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Assumption Family Drill Pack

10 original assumption questions, necessary and sufficient, with an answer key and explanations. Print-friendly.

Assumption Family Drill Pack

10 original LSAT-style questions. Work at your own pace. Answer key on the last page.

Question 1

The new highway bypass will cut commute times, because drivers will be able to avoid the congested downtown corridor.

The argument assumes that

  1. A. drivers know about the bypass
  2. B. the bypass will not become as congested as downtown
  3. C. commute times are currently too long
  4. D. the bypass is scenic
  5. E. downtown businesses support the bypass

Answer: ______

Question 2

Organic vegetables must be healthier, because they are grown without synthetic pesticides.

The reasoning depends on the assumption that

  1. A. organic vegetables taste better
  2. B. synthetic pesticides are harmful to health
  3. C. organic farming is more expensive
  4. D. all vegetables contain some pesticides
  5. E. consumers prefer organic labels

Answer: ______

Question 3

The software upgrade will save the company money, since it automates the invoicing process.

Which of the following is an assumption required by the argument?

  1. A. Employees like the new software.
  2. B. The cost of the upgrade is less than the labor savings from automation.
  3. C. Invoicing is currently done by hand.
  4. D. The company sends many invoices.
  5. E. Automation always saves money.

Answer: ______

Question 4

The festival will sell out. Last year's festival sold out, and this year's lineup is even stronger.

Which of the following, if assumed, guarantees the conclusion?

  1. A. The festival is popular.
  2. B. Any festival whose lineup is stronger than a sold-out previous year's will sell out.
  3. C. Ticket prices did not increase.
  4. D. The venue is the same size.
  5. E. Strong lineups attract crowds.

Answer: ______

Question 5

The defendant must have been at the scene. His car was found in the parking lot, and he never lends his car to anyone.

The conclusion follows logically if which of the following is assumed?

  1. A. The defendant drives his car every day.
  2. B. Whenever the defendant's car is somewhere, the defendant is there too.
  3. C. The parking lot is near the scene.
  4. D. The defendant has no alibi.
  5. E. Cars are rarely stolen in this town.

Answer: ______

Question 6

This bill will pass. Every bill with bipartisan support has passed this session, and this bill has bipartisan support.

The argument is already valid, but which restatement captures the principle that makes it so?

  1. A. Bills with bipartisan support deserve to pass.
  2. B. If every member of a category has a property, then any member of that category has it.
  3. C. This session has been productive.
  4. D. Bipartisan bills are usually good.
  5. E. The bill's supporters are confident.

Answer: ______

Question 7

The city plans to reduce traffic by adding a lane to the highway. Officials say the extra capacity will let the same number of cars move faster.

Which of the following is an assumption on which the officials' plan depends?

  1. A. Building the lane will not take more than a year.
  2. B. The number of cars using the highway will not increase because of the new lane.
  3. C. Drivers prefer highways to side streets.
  4. D. The highway is the busiest road in the city.
  5. E. Other cities have reduced traffic this way.

Answer: ______

Question 8

The library will close early on Fridays if foot traffic stays low. Foot traffic has stayed low every Friday this month.

The conclusion that the library will close early on Fridays follows logically if which of the following is assumed?

  1. A. Foot traffic is the only factor the library considers.
  2. B. What has been true of recent Fridays will continue to be true.
  3. C. The library prefers to stay open late.
  4. D. Foot traffic is low on weekdays too.
  5. E. Closing early saves the library money.

Answer: ______

Question 9

The new subway line will pay for itself within ten years, because fare revenue is projected to cover construction costs by then.

The argument assumes that

  1. A. the subway line will be popular with commuters
  2. B. construction will be completed on schedule
  3. C. operating and maintenance costs will not exceed fare revenue in a way that blocks repayment
  4. D. fares will never increase
  5. E. other cities' subway lines paid for themselves

Answer: ______

Question 10

The restaurant will earn a profit this year. It earned a profit last year, and nothing important has changed.

Which of the following, if assumed, allows the conclusion to follow logically?

  1. A. The restaurant's chefs are highly skilled.
  2. B. Any restaurant that earned a profit last year and faces no important changes this year will earn a profit this year.
  3. C. Most restaurants earn a profit every year.
  4. D. The restaurant has loyal customers.
  5. E. Profit last year was unusually high.

Answer: ______

Answer Key

  1. 1. B — If the conclusion is true, and the bypass will cut commute times, then the bypass has to stay clearer than downtown. A bypass as clogged as downtown saves nobody any time. B has to be true.
  2. 2. B — Avoiding synthetic pesticides only matters for health if those pesticides are harmful. If the conclusion is true, and organic vegetables are healthier, then synthetic pesticides have to be harmful to health. B has to be true.
  3. 3. B — Automation only saves money overall if the upgrade costs less than what it replaces. A pricey upgrade could cost more than the labor it saves.
  4. 4. B — B is a universal rule that applies directly to this case, making the sellout a matter of logic. The others only make it likely.
  5. 5. B — B connects the car's location to the defendant's location with no gaps. That is all the argument needs to become airtight.
  6. 6. B — This is pure universal instantiation: all X are Y, this is X, so this is Y. B states that logical rule.
  7. 7. B — If the conclusion is true, and the same number of cars will move faster, then the number of cars has to stay the same. A new lane that draws more cars breaks the claim. B states what has to be true.
  8. 8. B — The premise is conditional on future traffic staying low, but the evidence is only about the past. Assuming the pattern holds bridges the gap completely.
  9. 9. C — Fare revenue can only cover construction if it is not eaten up by operating costs first. If maintenance swallows the revenue, the line never pays for itself.
  10. 10. B — B turns the argument into a valid deduction: the restaurant fits the rule exactly, so the conclusion is guaranteed. The rest only make it plausible.

Keep going: Necessary assumption sample questions · Sufficient assumption sample questions · How to answer necessary assumption questions

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