Critical Reasoning – Identify the Implicit Assumption(s) Statement: The professor announced in class that the next periodical examination will be held on the 15th of the next month. Assumptions: I. All students may appear in the examination. II. The college will remain open on the 15th of the next month. III. Students can study until the 15th to pass the examination.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Only II is implicit

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Announcing an exam date encodes certain basic premises about the feasibility of holding that exam. We must uncover which assumption(s) are necessary for the announcement to be meaningful without overstating the case.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Exam date set for the 15th of next month.
  • Assumption I: All students may appear.
  • Assumption II: The college will be open on that date.
  • Assumption III: Students can study until the 15th to pass.


Concept / Approach:
The essential requirement is the institution’s operational status on the specified date. Universal attendance (I) is not required; examinations proceed even with absentees. The preparation window (III) is a student strategy issue, not a prerequisite for scheduling an exam.


Step-by-Step Solution:

II is necessary: exams cannot be conducted if the college is closed. Hence implicit.I is not necessary: some students may be absent; the announcement still stands.III is not necessary: the professor’s announcement does not presume a specific study pattern.


Verification / Alternative check:

Negate II (college closed): the announcement becomes infeasible, contradicting the statement’s purpose. This confirms II.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Options including I or III assume extra details not required for scheduling.“None of these” ignores the operational premise in II.


Common Pitfalls:

Interpreting an exam announcement as a claim about students’ intentions or study strategies.


Final Answer:
Only II is implicit

More Questions from Statement and Assumption

Discussion & Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Join Discussion