LSAT 147 | Section 4 | Logical Reasoning: Q18

LR Question 18 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Pundit: For many high school graduates, attending…

QUESTION TYPE: Flawed Reasoning

CONCLUSION: Many high school graduates seeking a corporate job would get no benefit from a university degree.

REASONING: The three most valued traits for corporate jobs are initiative, flexibility and practical problem solving. Many high school graduates already have these.

ANALYSIS: The argument makes the mistake of assuming that the three most important attributes are the only important attributes. A university degree might be the fourth most important attribute, and therefore going to university would still help.

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1. This isn’t necessary. The point was that high school graduates already had these skills, so there was no need for further education. Students without those skills might well obtain them in university, but that wouldn’t harm the argument.
2. CORRECT. Corporations might be looking for ten attributes. Having the three most important isn’t enough if applicants also require other attributes which can only be gotten at a university.
3. The argument didn’t assume or say this. It just said those attributes were the most important. But corporations might sometimes make exceptions. The author didn’t say they were necessary for corporate employment.
4. The argument didn’t say “going to university would be useless.” It just said going to university would be no help in getting a corporate job. 
5. If this weren’t true, the argument would be even stronger. University really wouldn’t help get a corporate job.