Evaluate

What does Evaluating an Argument mean?

    - It means posting a question which when answered either increases or decreases the validity of the argument.
    - Post the questions such that both both the posibilities exist.

10% OG12 Evaludate Questions. Very Very Important.

Evaluate questions tests two things
    - Your ability to identify assumptions
    - Your abilty to understand the correct answer choice and determine the correct choice.

Note:
Each assumtpion could lead to one or more answer choices in an evaluate question type. Therefore, evaluate answer choices are not mere rephrases of annumptions.

How to approach Evaluate Questions?

1) Understand the argument? i.e Understand what is claimed?
2) How is it claimed? (Logical structure)
30-45 seconds for 1 and 2
3) Pre think your answer.
 a) Understand Author's assumption
 b) Pre-Phrase evaluate answer choices.
15 seconds
4) Evaluate each answer choice
 - Use Variance test
15-40 seconds.

Evaluate Verbage

a) Type 1: VERY Common
Uses words such as access, evaluate, investigate, judge.. etc..
Answer Choices: Questions such as whether , if , is.. etc
b) Type 2: Not SO Common
Which of the following , if true would be most important .. evaluate..
Answer choices : factual statements.

Variance Analysis

To test whether a given choice is the correct choice to evaluate the argument

Usage:    a) When u have narrowed down the choices to 2 answers
    b) The validate your choice.
Using it on each and every choice will consume too much time.

How to perform the test?Take an answer choice and take it to extremes(yes or No, High or Low)
If validity of the argument also swings to extremes, then this is the correct answer choice.
Incorrect answer choice:
If only one extreme is validated.
Therefore, CORRECT answer choice exhibits a bipolar nature, i.e, the validity of the argument swings depending on the answer.


Strategies when in Doubt
Reason for Doubt   Mitigation Plan
- you didnt understand the conclusion      - Re read the information in the passage again
- you were not able to comprehend one   - Question the snwer choices between which there is confusion and ask which one of them could be incorrect.
 or more answer choices
-You were unable to evaludate the
 answer choices in context of
 the argument.


INCORRECT Answers - OFS   : irrelevant and hence not the answer
 - iSWAT : relevant but not the answer