CAT Critical Reasoning Questions & Solutions

A sample of real CAT Critical Reasoning past-year questions, each with a worked solution and the correct answer highlighted. AthenaPrep has 38 Critical Reasoning questions in all — sign up free to practise them timed.

1. Q1.CAT 2000

   In a recent report, the gross enrolment ratios at the primary level, that is, the number of children enrolled in classes one to five as a proportion of all children aged 6 to 10, were shown to be very high for most states; in many cases they were way above 100 percent! These figures are not worth anything, since they are based on the official enrolment data compiled from school records. They might as well stand for ‘gross exaggeration ratios’.

   Which of the following options best supports the claim that the ratios are exaggerated?

   • The definition of gross enrolment ratio does not exclude, in its numerator, children below 6 years or above 10 years enrolled in classes one to five.

   • A school attendance study found that many children enrolled in the school records were not meeting a minimum attendance requirement of 80 percent.

   • A study estimated that close to 22 percent of children enrolled in the class one records were below 6 years of age and still to start going to school.

   • Demographic surveys show shifts in the population profile which indicate that the number of children in the age group 6 to 10 years is declining.

   Show solution

   Let’s comprehend the given information first. The ratio of the number of children from classes one to five to all children aged 6 to 10 is very high, often greater than 1. This is the premise. The author says that it is not a valid report as the data is based on official enrolment data compiled from school records and therefore is exaggerated. This is the conclusion.

   Here, the assumption is that the enrolment data in school records is often not correct. In order to strengthen the argument, we need to bolster the assumption.

   Now, let’s check each option to determine the option that strengthens the assumption.

   The first option is the definition of gross enrolment ratio. This statement gives the reason for the high gross enrolment ratios. Hence it is strengthening the premise and weakening the conclusion. Therefore, option A is wrong.

   The passage does not talk about the attendance of the students and also attendance is not related to the gross enrolment ratio. Option B does not strengthen the argument. Hence, option B is wrong.

   Option C says that 22 percent of the children who do not belong to the age group 6-10 and who have not started going to school but have enrolled in class one are included in the numerator of the ratio. This explains why the ratio is high. Also, the ratio is clearly exaggerated as the students have not started going to school yet. Therefore, option C is the answer as it explains why the ratios are exaggerated.

   The decline in the number of children in the age group 6 - 10 has nothing to do with the gross enrolment ratio. Hence, option D is wrong.

   Therefore, the answer is option C.

2. Q2.CAT 2000

   The offer of the government to make iodised salt available at a low price of one rupee per kilo is welcome, especially since the government seems to be so concerned about the ill effects of non-iodised salt. But it is doubtful whether the offer will actually be implemented. Way back in 1994, the government, in an earlier effort, had prepared reports outlining three new and simple but experimental methods for reducing the costs of iodisation to about five paise per kilo. But these reports have remained just those — reports on paper.

   Which one of the following, if true, most weakens the author’s contention that it is doubtful whether the offer will be actually implemented?

   • The government proposes to save on costs by using the three methods it has already devised for iodisation.

   • The chain of fair-price distribution outlets now covers all the districts of the state.

   • Many small-scale and joint-sector units have completed trials to use the three iodisation methods for regular production.

   • The government which initiated the earlier effort is in place even today and has more information on the effects of non-iodised salt.

   Show solution

   If there is evidence that the earlier proposal had been put into practice and not just remained a proposal on paper, then the contention of the author that the new proposal will also remain a proposal on paper is weakened. This is captured by the statement in option c), which says that many small-scale and joint-sector units have completed trials to use the three iodisation methods for regular production. This weakens the author's contention.

3. Q3.CAT 2000

   The problem of traffic congestion in Athens has been testing the ingenuity of politicians and town planners for years. But the measures adopted to date have not succeeded in decreasing the number of cars en the roads in the city centre. In 1980, an odds and evens number- plate legislation was introduced, under which odd and even plates were banned in the city centre on alternate days, thereby expecting to halve the number of cars in the city centre. Then in 1993 it was decreed that all cars in use in the city centre must be fitted with catalytic converters; a regulation had just then been introduced, substantially reducing import taxes on cars with catalytic converters, the only condition being that the buyer of such a ‘clean’ car offered for destruction a car at least 15 years old.

   Which one of the following options, if true, would best support the claim that the measures adopted to date have not succeeded?

   • In the 1980s, many families purchased second cars with the requisite odd or even number plate.

   • In the mid-1990s, many families found it feasible to become first-time car owners by buying a car more than 15 years old and turning it in for a new car with catalytic converters.

   • Post-1993, many families-seized the opportunity to sell their more than 15 year-old cars and buy ‘clean’ cars from the open market, even if it meant forgoing the import tax subsidy.

   • All of the above.

   Show solution

   According to the given information, all the three options a), b) and c) have led to an increase in the number of cars in the city.

   So, the government's attempts at reducing the number of cars in the city have not succeeded.

   Therefore, the answer is d) all the above.

4. Q4.CAT 1999

   Three airlines - IA, JA and SA - operate on the Delhi-Mumbai route. To increase the number of seats sold, SA reduced its fares and this was emulated by IA and JA immediately. The general belief was that the volume of air travel between Delhi and Mumbai would increase as a result. Which of the following, if true, would add credence to the general belief?

   • Increase in profitability of the three airlines.

   • Extension of the discount scheme to other routes.

   • A study that shows that air travellers in India are price-conscious.

   • A study that shows that as much as 80% of air travel in India is company-sponsored.

   Show solution

   The stated conclusion is that volume of air travel will increase if the airfare drops. The underlying assumption is that the travellers decide whether or not to fly based on the cost of the ticket. Option C bolsters the assumption and hence supports the conclusion.

   Option D weakens the argument as if travellers are not paying for their ticket, they will not be price-sensitive. The extension of the scheme to other routes or airline profitability does not necessarily reflect on how the scheme is doing over the given route.

5. Q5.CAT 1999

   Various studies have shown that our forested and hilly regions and, in general, areas where biodiversity—as reflected in the variety of flora—is high, are the places where poverty appears to be high. And these same areas are also the ones where educational performance seems to be poor. Therefore, it may be surmised that, even disregarding poverty status, richness in biodiversity goes hand in hand with educational backwardness.

   Which one of the following statements, if true, can be said to best provide supporting evidence for the surmise mentioned in the passage?

   • In regions where there is little variety in flora, educational performance is seen to be as good as in regions with high variety in flora, when poverty levels are high.

   • Regions which show high biodiversity also exhibit poor educational performance, at low levels of poverty.

   • Regions which show high biodiversity reveal high levels of poverty and poor educational performance.

   • In regions where there is low biodiversity, at all levels of poverty, educational performance is seen to be good.

   Show solution

   The stated conclusion is that richness in biodiversity goes hand in hand with educational backwardness. The underlying assumption is that in areas with low biodiversity, the educational performance is better. As option D bolsters this assumption, it strengthens the conclusion.

6. Q6.CAT 1999

   The company's coffee crop for 1998-99 totalled 8079 tonnes, an all time record. The increase over the previous year's production of 5830 tonnes was 38.58%. The previous highest crop was 6089 tonnes in 1970-71. The company had fixed a target of 8000 tonnes to be realized by the year 2000-01, and this has been achieved two years earlier, thanks to the emphasis laid on the key areas of irrigation, replacement of unproductive coffee bushes, intensive refilling and improved agricultural practices. It is now our endeavour to reach the target of 10000 tonnes in the year 2001-02. Which one of the following would contribute most to making the target of 10000 tonnes in 2001-02 unrealistic?

   • The potential of the productivity enhancing measures implemented up to now has been exhausted.

   • The total company land under coffee has remained constant since 1969 when an estate in the Nilgiri Hills was acquired.

   • The sensitivity of the crop to climatic factors makes predictions about production uncertain.

   • The target-setting procedures in the company have been proved to be sound by the achievement of the 8000 tonne target.

   Show solution

   The main conclusion of the paragraph is that the company can continue to improve its coffee yield as it has done in the past. The underlying assumption is that the techniques used by them to improve the yield in the past would continue working in the future. Option A refutes this assumption and hence does most to weaken the argument.

7. Q7.CAT 1998

   The company encourages its managers to interact regularly, without a pre-set agenda, to discuss issues concerning the company and society. This idea has been borrowed from the ancient Indian concept of religious congregation, called satsang. Designations are forgotten during these meetings; hence, it is not uncommon in these meetings to find a sales engineer questioning the CEO on some corporate policy or his knowledge of customers. Based on the information provided in the above passage, it can be inferred that

   • the company is concerned about its reputation with its employees.

   • the company believes in fostering the spirit of dialogue without degenerating it into a positioning based debate.

   • the company had some inter-personnel problems in the past due to which it felt the need for these corporate satsangs.

   • All of these

   Show solution

   From the argument, we understand the following points: 1. The company is trying to instill the spirit of dialogue in its employees. 2. This dialogue is agnostic of position or title of the employee.

   So, we can infer that the company believes in fostering the spirit of dialogue without degenerating it into a positioning based debate. Option B is the correct answer.
   

   In option C, there is an assumption that the company had some inter-personal problems in the past. However, there is no such information in the passage from which we can infer the assumption. Also, we have to choose the answer according to the contents of the given paragraph. Therefore, option C is incorrect.
   

8. Q8.CAT 1998

   The dominant modern belief is that the soundest foundation of peace would be universal prosperity. One may look in vain for historical evidence that the rich have regularly been more peaceful than the poor, but then it can be argued that they have never felt secure against the poor; that their aggressiveness stemmed from fear; and that the situation would be quite different if everybody were rich. It can be inferred from the above passage that

   • a lot of aggression in the world stems from the desire of the haves to defend themselves against the have-nots.

   • universal prosperity as a foolproof measure of peace can no longer be accepted.

   • Both a and b

   • Neither a nor b

   Show solution

   The sentence is option b) is opposite to what the argument is conveying.

   Option a) can be inferred. According to the argument, a lot of aggression has stemmed because the rich want to defend themselves against the poor. In other words, the aggression has stemmed from the desire of the haves to defend themselves against the have-nots.

9. Q9.CAT 1998

   Where the film Bombay loses out is where every commercial film congenitally goes awry — becoming too simplistic to address serious issues and failing to translate real life to reel. Which of the following can be inferred from the above line?

   • The film's director aimed at recreating real life on the silver screen.

   • The film was too simplistic for the audience's taste.

   • The film was successful in spite of its shortcomings.

   • None of these

   Show solution

   Option a) is incorrect because 'translating from real life to reel' is the opinion of the author of the paragraph and not necessarily the opinion of the director. Similarly, option b) also cannot be inferred. There is nothing in the paragraph from which we can infer whether the movie was a success or a failure. Option d) is the correct answer.

10. Passage

    We have planned development with a view to raising standard of living of our teeming millions. Hence our economic development is inspired by social justice.
    Q10.CAT 1990

    The argument is based on which of the following assumptions?
    I. Social justice is our aim and economic development is the means.
    II. There is overpopulation in India.
    III. Economic development will lead to social justice.
    

    • Only I

    • Both I and II

    • Both I and III

    • Both II and III

    Show solution

    Refer to the last sentence:"Hence our economic development is inspired by social justice." Here the author mentions that when economic development will take place then social justice will happen. Sentence 3 is substantiated.

    In this passage, the author wants to promote economic development to achieve social justice. Hence social justice is an end and economic development is the means.

11. Passage

    It is sometimes mooted that there can be democracy in a two party system. That would be correct if politics were a game like cricket or football; but politics is not sports.
    Q11.CAT 1990

    Which of the following would weaken the argument?

    • The game of politics is played like any other game, for example, football.

    • Politics is not a sport.

    • Political parties struggle for power.

    • None of these.

    Show solution

    The contention of the argument is that there cannot be democracy in a two party system because politics is game unlike the other traditional games. So, if it is true that even politics is played like other games, then the argument is weakened. Option a) is the correct answer.

12. Passage

    We will have to take more interest in hydro-electric projects. As the prices of oil have increased, it has become vital that such renewable sources of energy are tapped.
    Q12.CAT 1990

    Which of the following will weaken the argument?

    • Generation of hydroelectric power is more costly than oil.

    • OPEC increased oil prices.

    • Without energy we cannot manage.

    • None of these.

    Show solution

    The argument is built on the assumption that generation of hydroelectric power is cheaper than oil. So, if it is true that generation of hydroelectric power is more expensive than generation of power using oil, the argument will be weakened. Option a) is the correct answer.

CAT Critical Reasoning previous year questions with solutions — AthenaPrep