LSAT 109 | Section 4 | Logical Reasoning: Q2

LR Question 2 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Faced with a financial crisis, Upland University’s…

QUESTION TYPE: Sufficient Assumption

CONCLUSION: The computer center will be shut down.

REASONING: The university has cut the computer center’s funding to $1.5 million. The computer center needs $2.5 million to survive.

ANALYSIS: The argument assumes there’s another way for the computer center to get money. The center might be able to raise funds from alumni donations, for example. Why would the board give the computer center any money if it was doomed to failure?

We want to prove the argument correct, so the right answer gets rid of the possibility of outside funding.

___________

1. You need to judge the answer choice at its least helpful. So try that here, and pick a low amount of money left over.
    
   If the computer center had $3.50 left over from last years budget, it would still be in trouble.
2. We don’t care about the other programs. We only want to know if the computer center can survive.
3. CORRECT. If this is true, then there’s no way for the computer center to get enough money. The university hasn’t given them enough, and they can’t get money from elsewhere.
4. This helps the argument, but it isn’t enough. The computer center might still get money from outside the university.
5. This could explain why the board cut funds to the computer center. But it doesn’t prove the computer center can’t survive; they might still get outside funds.

Recap: The question begins with “Faced with a financial crisis, Upland University’s”. It is a Sufficient Assumption question. Learn more about LSAT Sufficient questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.