2. Methodology

Question 1

What are the 4 steps in Manhattan Prep’s CR approach?

Answer 1

Identify the Question
Deconstruct the Argument
State the Goal
Work from Wrong to Right

Question 2

How much time should you spend on average per CR question?

Answer 2

About 2 minutes per CR question

Question 3

What’s the most important thing to identify first in any CR question?

Answer 3

The question type (from the question stem) - this determines what kind of reasoning you’ll need to employ

Question 4

What is the key principle behind effective note-taking in CR?

Answer 4

The process of creating the notes matters more than the notes themselves - it helps your brain understand the argument structure

Question 5

What are the three main CR question families?

Answer 5

Structure-Based Family
Assumption-Based Family
Evidence-Based Family

Question 6

What does the Structure-Based Family focus on?

Answer 6

The building blocks of the argument and how they fit together (roles of different parts)

Question 7

What does the Assumption-Based Family focus on?

Answer 7

Unstated assumptions the author must believe for the conclusion to hold true

Question 8

What does the Evidence-Based Family focus on?

Answer 8

Arguments that lack conclusions and consist entirely of premises - you must find what can be inferred

Question 9

What happens to an argument if its assumption is not true?

Answer 9

The argument fails/breaks down - assumptions are necessary for the argument to hold

Question 10

What is the goal of a “Strengthen the Argument” question?

Answer 10

Identify new information that makes the author’s conclusion more likely to be true

Question 11

What is the goal of a “Weaken the Argument” question?

Answer 11

Identify new information that makes the author’s conclusion less likely to be true

Question 12

What is the goal of a “Find the Assumption” question?

Answer 12

Identify an unstated assumption that the argument depends on

Question 13

What is the goal of an “Inference” question?

Answer 13

Identify something that must be true based on the given information

Question 14

What is the goal of a “Find the Flaw” question?

Answer 14

Identify something illogical in the argument’s reasoning

Question 15

What is the goal of an “Explain a Discrepancy” question?

Answer 15

Find information that resolves an apparent paradox in the argument

Question 16

Give 5 effective abbreviation examples from the text

Answer 16

BC = Bay City Airport
↑ = expansion/larger
→ = therefore
+ = more
res = residents

Question 17

What should you avoid when taking notes during CR?

Answer 17

Don’t write full sentences - capture core ideas only with dramatic abbreviations

Question 18

What symbols can you use to track answer choices?

Answer 18

X or / = Definitely wrong
~ = Maybe
? = I have no idea
O = This is it!

Question 19

What’s the two-step process for Step 4 (Work from Wrong to Right)?

Answer 19

First pass: Eliminate as many “definitely wrong” answers as possible
If 2+ answers remain: Compare the remaining answers directly

Question 20

Why is it more efficient to eliminate wrong answers rather than look for the right one?

Answer 20

Finding the best answer is a comparison - if you spot a wrong answer, you might not recognize what’s wrong with it until you’ve read the right answer

Question 21

What should you do when stating your goal in Step 3?

Answer 21

Be specific about how the question type applies to the particular argument - don’t just restate the general goal

Question 22

What’s a key difference between evidence about automated voices vs. real people in arguments?

Answer 22

Evidence about one doesn’t necessarily apply to the other - this type of gap is common in CR arguments

Question 23

What’s the inefficient approach that wastes time in CR?

Answer 23

Reading the argument multiple times (6+ times), not understanding the big picture, and not using a systematic approach

Question 24

What are 3 things you should NOT do when approaching CR questions?

Answer 24

Read the argument too quickly without understanding
Take too many detailed notes
Try to decide which is the “right” answer without eliminating wrong ones

Question 25

Why shouldn't you write down every detail of the argument?

Answer 25

Taking too many notes can bog you down - focus on the core logic and argument flow instead

Question 26

What's the problem with re-reading the argument multiple times?

Answer 26

It's incredibly inefficient and wastes precious time - you should understand it well enough after the first careful read with note-taking

Question 27

How should you handle the gap between premises and conclusion?

Answer 27

Look for the logical jump the author makes - assumptions fill these gaps, and understanding them is key to many question types

Question 28

What's an example of how to make your goal specific rather than general?

Answer 28

Instead of "Which makes the conclusion more likely?" use "Which makes it more likely that runway expansion will improve quality of life in the neighborhood?"

Question 29

When you've narrowed it down to two answer choices, what should you do?

Answer 29

Pick one and move on - going back and forth multiple times wastes time and you're likely to stick with your first instinct anyway

Question 30

What should you remember about argument maps?

Answer 30

Your map might look very different from examples - that's fine as long as it clearly conveys the basic information flow to you