CLAT 2025: Examples and Solutions for Critical Reasoning Questions

The Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) is a highly competitive exam for students seeking admission into prestigious National Law Universities (NLUs) in India. Critical Reasoning stands out as a key and often demanding section among the different parts of the CLAT. This section tests your ability to analyze, interpret, and logically evaluate arguments and statements.

To excel in Critical Reasoning, it's crucial to understand the types of questions that may appear and practice sample questions to improve your skills. In this blog, we’ll cover what Critical Reasoning questions entail, provide sample questions, and offer detailed answers to help you prepare effectively for CLAT 2025.

 

Understanding Critical Reasoning

Critical Reasoning questions on the CLAT evaluate your skills in logical and analytical thinking. These questions often involve analyzing arguments, identifying assumptions, and evaluating conclusions. The key to answering these questions correctly is to carefully read the statements and follow a systematic approach to dissect the argument.

 

Types of Critical Reasoning Questions

1. Assumption-Based Questions: These questions ask you to identify the underlying assumptions in an argument. An assumption is something that the argument takes for granted without proof.
2. Strengthening/Weakening Arguments: You may be asked to find statements that either support or weaken the given argument.
3. Conclusion-Based Questions: These questions require you to determine the conclusion drawn from the given statements and evaluate its validity.
4. Inference Questions: These ask you to draw logical inferences from the given statements.

 

Sample Questions and Answers

Sample Question 1: Assumption-Based

Statement: "The company decided to launch a new line of eco-friendly products because it believes that consumers are increasingly concerned about environmental issues."

Question: What assumption is the company making?

Answer: The company is assuming that there is a significant consumer demand for eco-friendly products due to growing environmental concerns. The argument relies on the idea that consumers' environmental awareness will influence their purchasing decisions, making eco-friendly products more successful.

 

Sample Question 2: Strengthening the Argument

Statement: “The city council believes that expanding public transportation choices will help alleviate traffic congestion in the downtown region."

Question: Which of the following would strengthen this argument?

A) Studies show that cities with extensive public transportation systems experience lower levels of traffic congestion.

B) Public transportation options are expensive to maintain.

C) Many people prefer driving their own cars over using public transportation.

D) The downtown area is heavily populated.

Answer: A) Studies show that cities with extensive public transportation systems experience lower levels of traffic congestion. This statement provides evidence that supports the argument that increasing public transportation options will help reduce traffic congestion.

 

Sample Question 3: Weakening the Argument

Statement: "The school principal claims that longer school hours will improve student performance because more instructional time will lead to better learning outcomes."

Question: Which of the following would weaken this argument?

A) Longer school hours may lead to student fatigue and decreased attention.

B) Many schools with shorter hours have high student performance.

C) Extended hours increase teachers' workloads.

D) Students often enjoy longer school days.

Answer: A) Longer school hours may lead to student fatigue and decreased attention. This suggests that increasing school hours might not necessarily improve student performance and could potentially have a negative effect.

 

Sample Question 4: Conclusion-Based

Statement: "Customers consistently give high ratings to all of the company's products. Therefore, the company must have excellent quality control measures in place."

Question: What is the conclusion of the argument?

Answer: The conclusion of the argument is that the company's high customer ratings for its products are due to its excellent quality control measures. The argument implies a cause-and-effect relationship between the company's quality control and the positive customer ratings.

 

Sample Question 5: Inference Question

Statement: "John missed his flight because he left home late. His missed flight caused him to miss an important business meeting."

Question: What can be inferred from the statement?

Answer: It can be inferred that John’s late departure from home directly led to missing his flight, which in turn caused him to miss the important business meeting. The inference here is that the sequence of events (leaving home late -> missing the flight -> missing the meeting) is interlinked.

 

Tips for Preparing for Critical Reasoning Questions

1. Practice Regularly: Regular practice with sample questions and previous years’ papers helps in improving your reasoning skills and speed.
2. Understand Logical Fallacies: Familiarize yourself with common logical fallacies and errors in reasoning to better identify weaknesses in arguments.
3. Read Carefully: Carefully read the questions and statements to avoid misunderstandings. Misreading a question can result in wrong answers.
4. Analyze Arguments: Break down arguments into premises and conclusions to better understand the structure and identify assumptions.
5. Use Process of Elimination: When in doubt, eliminate clearly wrong answers to increase the chances of choosing the correct option.

 

Summary

Preparing for Critical Reasoning questions in CLAT 2025 involves understanding the different types of questions, practicing sample questions, and applying logical reasoning skills effectively. By focusing on assumptions, evaluating arguments, and drawing accurate conclusions, you can enhance your performance in this challenging section.

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