Critical Reasoning — Assumptions Statement: The employees’ association has appealed to the managers of Company Z to introduce a written examination for clerical recruitment to prevent the selection of incompetent persons. Which assumptions are implicit?
Verbal Reasoning
Statement and Assumption
Difficulty: Easy
Choose an option
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AOnly I and II are implicit
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BOnly II and III are implicit
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COnly I and III are implicit
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DOnly III is implicit
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ENone of these
Answer
Correct Answer: Only I and II are implicit
Explanation
Introduction / Context:An appeal asks to “introduce” a written test to avoid recruiting incompetent clerks. We evaluate which underlying beliefs must be true for this appeal to be sensible.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- I: Company Z has not been conducting a written examination so far.
- II: A written exam can help identify competent candidates.
- III: Written exams may have little use at higher levels.
Concept / Approach:
- “Introduce” implies the method is currently absent (I).
- The stated purpose (prevent incompetent selection) presupposes that the proposed tool works (II).
- III concerns higher-level roles, irrelevant to clerical recruitment in the statement.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Keep I: Without current absence, “introduce” would be ill-phrased.Keep II: The appeal assumes efficacy of testing for competence.Discard III: Out of scope for the specific clerical context.Verification / Alternative check:
If I or II fails, the appeal loses coherence. III’s truth value does not affect the clerical-testing argument.Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Options omitting I or II miss necessary premises; options including III add irrelevant content.Common Pitfalls:
Generalizing test utility across all job levels when the statement is narrowly about clerical hiring.Final Answer:
Only I and II are implicit