**GMAT Focus Edition: Critical Reasoning – Evaluate & Plan**

GMAT Focus Edition: Critical Reasoning – Evaluate & Plan

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What This Is

The Evaluate and Plan question types test your ability to assess the strength of an argument or determine the best course of action to achieve a goal. These appear in ~15% of GMAT Focus Verbal questions and are critical for scoring 700+ because they require logical precision—not just reading comprehension.

Real-GMAT Example (Evaluate):
A company’s profits increased last quarter after it launched a new ad campaign. The CEO concludes the campaign caused the profit increase. Question: Which of the following would be most useful to evaluate the CEO’s conclusion? (A) Whether the company’s competitors also increased profits last quarter.
(B) Whether the ad campaign was more expensive than previous campaigns.

Why it matters: These questions force you to identify unstated assumptions and test the logic of a plan or argument. Mastering them boosts your Verbal accuracy by 10–15%, directly impacting your 700+ score.

Key Concepts & Techniques

1. Gap Identification (Evaluate)
2. What it is: Find the missing link between evidence and conclusion.
3. When to use: When the question asks, “Which would be most useful to evaluate?”

4. Example: If the argument says “X increased after Y, so Y caused X,” the gap is alternative explanations (e.g., Z caused X).

5. Assumption Testing (Evaluate)

6. What it is: Determine whether the argument relies on an unstated assumption.
7. When to use: When the question asks, “The argument depends on which assumption?”

8. Example: If a plan assumes “Customers will respond to a discount,” test whether this is necessary for the conclusion.

9. Plan Feasibility (Plan)

10. What it is: Assess whether a proposed plan will actually work to achieve its goal.
11. When to use: When the question asks, “Which plan would most effectively achieve X?”

12. Example: If a plan says “Cut prices to increase revenue,” check if lower prices will lead to enough extra sales to offset the loss.

13. Alternative Explanations (Evaluate)

14. What it is: Consider other factors that could explain the evidence.
15. When to use: When the argument jumps to a causal conclusion (e.g., “X happened after Y, so Y caused X”).

16. Example: If profits rose after a new ad campaign, ask: Did something else (e.g., seasonality, competitor failure) cause the increase?

17. Necessary vs. Sufficient Conditions (Plan)

18. What it is:
    • Necessary: Must be true for the plan to work (but may not be enough alone).
    • Sufficient: Guarantees the plan will work (but may not be required).
19. When to use: When evaluating whether a plan will succeed.

20. Example: “Hiring more salespeople will increase sales” assumes more salespeople = more sales (sufficient), but ignores whether they’ll be effective (necessary).

21. Weakening vs. Strengthening (Evaluate)

22. What it is:
    • Weakening: Shows the argument could be false.
    • Strengthening: Shows the argument is more likely true.
23. When to use: When the question asks, “Which would most strengthen/weaken the argument?”

24. Example: If an argument says “X is true because of Y,” a weakener might show Y is not the only cause.

25. Cost-Benefit Analysis (Plan)

26. What it is: Compare pros and cons of a plan to see if it’s worth implementing.
27. When to use: When the question asks, “Which plan is most effective?”
28. Example: If a plan says “Spend $1M on ads to gain $2M in sales,” check if the $1M could be better spent elsewhere.

Step-by-Step Strategy

For Evaluate Questions:

1. Read the question first → Identify if it’s asking to evaluate a conclusion or test an assumption.
2. Break the argument into:
3. Evidence (facts given)
4. Conclusion (what the argument claims)
5. Gap (what’s missing between evidence and conclusion?)
6. Pre-phrase the answer → Ask: “What information would help me decide if the conclusion is valid?”
7. Eliminate wrong answers → Reject options that:
8. Are irrelevant to the gap.
9. Strengthen or weaken but don’t evaluate.
10. Assume the conclusion is true (circular reasoning).
11. Test the remaining answer → Ask: “If this were true, would it make the conclusion more or less likely?”

For Plan Questions:

1. Read the question first → Identify the goal of the plan.
2. Break the plan into:
3. Action (what’s being proposed?)
4. Goal (what’s the intended outcome?)
5. Assumptions (what must be true for the plan to work?)
6. Pre-phrase the flaw → Ask: “Why might this plan fail?”
7. Eliminate wrong answers → Reject options that:
8. Don’t address the goal.
9. Are too extreme (e.g., “The plan will never work”).
10. Introduce irrelevant factors.
11. Test the remaining answer → Ask: “Does this make the plan more likely to succeed?”

Fully Worked Example (Evaluate)

Argument:
A study found that employees who work remotely are 20% more productive than those who work in the office. Therefore, the company should allow all employees to work remotely to increase productivity.

Question: Which of the following would be most useful to evaluate the argument?

(A) Whether remote employees have access to the same resources as office employees.
(B) Whether the company’s competitors also allow remote work.
(C) Whether the study included employees from all departments.
(D) Whether remote employees report higher job satisfaction.
(E) Whether the company has the infrastructure to support remote work.

Step-by-Step Solution:

1. Question Type: Evaluate → We need to test the conclusion that remote work causes higher productivity.
2. Break the argument:
3. Evidence: Remote employees are 20% more productive.
4. Conclusion: Allowing remote work will increase productivity.
5. Gap: Does remote work cause productivity, or is there another factor?
6. Pre-phrase: What if something else (e.g., self-selection, resources, job type) explains the productivity difference?
7. Eliminate wrong answers:
8. (B) Irrelevant → Competitors’ policies don’t affect our company’s productivity.
9. (D) Irrelevant → Job satisfaction ≠ productivity.
10. (E) Irrelevant → Infrastructure is a logistical issue, not a causal one.
11. Test remaining answers:
12. (A) If remote employees lack resources, the productivity gain might not apply to all employees.
13. (C) If the study only included certain departments, the results may not generalize.
14. Best answer: (C) → If the study didn’t include all departments, the conclusion may not hold for the whole company.

(Note: (A) is a close second, but (C) directly tests whether the evidence applies to the conclusion.)

Common Mistakes

GMAT Traps & Timing

Traps:

1. Correlation ≠ Causation
2. Trap: The argument assumes X caused Y just because they happened together.
3. How to spot: Look for “after,” “following,” “coincided with.”

4. How to avoid: Ask: “Could something else explain this?”

5. Overlooking Necessary Conditions

6. Trap: The plan assumes one factor is enough to guarantee success.
7. How to spot: Plans that say “Do X to achieve Y” without considering other requirements.

8. How to avoid: Ask: “What else must be true for this to work?”

9. Irrelevant Comparisons

10. Trap: The answer compares unrelated things (e.g., competitors, other industries).
11. How to spot: Answers that start with “Whether other companies…”

12. How to avoid: Only consider factors that directly affect the argument’s logic.

13. Circular Reasoning

14. Trap: The answer assumes the conclusion is true (e.g., “Whether remote work increases productivity”).
15. How to spot: The answer restates the conclusion instead of testing it.
16. How to avoid: Reject answers that don’t provide new information.

Timing:

• Evaluate questions: 1:30–1:45 (Spend extra time pre-phrasing the gap.)
• Plan questions: 1:15–1:30 (Focus on feasibility and assumptions.)

Quick Practice

Question 1 (Evaluate):

A recent study found that students who meditate for 10 minutes before an exam score 15% higher than those who don’t. The school board concludes that meditation improves test performance and plans to implement mandatory meditation sessions before exams.

Which of the following would be most useful to evaluate the school board’s conclusion?

(A) Whether students who meditate also study more than those who don’t.
(B) Whether the meditation sessions would be led by trained instructors.
(C) Whether other schools have seen similar results from meditation.
(D) Whether students who meditate report lower stress levels.
(E) Whether the study included students from all grade levels.

Answer: (A)
Explanation: The gap is whether meditation causes higher scores, or if meditating students are just more prepared. (A) tests this alternative explanation.

Question 2 (Plan):

A company wants to reduce employee turnover. The HR manager proposes offering a $5,000 signing bonus to new hires to encourage them to stay longer.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the HR manager’s plan?

(A) Most employees who leave do so within the first six months.
(B) The company’s competitors offer similar signing bonuses.
(C) The signing bonus would be paid after one year of employment.
(D) Employees who receive signing bonuses are more likely to negotiate higher salaries.
(E) The company’s turnover rate is already lower than the industry average.

Answer: (C)
Explanation: If the bonus is paid after one year, it won’t incentivize early retention (when most turnover happens).

Last-Minute Cram Sheet

1. Evaluate = Test the gap → Ask: “What info would help me decide if the conclusion is valid?”
2. Plan = Feasibility check → Ask: “What must be true for this to work?”
3. Correlation ≠ causation → Always look for alternative explanations.
4. Necessary ≠ sufficient → A plan may need multiple conditions to succeed.
5. Eliminate irrelevant answers → If it doesn’t affect the gap or goal, reject it.
6. Avoid extreme language → “Always,” “never,” “only” are usually wrong.
7. Pre-phrase before reading answers → Predict the gap or flaw first.
8. Watch for circular reasoning → If the answer assumes the conclusion, it’s wrong.
9. Time budget: 1:30 for Evaluate, 1:15 for Plan → Don’t overthink!
10. Common wrong answers:
11. Competitor comparisons (irrelevant).
12. Job satisfaction/stress (unless the argument is about morale).
13. Logistical details (unless they directly affect the plan’s success).

Final Tip:

On test day, if you’re stuck:
1. Re-read the question → Are you being asked to evaluate or plan? 2. Pre-phrase the gap/flaw → What’s the missing link? 3. Eliminate 2–3 answers → Even if you’re unsure, narrow it down.

Master this, and you’ll gain 10+ points on Verbal. ?