LSAT 114 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q11

LR Question 11 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Some teachers claim that students would not learn…

QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning

CONCLUSION: Grades aren’t necessary for teaching purposes.

REASONING: The best students won’t be motivated by grades and neither will the worst students.

ANALYSIS: The argument didn’t mention those students in the middle: the ones who have some motivation but who might need the incentive of grades to do their best.

___________

1. The argument didn’t even mention a fixed body of material. Read carefully.
2. The argument mentioned that bad students aren’t interested in grades or study materials. 
3. This doesn’t matter: the conclusion was only about an academic purpose.
4. This doesn’t tell us if the worst students would respond to grades. Once they were “quite interested” in the material they might become like the best students.
5. CORRECT. There is usually a middle ground of students who have some self-motivation but who aren’t completely self motivated.