LSAT 128 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q16

LR Question 16 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: The primary task of a university is to educate …

QUESTION TYPE: Identify the Conclusion

CONCLUSION: A lack of funding negatively impacts a university’s ability to educate.

REASONING: Professors must research developments to teach well, but most universities can’t afford to support faculty research enough.

ANALYSIS: Here it’s important to practice identifying conclusions versus reasonings. One way to do so is by using conclusion indicator words. “So” is a typical one.

In an argument, anything that follows “so” will typically be the conclusion. So the final sentence is the conclusion.

___________

1. This is one of the premises.
2. Too strong. The argument says lack of funding negatively affects teaching, not that it’s the root cause of ineffective education.
3. This is a background premise.
4. CORRECT. This rephrases the conclusion (last sentence), but conveys the exact same idea. If universities cannot afford faculty research, their ability to educate students suffers.
5. This might be a reasonable inference, but the argument never says this. It explains that lack of funding is a problem, but never concludes that new funding solutions are necessary.