However all QA DI LR queries must be emailed to varcprep@gmail.com and
I will connect you to the best experts in India in that domain.
Cheers and Regards
Happy 2014 Season.
Friday 28 November 2014
Thursday 27 November 2014
Wednesday 26 November 2014
XAT Prep - VA
https://www.instamojo.com/writetotanveer/xatvarc/?discount=xvta
1. credulous (adj.):
That may be measured, counted, or weighed.
Easily deceived.
Countless.
Desolate.
2. ceremonious (adj.):
Worn and gaunt in appearance.
Of or pertaining to the city of Paris.
Agreeable.
Observant of ritual.
3. injunction (n.):
A heading, as of a chapter, section, document, etc.
Sustenance.
Death.
Mandate.
4. gibe (v.):
To consider thoughtfully.
To utter taunts or reproaches.
To add or attach, as something accessory, subordinate, or supplementary.
To own.
5. leisure (n.):
A series of tables giving the days of the week together with
certainastronomical information.
The act of persuading.
Spare time.
Anything that will counteract or remove the effects of poison,
disease, or thelike.
6. inanimate (adj.):
Capable of being made perfect.
Belonging or relating to the body as opposed to the mind.
Poverty-stricken.
Destitute of animal life.
7. incompetence (n.):
A person with milky white skin and hair, and eyes with bright
red pupil andusually pink iris.
Lawless control of public affairs by the mob or populace.
General lack of capacity or fitness.
A Christian who denies the authority of the Pope and holds the
right ofspecial judgment.
8. expense (n.):
Expansion.
A judgment or opinion formed without due examination of the facts.
The laying out or expending or money or other resources, as time
or strength.
A weight hung on a rod, serving by its oscillation to regulate
the rate of aclock.
9. perforate (v.):
To overcome by force of will.
To expurgate in editing (a literary composition) by omitting
words orpassages.
To make a hole or holes through.
To fill the mind of a person to the exclusion of other subjects.
10. conjugal (adj.):
Situated or occurring below the surface of the earth.
Pertaining to marriage, marital rights, or married persons.
Contemptible.
Unsuited to the wearer, place, or surroundings.
https://www.instamojo.com/writetotanveer/xatvarc/?discount=xvta
1. credulous (adj.):
That may be measured, counted, or weighed.
Easily deceived.
Countless.
Desolate.
2. ceremonious (adj.):
Worn and gaunt in appearance.
Of or pertaining to the city of Paris.
Agreeable.
Observant of ritual.
3. injunction (n.):
A heading, as of a chapter, section, document, etc.
Sustenance.
Death.
Mandate.
4. gibe (v.):
To consider thoughtfully.
To utter taunts or reproaches.
To add or attach, as something accessory, subordinate, or supplementary.
To own.
5. leisure (n.):
A series of tables giving the days of the week together with
certainastronomical information.
The act of persuading.
Spare time.
Anything that will counteract or remove the effects of poison,
disease, or thelike.
6. inanimate (adj.):
Capable of being made perfect.
Belonging or relating to the body as opposed to the mind.
Poverty-stricken.
Destitute of animal life.
7. incompetence (n.):
A person with milky white skin and hair, and eyes with bright
red pupil andusually pink iris.
Lawless control of public affairs by the mob or populace.
General lack of capacity or fitness.
A Christian who denies the authority of the Pope and holds the
right ofspecial judgment.
8. expense (n.):
Expansion.
A judgment or opinion formed without due examination of the facts.
The laying out or expending or money or other resources, as time
or strength.
A weight hung on a rod, serving by its oscillation to regulate
the rate of aclock.
9. perforate (v.):
To overcome by force of will.
To expurgate in editing (a literary composition) by omitting
words orpassages.
To make a hole or holes through.
To fill the mind of a person to the exclusion of other subjects.
10. conjugal (adj.):
Situated or occurring below the surface of the earth.
Pertaining to marriage, marital rights, or married persons.
Contemptible.
Unsuited to the wearer, place, or surroundings.
Confused about which schools to apply ?
Join here to get advice from a battery of experts and a dedicated help line
Join - http://bit.do/whichbschool2014
And post queries
Join here to get advice from a battery of experts and a dedicated help line
Join - http://bit.do/whichbschool2014
And post queries
Tuesday 25 November 2014
Deadlines
Deadlines Alert!!
(COURTESY MANU BALI ! MANY THANKS )
EXAMS:
TISS :29 Nov, 2014
IBSAT :30 Nov, 2014
SNAP :26 Nov, 2014
MICAT :18 Jan, 2014
MAT:22 Nov, 2014
XAT :30 Nov, 2014
CMAT Feb: 05 Jan 2015
B Schools Deadlines in Nov/Dec
Alphabetical "A+" List of Institutes with Last Dates
FMS: 10 Nov, 2014
ISB: 30 Nov, 2014
MDI, Gurgaon: 14 Nov, 2014
NITIE, Mumbai: 16 Dec, 2014
SP Jain, Mumbai: 30 Nov, 2014
TISS: 29 Nov, 2014
XLRI, Jamshedpur: 21 Dec, 2014
Alphabetical "A" List of Institutes with Last Dates
Fore School of Management, New Delhi: 15 dec , 2014
IMT, Ghaziabad /Nagpur/Hyderabad: 24 Dec, 2014
IRMA, Anand: 08 Dec, 2014
IMI, Bhubaneswar/ Kolkata/New Delhi: 7 Jan, 2014
Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, New Delhi: 14 Dec, 2014
MDI, Murshidabad:30 Nov, 2014
Nirma, Ahmedabad: 15 Dec, 2014
Symbiosis Center For Information Technology, Pune: 20 Dec, 2014
Symbiosis Department of Health Sciences, Pune: 26 Nov, 2014
T.A. Pai Management Institute, Manipal: 31 Dec, 2014
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar: 05 Dec, 2014
P.S. please comment below if there is any correction or updation required
(COURTESY MANU BALI ! MANY THANKS )
EXAMS:
TISS :29 Nov, 2014
IBSAT :30 Nov, 2014
SNAP :26 Nov, 2014
MICAT :18 Jan, 2014
MAT:22 Nov, 2014
XAT :30 Nov, 2014
CMAT Feb: 05 Jan 2015
B Schools Deadlines in Nov/Dec
Alphabetical "A+" List of Institutes with Last Dates
FMS: 10 Nov, 2014
ISB: 30 Nov, 2014
MDI, Gurgaon: 14 Nov, 2014
NITIE, Mumbai: 16 Dec, 2014
SP Jain, Mumbai: 30 Nov, 2014
TISS: 29 Nov, 2014
XLRI, Jamshedpur: 21 Dec, 2014
Alphabetical "A" List of Institutes with Last Dates
Fore School of Management, New Delhi: 15 dec , 2014
IMT, Ghaziabad /Nagpur/Hyderabad: 24 Dec, 2014
IRMA, Anand: 08 Dec, 2014
IMI, Bhubaneswar/ Kolkata/New Delhi: 7 Jan, 2014
Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, New Delhi: 14 Dec, 2014
MDI, Murshidabad:30 Nov, 2014
Nirma, Ahmedabad: 15 Dec, 2014
Symbiosis Center For Information Technology, Pune: 20 Dec, 2014
Symbiosis Department of Health Sciences, Pune: 26 Nov, 2014
T.A. Pai Management Institute, Manipal: 31 Dec, 2014
Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar: 05 Dec, 2014
P.S. please comment below if there is any correction or updation required
Monday 24 November 2014
Start GDEI Prep NOW!
http://bit.do/gdei2014-
The Key to the IIMs!
ESSAY TOPICS at the IIMs in 2013
IIM B
Vegetarianism is the answer to all our health problems.
Do you think Indian society is in a position to accept the freedom and
respect a woman deserves? Give your views
Do you think privatisation in sports helps to improve the situation of
sports in India? What should the government do for the same? What are
your suggestions to improve the level of participation and performance
in sports in India? Give your views.
IIM A
Demographic Dividend is a mirage
Obsession with constant research by smartphone companies has had a
serious effect on our social life.
More autonomy for states will lead to growth of states
IIM C
Business in India does not care about Democracy and Human rights. What
are the steps you recommend.
In most cultures marriages are an occasion for celebration .Do you
agree with this? Give your reasons for the same
A civilization can be measured by the care it has shown towards it's
least fortunate members. Is that a good yardstick?
Other IIMs Essay Topics
Essay - The young today, get so much too easily and in a short period
of time and that is detrimental to their future.
Essay Topic: Social networks like facebook are addictive and
detrimental to society
Essay Topic: Indian curriculum has less emphasis on sports/fitness
Essay : Individuals are bound by social and political norms and cannot
be truly free ,even in a democracy
Essay : Strong opposition party is required for a good governance
Essay : Hunger Strikes for a cause are now becoming a source of
blackmail & coercion.
Topic: Depiction of violence in media causes increased societal
tolerance for violence.
Essay Topic: Fears of global warming are exaggerated and are hindering progress
Topic - As a society, we must adopt e-books over print books.
Essay : The internet is an elite organization in a country where few
people know how to make a phone call.
Essay : The 4-0 whitewash in England and Australia show that world cup
win was a fluke
Essay : India should not participate in London Olympics till Dow
Chemicals is its sponsor
Topic: Mandatory employment quota for women and underprivileged groups
is doing more to the society than good.
Topic: right to live and death is one's personal matter and society
should not interfere with it.
Topic:- Medical tourism should be banned in India, as almost half of
the Indian population do not have access to primary health care
Topic: Indian films are all about vulgarity, violence, song and dance
& do not focus on relevant social issues
Topic: Excess use of Internet and Audio Visual Media is coming in the
way of Intellectual Enrichment
http://bit.do/gdei2014-
The Key to the IIMs!
ESSAY TOPICS at the IIMs in 2013
IIM B
Vegetarianism is the answer to all our health problems.
Do you think Indian society is in a position to accept the freedom and
respect a woman deserves? Give your views
Do you think privatisation in sports helps to improve the situation of
sports in India? What should the government do for the same? What are
your suggestions to improve the level of participation and performance
in sports in India? Give your views.
IIM A
Demographic Dividend is a mirage
Obsession with constant research by smartphone companies has had a
serious effect on our social life.
More autonomy for states will lead to growth of states
IIM C
Business in India does not care about Democracy and Human rights. What
are the steps you recommend.
In most cultures marriages are an occasion for celebration .Do you
agree with this? Give your reasons for the same
A civilization can be measured by the care it has shown towards it's
least fortunate members. Is that a good yardstick?
Other IIMs Essay Topics
Essay - The young today, get so much too easily and in a short period
of time and that is detrimental to their future.
Essay Topic: Social networks like facebook are addictive and
detrimental to society
Essay Topic: Indian curriculum has less emphasis on sports/fitness
Essay : Individuals are bound by social and political norms and cannot
be truly free ,even in a democracy
Essay : Strong opposition party is required for a good governance
Essay : Hunger Strikes for a cause are now becoming a source of
blackmail & coercion.
Topic: Depiction of violence in media causes increased societal
tolerance for violence.
Essay Topic: Fears of global warming are exaggerated and are hindering progress
Topic - As a society, we must adopt e-books over print books.
Essay : The internet is an elite organization in a country where few
people know how to make a phone call.
Essay : The 4-0 whitewash in England and Australia show that world cup
win was a fluke
Essay : India should not participate in London Olympics till Dow
Chemicals is its sponsor
Topic: Mandatory employment quota for women and underprivileged groups
is doing more to the society than good.
Topic: right to live and death is one's personal matter and society
should not interfere with it.
Topic:- Medical tourism should be banned in India, as almost half of
the Indian population do not have access to primary health care
Topic: Indian films are all about vulgarity, violence, song and dance
& do not focus on relevant social issues
Topic: Excess use of Internet and Audio Visual Media is coming in the
way of Intellectual Enrichment
It is sad to see that many do not understand the essence of the CAT !
It does NOT ask you - Do you know this ?
It ASKS - Do you know more than her / him ?
It does not want to know whether you know ?
It want s to know whether in 170 minutes you can SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW!
Ask me what to do for XAT . Today !
http://detafb.blogspot.in/2014/11/fwd-xat-2014.html
It does NOT ask you - Do you know this ?
It ASKS - Do you know more than her / him ?
It does not want to know whether you know ?
It want s to know whether in 170 minutes you can SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW!
Ask me what to do for XAT . Today !
http://detafb.blogspot.in/2014/11/fwd-xat-2014.html
Sunday 23 November 2014
XAT 2014 Score Card
XAT 2014 Score
Want to replicate the VARC DCM score above ?
Join now !
https://www.instamojo.com/writetotanveer/xatvarc/?discount=xvta
ALL THE BEST !
Want to replicate the VARC DCM score above ?
Join now !
https://www.instamojo.com/writetotanveer/xatvarc/?discount=xvta
ALL THE BEST !
All exams have different myths surrounding them. In the case of the XAT exam there is a very popular one that it is a tougher exam than CAT.! Let us analyse some of these myths!
1. XAT is tougher than CAT: Like CAT , XAT also matches the performance of a student against the performance of all other students and presents the result in percentiles. So the difficulty level of the.exam itself is irrelevant. The aspirant must outperform his/her peers
2. XAT VA is very tough : Another common demotivating factor for students is that XAT requires a high degree of Verbal Ability. While it is true to some extent that the XAT requires an excellent vocabulary – we must keep in mind that in recent years - just like the CAT – the XAT has started clubbing VA with LR. So students can hedge their shortcomings in VA by an excellent performance in the LR questions. In fact, sometimes even the RC questions in XAT are LR questions.
3. XAT QA is too complicated: It has happened in certain years that the XAT QA has been a little above average (notably in XAT 2011) .Do keep in mind that it is a scaled exam and it is equally tough for everybody and by identifying 6-8 easy questions you can easily clear the cut off of QA !
4. Decision Making section does not need extra focus:This is is one of the biggest mistakes that any XAT aspirant can make . This section is made up of different case studies – current affairs and business related which require the aspirant to take acall on how he would handle the situation as a manager. No Black and White answers. Choose from Shades of Gray!
5. XLRI is only for those who want to take up HR: Without doubt - PMIR - is the flagship course of XLRI . However XLRI also has other excellent courses such as Business Management (BM) and a General Management Program ( GMP) (for those aspirants with five plus years of experience).
6. Only people with excellent academics can get a call from XLRI : While it is more than obvious that somebody with a superior academic track record enjoys an edge over other candidates - in terms of issuing calls - XLRI has a very transparent policy with the XAT cut offs of BM and PMIR courses displayed on the website after the results' declaration.
7. You cannot clear XAT if your GK is weak: GK may not even be considered while issuing calls . The role of GK may come in play once the candidate is to get final calls .XAT GK questions are focussed on Business and Current Affairs and a serious aspirant would be conversant with some of the topics quizzed.
All the Best for XAT 2015!
Join now !
https://www.instamojo.com/writetotanveer/xatvarc/?discount=xvta
SAMPLE SESSION - https://www.facebook.com/events/303284269869420/?ref_notif_type=event_mall_comment&source=1
SAMPLE SESSION - https://www.facebook.com/events/303284269869420/?ref_notif_type=event_mall_comment&source=1
Saturday 22 November 2014
A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a Rupee 500 note.
In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this Rupee 500 note?"
Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this note to one of you
but first let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the note up.
He then asked, "Who still wants it?"
Still the hands were up in the air.
"Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and
startedto grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all
crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?"
Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson.
No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not
decrease in value. It was still worth Rupee 500/-.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt
by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless.
But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose
your value.
You are special. Don't ever forget it! Never let yesterday's disappointments overshadow tomorrow's dreams.
"VALUE HAS A VALUE ONLY IF ITS VALUE IS VALUED"
"Make some corner of the world distinctively yours"
In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this Rupee 500 note?"
Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this note to one of you
but first let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the note up.
He then asked, "Who still wants it?"
Still the hands were up in the air.
"Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and
startedto grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all
crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?"
Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson.
No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not
decrease in value. It was still worth Rupee 500/-.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt
by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless.
But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose
your value.
You are special. Don't ever forget it! Never let yesterday's disappointments overshadow tomorrow's dreams.
"VALUE HAS A VALUE ONLY IF ITS VALUE IS VALUED"
"Make some corner of the world distinctively yours"
#IIFT Gyan
First round
20 minutes VARC QADI LR Cutoffs - 6 - 10 ( VA > QA DI )
Second Round
10 minutes GK ( 5-6 Qs cutoff - DO NOT blindly guess )
Third Round
25 minutes each to your strongest 2 sections ( Target is to hit at least 50 overall )
Do not stop anywhere!!!!
Just keep moving .
Quite often QA may have printing mistakes . So not more than 2 minutes on a Question .
QA may have higher Maths ! Chill - You only need 10 odd to clear QADI combined
60,000 odd will take this exam
1000 odd will make the cut
Join the THOUSAND !
Contact me for XAT Strategy after IIFT
ALL THE BEST !
Old Emails
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CAT 2015 -
For OAs - Join http://bit.do/gk2014
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code = life
(y)
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CAT 2015 -
For OAs - Join http://bit.do/gk2014
http://www.randomtriviagenerator.com/
code = life
(y)
Happy Dussehra
To get OAs at end of day fill up at least ONCE A DAY - http://bit.do/detafb
PLEASE FILL THIS UP TO RECEIVE THE COLLATED ANONYMOUS DATA TO GET A SENSE OF HOW THE EXAM WENT FOR OTHERS . PLEASE DO NOT POST ACTUAL QUESTIONS
Friday 21 November 2014
ALL THE BEST!
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE REMEMBERED?
About a hundred years ago, a man looked at the morning newspaper and
to his surprise and horror, read his name in the obituary column. The
news papers had reported the death of the wrong person by mistake. His
first response was shock. Am I here or there? When he regained his
composure, his second thought was to find out what people had said
about him. The obituary read, "Dynamite King Dies." And also "He was
the merchant of death." This man was the inventor of dynamite and when
he read the words "merchant of death," he asked himself a question,
"Is this how I am going to be remembered?" He got in touch with his
feelings and decided that this was not the way he wanted to be
remembered. From that day on, he started working toward peace. His
name was Alfred Nobel and he is remembered today by the great Nobel
Prize.
Just as Alfred Nobel got in touch with his feelings and redefined his
values, we should step back and do the same.
What is your legacy?
How would you like to be remembered?
Will you be spoken well of?
Will you be remembered with love and respect?
Will you be missed?
About a hundred years ago, a man looked at the morning newspaper and
to his surprise and horror, read his name in the obituary column. The
news papers had reported the death of the wrong person by mistake. His
first response was shock. Am I here or there? When he regained his
composure, his second thought was to find out what people had said
about him. The obituary read, "Dynamite King Dies." And also "He was
the merchant of death." This man was the inventor of dynamite and when
he read the words "merchant of death," he asked himself a question,
"Is this how I am going to be remembered?" He got in touch with his
feelings and decided that this was not the way he wanted to be
remembered. From that day on, he started working toward peace. His
name was Alfred Nobel and he is remembered today by the great Nobel
Prize.
Just as Alfred Nobel got in touch with his feelings and redefined his
values, we should step back and do the same.
What is your legacy?
How would you like to be remembered?
Will you be spoken well of?
Will you be remembered with love and respect?
Will you be missed?
PLEASE FILL THIS UP TO RECEIVE THE COLLATED ANONYMOUS DATA TO GET A
SENSE OF HOW THE EXAM WENT FOR OTHERS . PLEASE DO NOT POST ACTUAL
QUESTIONS
http://bit.do/cat2014exp22nov
ALL THE BEST!
SENSE OF HOW THE EXAM WENT FOR OTHERS . PLEASE DO NOT POST ACTUAL
QUESTIONS
http://bit.do/cat2014exp22nov
ALL THE BEST!
Rocky Balboa:
****
Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all
sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't
care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you
there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as
hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard
you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and
keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now, if you know what
you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be
willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't
where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that
and that ain't you. You're better than that!
******
All the Best for the Season!
****
Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all
sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place, and I don't
care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you
there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as
hard as life. But it ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard
you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and
keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now, if you know what
you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be
willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't
where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that
and that ain't you. You're better than that!
******
All the Best for the Season!
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
( I appeared for my secondary boards this year :) )
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. That's god-damn right. For the
second time in my life, I am guilty of committing a crime. Parole
violation. Of course, I doubt they'll toss up any roadblocks for that.
Not for an old crook like me...
I find I'm so excited I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my
head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man
at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I
can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his
hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I
hope.
( I appeared for my secondary boards this year :) )
Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'. That's god-damn right. For the
second time in my life, I am guilty of committing a crime. Parole
violation. Of course, I doubt they'll toss up any roadblocks for that.
Not for an old crook like me...
I find I'm so excited I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my
head. I think it's the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man
at the start of a long journey whose conclusion is uncertain. I hope I
can make it across the border. I hope to see my friend and shake his
hand. I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams. I
hope.
Thursday 20 November 2014
Shivam Kanav on the CAT :)
"cat ka paper bhot easy tha yaar mujhse ssc clerk(chaprasi) ka bhi
paper crack nhi hua aaj tak or mene bhi 74 attempt kar diye sach me ab
to sochta hu ssc me to hota nhi 2015 me achi tarah prep. karke IIm hi
lelu.
what do you think guys share your views.my exam was in morning slot"
"cat ka paper bhot easy tha yaar mujhse ssc clerk(chaprasi) ka bhi
paper crack nhi hua aaj tak or mene bhi 74 attempt kar diye sach me ab
to sochta hu ssc me to hota nhi 2015 me achi tarah prep. karke IIm hi
lelu.
what do you think guys share your views.my exam was in morning slot"
XAT Myths Shattered !
http://www.pagalguy.com/discussions/mba-prep-articles-16898145/17917280
Message me for your doubts about XAT
Message me for your doubts about XAT
Chak De India !
Kuchh kariye, kuchh kariye, nas nas meree khaule hay kuchh kariye
Kuchh kariye, kuchh kariye, bas bas bada bode abb kuchh kariye
Ho koyee toh chal jid phadiye, too bidarayiye ya mariye - (2)
Chak dey, ho chak dey india - (4)
Puchho naa galio me, rashan kee phalio me
Bailo me bijo me, ido me dijo me
Reto key dano me, filmo key gano me
Sadko key gaddo me, bato key addo me
Humkara aaj bhar ley, das bara bar kar ley
Rehna naa yar pichhe, kitna bhee koyee khinche
Tas hai naa mas hai jee, jid hai toh jid hai jee
Pisna yu hee, pisna yu hee patthar yeh
Koyee toh chal jidd phadiye, too bedarayiye ya mariye - (2)
Chak dey, ho chak dey india - (4)
Kuchh kariye, kuchh kariye, nas nas meree khaule hay kuchh kariye
Kuchh kariye, kuchh kariye, bas bas bada bode abb kuchh kariye
Ho koyee toh chal jid phadiye, too bidarayiye ya mariye - (2)
Chak dey, ho chak dey india - (4)
Puchho naa galio me, rashan kee phalio me
Bailo me bijo me, ido me dijo me
Reto key dano me, filmo key gano me
Sadko key gaddo me, bato key addo me
Humkara aaj bhar ley, das bara bar kar ley
Rehna naa yar pichhe, kitna bhee koyee khinche
Tas hai naa mas hai jee, jid hai toh jid hai jee
Pisna yu hee, pisna yu hee patthar yeh
Koyee toh chal jidd phadiye, too bedarayiye ya mariye - (2)
Chak dey, ho chak dey india - (4)
SWACCH BHARAT ABHIYAN!
Yesterday I was travelling in a taxi when a car jumped out of a
parking space right in front of us.
My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other
car by just inches!
The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started
yelling MC/BC at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy.
And I mean, he was really friendly.
So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your
car and sent us to the hospital!'
This is when my Taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the
Garbage Truck'
He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run
around full of Garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full
of disappointment.
As their Garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it
and sometimes they'll dump it on you.
Don't take it personally.
Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.
Don't take their Garbage and spread it to other people at work, at
home, or on the streets.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks
take over their day.
Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets,
so ... Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't.
Life is Ten percent what you make it and Ninety percent how you take it!
Have a garbage-free day!
Yesterday I was travelling in a taxi when a car jumped out of a
parking space right in front of us.
My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other
car by just inches!
The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started
yelling MC/BC at us.
My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy.
And I mean, he was really friendly.
So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your
car and sent us to the hospital!'
This is when my Taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the
Garbage Truck'
He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run
around full of Garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full
of disappointment.
As their Garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it
and sometimes they'll dump it on you.
Don't take it personally.
Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.
Don't take their Garbage and spread it to other people at work, at
home, or on the streets.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let Garbage Trucks
take over their day.
Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets,
so ... Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't.
Life is Ten percent what you make it and Ninety percent how you take it!
Have a garbage-free day!
ALL THE BEST!
According to scientists, the bumblebee's body is too heavy and its
wing span too small. Aerodynamically, the bumblebee cannot fly. But
the bumblebee doesn't know that and it keeps flying.
When you don't know your limitations, you go out and surprise
yourself. In hindsight, you wonder if you had any limitations. The
only limitations a person has are those that are self-imposed. Don't
let education put limitations on you.
wing span too small. Aerodynamically, the bumblebee cannot fly. But
the bumblebee doesn't know that and it keeps flying.
When you don't know your limitations, you go out and surprise
yourself. In hindsight, you wonder if you had any limitations. The
only limitations a person has are those that are self-imposed. Don't
let education put limitations on you.
Groupsourcing says that if you have a group big enough you can predict
certain phenomena quite accurately.
Please suggest one good likely CAT question and see if we can make
this come true .
Compilation will be emailed to all contributors by 12 noon
Thanks !
http://bit.do/mockcat
certain phenomena quite accurately.
Please suggest one good likely CAT question and see if we can make
this come true .
Compilation will be emailed to all contributors by 12 noon
Thanks !
http://bit.do/mockcat
CRITICAL REASONING
What is an Argument ?
An argument is an attempt to provide a reason for believing something
by citing something else.No of claims are put forward in an
argument,the claim that is being supported is the conclusion.Claims
alleged to support the conclusion are the premises.
Words ,Phrases supporting Conclusions:
So;
This shows that;
Therefore;
We can infer that;
Hence;
Consequently;
It follows that;
This indicates that;
For that reason,we may say;
Words ,Phrases introducing Premises:
The reason is that;
Because;
Since;
Evidence;
On the basis of;
t follows from;
In view of;
We may infer from;
Gap between Premises and Conclusions is Assumptions—identify the gaps
and use it to find the solution.
Classification of Arguments
Deductive arguments are those in which the conclusion necessarily
follows from the premises/evidence. It shows tight connection between
the Premises and Conclusions. Most arguments on the test are
inductive, where the author presents the evidence as support for the
conclusion. The validity of the conclusion depends on the strength of
the evidence.
Unlike deductive arguments, the conclusion of an inductive argument is
always uncertain. You must be prepared to handle both reasonable
arguments (when the conclusion is likely) and false arguments (when
the conclusion is improbable). Each classification of inductive
reasoning carries its own associated fallacies.
Evaluation of an Argument—To find errors in Arguments
(1) If-Then Statements
Most arguments are based on some variation of an if-then statement,
which may be either directly stated or embedded. Understanding the
if-then premise reveals the underlying simplicity of arguments.
If the premise of an if-then statement is true, then the conclusion
must be true as well.
If A, then B
While three possible statements can be derived from the implication
"if A, then B", only one is valid.
The statement that IS logically equivalent to "if A, then B" is called
the contrapositive. It is stated as:
If not B, then not A
Let's explore why this is true.
"If there is a hurricane, then Samantha will cry"
There are four different hypothetical possibilities to consider when
making deductions based on this statement:
1) A hurricane occurs
2) A hurricane does not occur
3) Samantha cries
4) Samantha does not cry
Let's consider each individually:
1. If a hurricane occurs.
You know that if this is true, the result will be that Samantha will cry.
2. If a hurricane does not occur.
If a hurricane does not occur, you can deduce nothing about Samantha.
In particular, you cannot deduce that she does not cry. There are many
other reasons why Samantha could cry, besides a hurricane (fight with
her mom, she sees a sad movie, she gets sick).
3. If Samantha cries.
Again, you can't deduce anything about the occurence of a hurricane if
Samantha cries. The if-then statement doesn't assert that Samantha
cries only if a hurricane occurs, just that if it does, Samantha will
cry. Samantha can cry even on clear, sunny days.
4. If Samantha does not cry.
If Samantha does not cry, you can deduce that a hurricane did not
occur. Why? If it had occurred, then Samantha would definitely have
cried. Yet she didn't. So, we know that, given Samantha's disposition,
a hurricane did not occur.
To review, any time you see a statement in the form of "If A, then B",
contrapose the statement into "If not B, then not A".
You know only two things:
a) what will happen if X occurs
b) what will happen if Y does not occur.
Those are the only valid deductions that you can make based on that
original statement.
You can only assume two things about the implication "if A, then B":
1) If A is true, then B must be true.
2) If B is false, then A must be false.
2) Embedded If-Then Statements
If-then statements are frequently embedded in other structures, making
their detection more difficult.
Example: (Embedded If-then)
Jamie and Kyle cannot both go to the mall.
At first glance, this sentence does not appear to contain an if-then
statement. But it essentially says:
"if Jamie goes to the mall, then Kyle does not."
The contrapositive ("if Kyle goes to the mall, then Jamie does not")
correctly expresses the same thing.
Example: (Embedded If-then)
Heather will go to Europe only if she gets a raise at work.
Given this statement, we know that if Heather goes to Europe, she must
have gotten a raise at work.Students often wrongly interpret this
statement to mean:
"If Heather gets a raise at work, then she will go to Europe."
We have no guarantee of this. The only guarantee is that if Heather
doesn't get the raise, she will not go to Europe.
"A only if B" is logically equivalent to "if A, then B"
Fallacies from no.3 to no.15 are not important for Critical reasoning
Questions but a student should know about them
3) Circular Reasoning
Here an unsubstantiated assertion is used to justify another
unsubstantiated assertion,which is,or atleast could be ,used to
justify the first statement.For instance,
Full scholarships are appropriate for disadantaged scholars because it
is right to offer a top-notch education to those most capable.
This argument is circular because "right" means essentially the same
thing as "appropriate." In effect, the author writer is saying that
scholarships are appropriate because they are appropriate.
(4) The Biased Sample Fallacy
This is commited whenever the data for a statistical inference is
drawn from a sample that is not representative of the population under
consideration.
For example:
In a recent survey conducted by The Times of India of its readers,60%
of the respondents indicated strong support to Lalu Prasad Yadav.Hence
the survey clearly shows that Lalu yadav is the most popular leader
among the masses.
The data for the inference in this argument is drawn from a sample
that is not reprentative of the entire electorate.
6) The Insufficient Sample Fallacy
The Fallacy of the Insufficient Sample is committed whenever an
inadequate sample is used to justify the conclusion drawn.
Here's an argument that commits the fallacy of the insufficient sample:
I have worked with three people from Bangalore City and found them to
be obnoxious, pushy and rude. It is obvious that people from Bangalore
City have a bad attitude.
The data for the inference in this argument is insufficient to support
the conclusion. Three observations of people are not sufficient to
support a conclusion for whole city population..
(4) Ad hominem
One of the most often employed fallacies, ad hominen means "to the
man" and indicates an attack that is made upon a person rather than
upon the statements that person has made.
An example is "Don't listen to my opponent; he's handicapped."
(7) The Fallacy of Faulty Analogy
Reasoning by analogy functions by comparing two similar things.
Because they are alike in various ways, the fallacy is that it is
likely they will share another trait as well. Faulty Analogy arguments
draw similarities between the things compared that are not relevant to
the characteristic being inferred in the conclusion.
Here's an example of a Faulty Analogy fallacy:
Ram and Shyam excel at both football and basketball. Since Ram is also
a singer, it is likely that Shyam also excels at singing.
In this example, numerous similarities between Ram and Shyam are taken
as the basis for the inference that they share additional traits.
(8) Straw Man
Here the speaker attributes an argument to an opponent that does not
represent the opponent's true position.
For instance, a political candidate might charge that his opponent
"wants to let all prisoners go free," when in fact his opponent simply
favors a highly limited furlough system. The person is portrayed as
someone that he is not.
(9) The "After This, Therefore, Because of This" Fallacy (Post hoc
ergo propter hoc)
This is a "false cause" fallacy in which something is associated with
something else because of mere proximity of time. One often encounters
people assuming that because one thing happened after another, the
first caused it, as with "I stood up; Sachin got out. My standing up
resulted in a loss of wicket." The error in arguments that commit this
fallacy is that their conclusions are causal claims that are not
sufficiently substantiated by the evidence.
Here are two examples of the After This, Therefore Because of This Fallacy:
Ten minutes after walking into the auditorium, I began to feel sick to
my stomach. There must have been something in the air in that building
that caused my nausea.
In the first example, a causal connection is posited between two
events simply on the basis of one occurring before the other. Without
further evidence to support it, the causal claim based on the
correlation is premature.
(10) The Either or Thinking
This is the so-called black or white fallacy. Essentially, it says
"Either you believe what I'm saying, or you must believe exactly the
opposite."
Here is an example of the black or white fallacy:
Since you don't believe that the earth is teetering on the edge of
destruction, you must believe that pollution and other adverse effects
that man has on the environment are of no concern whatsoever.
The argument above assumes that there are only two possible
alternatives open to us. There is no room for a middle ground.
(11) The "All Things are Equal" Fallacy
This fallacy is committed when it is assumed, without justification,
that background conditions have remained the same at different
times/locations. In most instances, this is an unwarranted assumption
for the simple reason that things rarely remain the same over extended
periods of time, and things rarely remain the same from place to
place.
The last time winner of south delhi constituency won the general
election. This year, the winner of the south delhi constituency will
win the general election.
The assumption operative in this argument is that nothing has changed
since the last primary. No evidence or justification is offered for
this assumption.
(12) The Fallacy of Equivocation
The Fallacy of Equivocation occurs when a word or phrase that has more
than one meaning is employed in different meanings throughout the
argument.
"Every society is, of course, repressive to some extent - as Sigmund
Freud pointed out, repression is the price we pay for civilization."
In this example, the word repression is used in two completely
different contexts. "Repression" in Freud's mind meant restricting
sexual and psychological desires. "Repression" in the second context
does not mean repression of individual desires, but government
restriction of individual liberties, such as that in a totalitarian
state.
(13) Non Sequitor
This means "does not follow," which is short for the conclusion does
not follow from the premise. To say, "The house is white; therefore,
it must be big" is an example of the Non Sequitor fallacy. It may be a
big house, but there is no intrinsic connection with its being white.
(14) Argument ad populum
A group of children are playing, trying to determine no of balls in an
opaque box. "I wonder if there are less than 4 or more than 4 balls in
the box," says one student. "I know how we can tell!" pipes up
another. "All right, how?" asks the teacher, resigned to the worst.
Beams the child: "We can vote."
This is argumentum ad populum, the belief that truth can be determined
by more or less putting it to a vote. Democracy is a very nice thing,
but it doesn't determine truth. Polls are good for telling you what
people think, not whether those thoughts are correct.
(15) Contradiction
Contradiction occurs when a writer asserts two opposing statements
simultaneously. For example, saying "it is wet and it is dry" is a
contradiction. Typical arguments on the test obscure the contradiction
to the point that the argument can be quite compelling. Here's a great
example:
We cannot know anyone, because we intuitively realize that people are
unreliable.
At first glance this argument sounds reasonable, but "intuitively
realize" means "to know." Thus the author is actually saying that we
know that we don't know anyone. This is classic contradiction.
Typical Questions
Despite the wide variety of arguments used on the test, there are
essentially only eight types of questions that are asked.
1) Assumption Questions
When a question asks you to find an author's assumption, it's asking
you to find the statement without which the argument falls apart.Make
use of denial technique. Simply negate the statement and see if the
argument falls apart. If it does, that choice is the correct
assumption. If, on the other hand, the argument is unaffected, the
choice is wrong.
Below are stated some of the ways in which assumption questions are worded:
Which one of the following is assumed by the author?
Upon which one of the following assumptions does the author rely?
The argument depends on the assumption that. ..
Which one of the following, if added to the passage, will make the
conclusion logical?
The validity of the argument depends on which one of the following?
The argument presupposes which one of the following?
2) Strengthen and Weaken Questions
An argument can be weakened by destroying a central piece of evidence
or by attacking the validity of the author's assumptions. In contrast,
an argument can be strengthened by providing additional support, by
affirming the truth of an assumption or by presenting additional
persuasive evidence.
Here are some of the ways in which strengthen/weaken the argument
questions are worded:
Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument?
Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument?
Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously damage the
argument above?
Which one of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the argument above?
Which one of the following, if true, is the most serious criticism of
the argument above?
Which one of the following, if true, would provide the most support
for the conclusion in the argument above?
The argument above would be more persuasive if which one of the
following were found to be true?
3) Inference Questions
Inference questions require you to consider the statements as evidence
and then draw a conclusion from them. A valid inference is something
that must be true if the statements in the passage are true. It is an
extension of the argument rather than a necessary part of it.
Inference questions probably have the most varied wording of all the
Logical Reasoning question stems. Some are obvious, others are subtle,
and still others may resemble other question types.
Below is the quick rundown of the various forms that inference
questions are likely to take on your test:
Which one of the following can be inferred from the argument above?
The author suggests that. ..
If all the statements above are true, which one of the following must
also be true?
The author of the passage would most likely agree with which one of
the following?
The passage provides the most support for which one of the
following?Which one of the following is probably the conclusion toward
which the author is moving?
4) Flaw Questions
This question asks you to recognize what's wrong with an argument.
Most critique the reasoning by pointing out a fallacy. Other flaw
questions are more specific and attack the argument's reasoning.
Here are typical flaw questions:
Which one of the following contains a flaw that most closely parallels
the flaw contained in the passage?
The speakers will not be able to settle their argument unless they
The conclusion above is unsound because
Which one of the following best identifies the flaw in the above argument?
In presenting her position the author does which one of the following?
5) Method of Argument Questions
Method-of-argument questions ask you to pick the choice that describes
how the authorpresents her case. To tackle these, you must be able to
analyze the structure of an argument. If you can't identify the
evidence and conclusion, you'll have difficulty describing how an
argument works.
Most questions involve classic argumentative structures, such as
"arguing from a small sample to a larger group," or "inferring a
causal relationship from a correlation." The other type of
method-of-argument question gives a description of the argument in
much more specific terms. Anexample of this might read, "The author
presents his case in order to show that......"
6) Similar-Reasoning Questions
Similar-reasoning questions require you to identify the answer that
contains the reasoning most similar to that in the stimulus. The key
is to summarize the argument's overall form and match it to that of
the correct choice. A good approach to these questions is to see if
the argument can be symbolized algebraically, using Xs and Ys.
Example: All fish swim. This creature swims. Therefore, it must be a fish.
This (flawed) argument can be symbolized in the following way:
All X do Y. This does Y. Therefore, this must be an X.
If the stimulus can be symbolized this way, your job will be to search
for the choice that can be symbolized in the same way. Your answer
might look something like this:
Every mother (all X) loves singing (does Y). Jenny is singing (this
does Y). So she must be a mother. (therefore, this must be an X).
7) Paradox Questions
When an argument contains two or more seemingly inconsistent
statements, it presents a paradox. Most paradoxical arguments end with
a contradiction. Another type of paradox has the argument build to a
certain point, then change to the exact opposite of what you expect.
In a typical paradox question, you'll be asked either to find the
choice that "explains the paradoxical result", "explains the
inconsistent findings", or "resolves the apparent discrepancy." This
will be the choice that reconciles the seemingly inconsistent
statements in the argument while allowing them all to still be true.
8) Principle Questions
Principle questions ask you to apply a specific situation into a
global generality (or vice versa). You may be given an argument and
asked to find the principle that justifies the author's reasoning.
Possible question stems:
The author's position most closely conforms to which one of the
following principles?
What principle best accounts for or justifies the author's position?
Which one of the following principles would justify Al's refusal to
follow the author's recommendation
The correct answer to principle questions expresses the key concepts
and contains the key terms that the other choices omit. Avoid choices
that are beyond the scope of the argument. Most of the wrong choices
contain principles that sound formal and look reasonable, but they
don't address the author's main concern.
An argument is an attempt to provide a reason for believing something
by citing something else.No of claims are put forward in an
argument,the claim that is being supported is the conclusion.Claims
alleged to support the conclusion are the premises.
Words ,Phrases supporting Conclusions:
So;
This shows that;
Therefore;
We can infer that;
Hence;
Consequently;
It follows that;
This indicates that;
For that reason,we may say;
Words ,Phrases introducing Premises:
The reason is that;
Because;
Since;
Evidence;
On the basis of;
t follows from;
In view of;
We may infer from;
Gap between Premises and Conclusions is Assumptions—identify the gaps
and use it to find the solution.
Classification of Arguments
Deductive arguments are those in which the conclusion necessarily
follows from the premises/evidence. It shows tight connection between
the Premises and Conclusions. Most arguments on the test are
inductive, where the author presents the evidence as support for the
conclusion. The validity of the conclusion depends on the strength of
the evidence.
Unlike deductive arguments, the conclusion of an inductive argument is
always uncertain. You must be prepared to handle both reasonable
arguments (when the conclusion is likely) and false arguments (when
the conclusion is improbable). Each classification of inductive
reasoning carries its own associated fallacies.
Evaluation of an Argument—To find errors in Arguments
(1) If-Then Statements
Most arguments are based on some variation of an if-then statement,
which may be either directly stated or embedded. Understanding the
if-then premise reveals the underlying simplicity of arguments.
If the premise of an if-then statement is true, then the conclusion
must be true as well.
If A, then B
While three possible statements can be derived from the implication
"if A, then B", only one is valid.
The statement that IS logically equivalent to "if A, then B" is called
the contrapositive. It is stated as:
If not B, then not A
Let's explore why this is true.
"If there is a hurricane, then Samantha will cry"
There are four different hypothetical possibilities to consider when
making deductions based on this statement:
1) A hurricane occurs
2) A hurricane does not occur
3) Samantha cries
4) Samantha does not cry
Let's consider each individually:
1. If a hurricane occurs.
You know that if this is true, the result will be that Samantha will cry.
2. If a hurricane does not occur.
If a hurricane does not occur, you can deduce nothing about Samantha.
In particular, you cannot deduce that she does not cry. There are many
other reasons why Samantha could cry, besides a hurricane (fight with
her mom, she sees a sad movie, she gets sick).
3. If Samantha cries.
Again, you can't deduce anything about the occurence of a hurricane if
Samantha cries. The if-then statement doesn't assert that Samantha
cries only if a hurricane occurs, just that if it does, Samantha will
cry. Samantha can cry even on clear, sunny days.
4. If Samantha does not cry.
If Samantha does not cry, you can deduce that a hurricane did not
occur. Why? If it had occurred, then Samantha would definitely have
cried. Yet she didn't. So, we know that, given Samantha's disposition,
a hurricane did not occur.
To review, any time you see a statement in the form of "If A, then B",
contrapose the statement into "If not B, then not A".
You know only two things:
a) what will happen if X occurs
b) what will happen if Y does not occur.
Those are the only valid deductions that you can make based on that
original statement.
You can only assume two things about the implication "if A, then B":
1) If A is true, then B must be true.
2) If B is false, then A must be false.
2) Embedded If-Then Statements
If-then statements are frequently embedded in other structures, making
their detection more difficult.
Example: (Embedded If-then)
Jamie and Kyle cannot both go to the mall.
At first glance, this sentence does not appear to contain an if-then
statement. But it essentially says:
"if Jamie goes to the mall, then Kyle does not."
The contrapositive ("if Kyle goes to the mall, then Jamie does not")
correctly expresses the same thing.
Example: (Embedded If-then)
Heather will go to Europe only if she gets a raise at work.
Given this statement, we know that if Heather goes to Europe, she must
have gotten a raise at work.Students often wrongly interpret this
statement to mean:
"If Heather gets a raise at work, then she will go to Europe."
We have no guarantee of this. The only guarantee is that if Heather
doesn't get the raise, she will not go to Europe.
"A only if B" is logically equivalent to "if A, then B"
Fallacies from no.3 to no.15 are not important for Critical reasoning
Questions but a student should know about them
3) Circular Reasoning
Here an unsubstantiated assertion is used to justify another
unsubstantiated assertion,which is,or atleast could be ,used to
justify the first statement.For instance,
Full scholarships are appropriate for disadantaged scholars because it
is right to offer a top-notch education to those most capable.
This argument is circular because "right" means essentially the same
thing as "appropriate." In effect, the author writer is saying that
scholarships are appropriate because they are appropriate.
(4) The Biased Sample Fallacy
This is commited whenever the data for a statistical inference is
drawn from a sample that is not representative of the population under
consideration.
For example:
In a recent survey conducted by The Times of India of its readers,60%
of the respondents indicated strong support to Lalu Prasad Yadav.Hence
the survey clearly shows that Lalu yadav is the most popular leader
among the masses.
The data for the inference in this argument is drawn from a sample
that is not reprentative of the entire electorate.
6) The Insufficient Sample Fallacy
The Fallacy of the Insufficient Sample is committed whenever an
inadequate sample is used to justify the conclusion drawn.
Here's an argument that commits the fallacy of the insufficient sample:
I have worked with three people from Bangalore City and found them to
be obnoxious, pushy and rude. It is obvious that people from Bangalore
City have a bad attitude.
The data for the inference in this argument is insufficient to support
the conclusion. Three observations of people are not sufficient to
support a conclusion for whole city population..
(4) Ad hominem
One of the most often employed fallacies, ad hominen means "to the
man" and indicates an attack that is made upon a person rather than
upon the statements that person has made.
An example is "Don't listen to my opponent; he's handicapped."
(7) The Fallacy of Faulty Analogy
Reasoning by analogy functions by comparing two similar things.
Because they are alike in various ways, the fallacy is that it is
likely they will share another trait as well. Faulty Analogy arguments
draw similarities between the things compared that are not relevant to
the characteristic being inferred in the conclusion.
Here's an example of a Faulty Analogy fallacy:
Ram and Shyam excel at both football and basketball. Since Ram is also
a singer, it is likely that Shyam also excels at singing.
In this example, numerous similarities between Ram and Shyam are taken
as the basis for the inference that they share additional traits.
(8) Straw Man
Here the speaker attributes an argument to an opponent that does not
represent the opponent's true position.
For instance, a political candidate might charge that his opponent
"wants to let all prisoners go free," when in fact his opponent simply
favors a highly limited furlough system. The person is portrayed as
someone that he is not.
(9) The "After This, Therefore, Because of This" Fallacy (Post hoc
ergo propter hoc)
This is a "false cause" fallacy in which something is associated with
something else because of mere proximity of time. One often encounters
people assuming that because one thing happened after another, the
first caused it, as with "I stood up; Sachin got out. My standing up
resulted in a loss of wicket." The error in arguments that commit this
fallacy is that their conclusions are causal claims that are not
sufficiently substantiated by the evidence.
Here are two examples of the After This, Therefore Because of This Fallacy:
Ten minutes after walking into the auditorium, I began to feel sick to
my stomach. There must have been something in the air in that building
that caused my nausea.
In the first example, a causal connection is posited between two
events simply on the basis of one occurring before the other. Without
further evidence to support it, the causal claim based on the
correlation is premature.
(10) The Either or Thinking
This is the so-called black or white fallacy. Essentially, it says
"Either you believe what I'm saying, or you must believe exactly the
opposite."
Here is an example of the black or white fallacy:
Since you don't believe that the earth is teetering on the edge of
destruction, you must believe that pollution and other adverse effects
that man has on the environment are of no concern whatsoever.
The argument above assumes that there are only two possible
alternatives open to us. There is no room for a middle ground.
(11) The "All Things are Equal" Fallacy
This fallacy is committed when it is assumed, without justification,
that background conditions have remained the same at different
times/locations. In most instances, this is an unwarranted assumption
for the simple reason that things rarely remain the same over extended
periods of time, and things rarely remain the same from place to
place.
The last time winner of south delhi constituency won the general
election. This year, the winner of the south delhi constituency will
win the general election.
The assumption operative in this argument is that nothing has changed
since the last primary. No evidence or justification is offered for
this assumption.
(12) The Fallacy of Equivocation
The Fallacy of Equivocation occurs when a word or phrase that has more
than one meaning is employed in different meanings throughout the
argument.
"Every society is, of course, repressive to some extent - as Sigmund
Freud pointed out, repression is the price we pay for civilization."
In this example, the word repression is used in two completely
different contexts. "Repression" in Freud's mind meant restricting
sexual and psychological desires. "Repression" in the second context
does not mean repression of individual desires, but government
restriction of individual liberties, such as that in a totalitarian
state.
(13) Non Sequitor
This means "does not follow," which is short for the conclusion does
not follow from the premise. To say, "The house is white; therefore,
it must be big" is an example of the Non Sequitor fallacy. It may be a
big house, but there is no intrinsic connection with its being white.
(14) Argument ad populum
A group of children are playing, trying to determine no of balls in an
opaque box. "I wonder if there are less than 4 or more than 4 balls in
the box," says one student. "I know how we can tell!" pipes up
another. "All right, how?" asks the teacher, resigned to the worst.
Beams the child: "We can vote."
This is argumentum ad populum, the belief that truth can be determined
by more or less putting it to a vote. Democracy is a very nice thing,
but it doesn't determine truth. Polls are good for telling you what
people think, not whether those thoughts are correct.
(15) Contradiction
Contradiction occurs when a writer asserts two opposing statements
simultaneously. For example, saying "it is wet and it is dry" is a
contradiction. Typical arguments on the test obscure the contradiction
to the point that the argument can be quite compelling. Here's a great
example:
We cannot know anyone, because we intuitively realize that people are
unreliable.
At first glance this argument sounds reasonable, but "intuitively
realize" means "to know." Thus the author is actually saying that we
know that we don't know anyone. This is classic contradiction.
Typical Questions
Despite the wide variety of arguments used on the test, there are
essentially only eight types of questions that are asked.
1) Assumption Questions
When a question asks you to find an author's assumption, it's asking
you to find the statement without which the argument falls apart.Make
use of denial technique. Simply negate the statement and see if the
argument falls apart. If it does, that choice is the correct
assumption. If, on the other hand, the argument is unaffected, the
choice is wrong.
Below are stated some of the ways in which assumption questions are worded:
Which one of the following is assumed by the author?
Upon which one of the following assumptions does the author rely?
The argument depends on the assumption that. ..
Which one of the following, if added to the passage, will make the
conclusion logical?
The validity of the argument depends on which one of the following?
The argument presupposes which one of the following?
2) Strengthen and Weaken Questions
An argument can be weakened by destroying a central piece of evidence
or by attacking the validity of the author's assumptions. In contrast,
an argument can be strengthened by providing additional support, by
affirming the truth of an assumption or by presenting additional
persuasive evidence.
Here are some of the ways in which strengthen/weaken the argument
questions are worded:
Which one of the following, if true, would most weaken the argument?
Which one of the following, if true, would most strengthen the argument?
Which one of the following, if true, would most seriously damage the
argument above?
Which one of the following, if true, casts the most doubt on the argument above?
Which one of the following, if true, is the most serious criticism of
the argument above?
Which one of the following, if true, would provide the most support
for the conclusion in the argument above?
The argument above would be more persuasive if which one of the
following were found to be true?
3) Inference Questions
Inference questions require you to consider the statements as evidence
and then draw a conclusion from them. A valid inference is something
that must be true if the statements in the passage are true. It is an
extension of the argument rather than a necessary part of it.
Inference questions probably have the most varied wording of all the
Logical Reasoning question stems. Some are obvious, others are subtle,
and still others may resemble other question types.
Below is the quick rundown of the various forms that inference
questions are likely to take on your test:
Which one of the following can be inferred from the argument above?
The author suggests that. ..
If all the statements above are true, which one of the following must
also be true?
The author of the passage would most likely agree with which one of
the following?
The passage provides the most support for which one of the
following?Which one of the following is probably the conclusion toward
which the author is moving?
4) Flaw Questions
This question asks you to recognize what's wrong with an argument.
Most critique the reasoning by pointing out a fallacy. Other flaw
questions are more specific and attack the argument's reasoning.
Here are typical flaw questions:
Which one of the following contains a flaw that most closely parallels
the flaw contained in the passage?
The speakers will not be able to settle their argument unless they
The conclusion above is unsound because
Which one of the following best identifies the flaw in the above argument?
In presenting her position the author does which one of the following?
5) Method of Argument Questions
Method-of-argument questions ask you to pick the choice that describes
how the authorpresents her case. To tackle these, you must be able to
analyze the structure of an argument. If you can't identify the
evidence and conclusion, you'll have difficulty describing how an
argument works.
Most questions involve classic argumentative structures, such as
"arguing from a small sample to a larger group," or "inferring a
causal relationship from a correlation." The other type of
method-of-argument question gives a description of the argument in
much more specific terms. Anexample of this might read, "The author
presents his case in order to show that......"
6) Similar-Reasoning Questions
Similar-reasoning questions require you to identify the answer that
contains the reasoning most similar to that in the stimulus. The key
is to summarize the argument's overall form and match it to that of
the correct choice. A good approach to these questions is to see if
the argument can be symbolized algebraically, using Xs and Ys.
Example: All fish swim. This creature swims. Therefore, it must be a fish.
This (flawed) argument can be symbolized in the following way:
All X do Y. This does Y. Therefore, this must be an X.
If the stimulus can be symbolized this way, your job will be to search
for the choice that can be symbolized in the same way. Your answer
might look something like this:
Every mother (all X) loves singing (does Y). Jenny is singing (this
does Y). So she must be a mother. (therefore, this must be an X).
7) Paradox Questions
When an argument contains two or more seemingly inconsistent
statements, it presents a paradox. Most paradoxical arguments end with
a contradiction. Another type of paradox has the argument build to a
certain point, then change to the exact opposite of what you expect.
In a typical paradox question, you'll be asked either to find the
choice that "explains the paradoxical result", "explains the
inconsistent findings", or "resolves the apparent discrepancy." This
will be the choice that reconciles the seemingly inconsistent
statements in the argument while allowing them all to still be true.
8) Principle Questions
Principle questions ask you to apply a specific situation into a
global generality (or vice versa). You may be given an argument and
asked to find the principle that justifies the author's reasoning.
Possible question stems:
The author's position most closely conforms to which one of the
following principles?
What principle best accounts for or justifies the author's position?
Which one of the following principles would justify Al's refusal to
follow the author's recommendation
The correct answer to principle questions expresses the key concepts
and contains the key terms that the other choices omit. Avoid choices
that are beyond the scope of the argument. Most of the wrong choices
contain principles that sound formal and look reasonable, but they
don't address the author's main concern.
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