NUMS — Medical & Dental Entry Test

NUMS Logical Reasoning — Critical Thinking: Assumptions, Cause and Effect (Set 2)

Take the NUMS Logical Reasoning — Critical Thinking: Assumptions, Cause and Effect (Set 2): 30 multiple-choice questions (40 minutes) with instant scoring…

What this test covers

30 NUMS Logical Reasoning

Sample questions with answers

The first 5 questions of this test, with the correct answer and explanation.

Q1. Statement: A pharmacy displays a sign: "Antibiotics will be sold only on a doctor's prescription." Assumptions: I. Some people try to buy antibiotics without a prescription. II. Doctors never prescribe antibiotics. Which assumption(s) is/are implicit in the statement?
- A. Only assumption I is implicit ✓
- B. Only assumption II is implicit
- C. Both assumptions I and II are implicit
- D. Neither assumption is implicit
Answer: A. Only assumption I is implicit
Explanation: The sign would be pointless unless some customers ask for antibiotics without a prescription. II contradicts the sign, which expects prescriptions to exist.
Q2. Statement: The college has announced that students with less than 75% attendance will not be allowed to sit the final examination. Assumptions: I. The rule will encourage students to attend classes regularly. II. Students will stop attending classes once the final examination is over. Which assumption(s) is/are implicit in the statement?
- A. Only assumption I is implicit ✓
- B. Only assumption II is implicit
- C. Both assumptions I and II are implicit
- D. Neither assumption is implicit
Answer: A. Only assumption I is implicit
Explanation: The rule is made to improve attendance, so I is assumed. The rule can be announced as a precaution even if no student is currently below 75%, so II is not necessary.
Q3. Statement: "Drink at least eight glasses of water a day during the summer," advised the health department in a public message. Assumptions: I. Drinking enough water helps people stay healthy in hot weather. II. People can understand and follow the advice. Which assumption(s) is/are implicit in the statement?
- A. Only assumption I is implicit
- B. Only assumption II is implicit
- C. Both assumptions I and II are implicit ✓
- D. Neither assumption is implicit
Answer: C. Both assumptions I and II are implicit
Explanation: Health advice assumes the action is beneficial (I) and that the public is able to act on it (II).
Q4. Statement: A company advertised: "Wanted: data-entry operators who can type at least 40 words per minute." Assumptions: I. Typing speed matters for the job. II. Every applicant will type exactly 40 words per minute. Which assumption(s) is/are implicit in the statement?
- A. Only assumption I is implicit ✓
- B. Only assumption II is implicit
- C. Both assumptions I and II are implicit
- D. Neither assumption is implicit
Answer: A. Only assumption I is implicit
Explanation: Setting a minimum speed assumes speed is relevant to the job. Nothing suggests all applicants will have the same speed.
Q5. Statement: The government plans to set up a medical college in every district to improve health care in rural areas. Assumptions: I. More local doctors are likely to improve rural health care. II. Rural people do not need any health care at present. Which assumption(s) is/are implicit in the statement?
- A. Only assumption I is implicit ✓
- B. Only assumption II is implicit
- C. Both assumptions I and II are implicit
- D. Neither assumption is implicit
Answer: A. Only assumption I is implicit
Explanation: The plan rests on the idea that training more doctors locally will help rural areas. II contradicts the stated aim of improving rural health care.

The other 25 questions

Take the timed test (free, no sign-up) to see your score and the answer and explanation for every question.

Q6. Statement: A hospital has decided to send text-message reminders to patients one day before their appointments. Assumptions: I. Some patients forget their appointments. II. Most patients own or have access to a mobile phone. Which assumption(s) is/are implicit in the statement?
- A. Only assumption I is implicit
- B. Only assumption II is implicit
- C. Both assumptions I and II are implicit
- D. Neither assumption is implicit
Q7. Read the two statements. A: Last winter the city authorities banned the burning of crop waste near the city. B: This winter the city recorded fewer days of severe smog than in previous winters. Which option best describes the relationship between them?
- A. Statement A is the cause and statement B is its effect
- B. Statement B is the cause and statement A is its effect
- C. Both statements are effects of a common cause
- D. Both statements are independent and unrelated events
Q8. Read the two statements. A: In March, the provincial government made helmets compulsory for all motorcyclists. B: In the six months before March, deaths from motorcycle head injuries in the province had risen sharply. Which option best describes the relationship between them?
- A. Statement A is the cause and statement B is its effect
- B. Statement B is the cause and statement A is its effect
- C. Both statements are effects of a common cause
- D. Both statements are independent and unrelated events
Q9. Read the two statements. A: Sales of umbrellas in the town rose sharply this week. B: Several low-lying streets in the town were waterlogged this week. Which option best describes the relationship between them?
- A. Statement A is the cause and statement B is its effect
- B. Statement B is the cause and statement A is its effect
- C. Both statements are effects of a common cause
- D. Both statements are independent and unrelated events
Q10. Read the two statements. A: The national cricket team won its match yesterday. B: The price of cooking oil increased in local markets yesterday. Which option best describes the relationship between them?
- A. Statement A is the cause and statement B is its effect
- B. Statement B is the cause and statement A is its effect
- C. Both statements are effects of a common cause
- D. Both statements are independent and unrelated events
Q11. Read the two statements. A: A month ago, an outbreak of dengue fever was reported in several sectors of the city. B: This week, the city administration started a campaign to spray insecticide and remove stagnant water. Which option best describes the relationship between them?
- A. Statement A is the cause and statement B is its effect
- B. Statement B is the cause and statement A is its effect
- C. Both statements are effects of a common cause
- D. Both statements are independent and unrelated events
Q12. Read the two statements. A: The only bridge connecting two villages collapsed in a flood on Monday. B: From Tuesday onwards, children from one village could not reach their school in the other village. Which option best describes the relationship between them?
- A. Statement A is the cause and statement B is its effect
- B. Statement B is the cause and statement A is its effect
- C. Both statements are effects of a common cause
- D. Both statements are independent and unrelated events
Q13. Argument: "Our town's new hospital has reduced deaths: since it opened, the number of deaths recorded at the old hospital has halved." Which of the following, if true, most weakens the argument?
- A. The old hospital has hired more nurses.
- B. Many seriously ill patients are now taken to the new hospital, where their deaths are recorded separately.
- C. The new hospital has modern equipment.
- D. The new hospital was opened by the health minister.
Q14. Argument: "Students who use the college library score higher than those who do not, so using the library raises scores." Which of the following, if true, most weakens the argument?
- A. Students who are already more motivated are the ones who choose to use the library.
- B. The library stays open until 10 p.m.
- C. Some students prefer to study at home.
- D. The library has recently bought new books.
Q15. Claim: "Regular hand-washing by hospital staff reduces infections among patients." Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the claim?
- A. In wards where hand-washing increased while everything else stayed the same, patient infections fell.
- B. Some infections are caused by viruses.
- C. Soap is cheaper than antibiotics.
- D. Hospital staff work long shifts.
Q16. A school claims that its new reading programme improved pupils' reading scores. Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the claim?
- A. Pupils in a similar school without the programme showed no improvement over the same period.
- B. Teachers liked the new programme.
- C. Reading scores were measured only once.
- D. The programme was expensive to run.
Q17. "Dr Rehman has prescribed this medicine to hundreds of patients, so it must be safe." What is the main flaw in this reasoning?
- A. It assumes that being widely prescribed proves a medicine is safe.
- B. It assumes the medicine is expensive.
- C. It ignores the patients' ages.
- D. It questions the doctor's qualifications.
Q18. "Either we build a new hospital or the city's health care will collapse." What is the main flaw in this statement?
- A. It gives too many statistics.
- B. It ignores other options, such as expanding existing hospitals.
- C. It uses a technical medical term.
- D. It relies on an expert's opinion.
Q19. "Hamza's two cousins who studied at that college became doctors, so every student of that college becomes a doctor." What is the main flaw in this reasoning?
- A. It uses circular reasoning.
- B. It confuses cause with effect.
- C. It attacks the person instead of the argument.
- D. It draws a general conclusion from a very small sample.
Q20. Every patient admitted to the cardiac ward has an ECG recorded on arrival. Mr Jamil had no ECG recorded on arrival at the hospital. Which conclusion follows?
- A. Mr Jamil was not admitted to the cardiac ward on arrival.
- B. The ECG machine was out of order.
- C. Mr Jamil was admitted to the surgical ward.
- D. Mr Jamil has no heart disease.
Q21. A survey of 50 students in one hostel found that 40 of them skip breakfast. Which conclusion is best supported?
- A. Most of the surveyed hostel students skip breakfast.
- B. Most students in the country skip breakfast.
- C. Breakfast is not served in the hostel.
- D. Students who skip breakfast get lower marks.
Q22. In a medical college, all students who passed Anatomy also passed Physiology. Some students failed Physiology. Which of the following must be true?
- A. All students who passed Physiology passed Anatomy.
- B. No student passed Anatomy.
- C. Some students passed only Anatomy.
- D. Some students failed Anatomy.
Q23. Statement: A large number of patients in a district hospital are waiting more than six hours to be seen in the outpatient department. Courses of action: I. The hospital should increase the number of doctors on outpatient duty or extend clinic hours. II. The hospital should stop seeing outpatients altogether. Which course(s) of action logically follow(s)?
- A. Only course of action I follows
- B. Only course of action II follows
- C. Both courses of action follow
- D. Neither course of action follows
Q24. Statement: Inspectors found that several roadside food stalls near a school were selling food prepared in unhygienic conditions. Courses of action: I. The food authority should inspect the stalls regularly and fine or close those that break hygiene rules. II. The stall owners should be trained in safe food handling. Which course(s) of action logically follow(s)?
- A. Only course of action I follows
- B. Only course of action II follows
- C. Both courses of action follow
- D. Neither course of action follows
Q25. Statement: A few students in a class of 40 failed a single surprise quiz. Courses of action: I. The college should expel the students who failed. II. The teacher should cancel all future quizzes. Which course(s) of action logically follow(s)?
- A. Only course of action I follows
- B. Only course of action II follows
- C. Both courses of action follow
- D. Neither course of action follows
Q26. Statement: In a trial, 100 asthma patients used a new inhaler for three months; 85 of them reported fewer attacks than before, and no control group was used. Conclusions: I. The new inhaler reduced attacks in some patients for certain. II. Most patients in the trial reported fewer attacks. Which conclusion(s) follow(s)?
- A. Only conclusion I follows
- B. Only conclusion II follows
- C. Both conclusions I and II follow
- D. Neither conclusion follows
Q27. Statement: All the candidates who appeared in the interview on Monday had already passed the written test. Conclusions: I. Some candidates who passed the written test appeared in the interview on Monday. II. Every candidate who passed the written test was interviewed on Monday. Which conclusion(s) follow(s)?
- A. Only conclusion I follows
- B. Only conclusion II follows
- C. Both conclusions I and II follow
- D. Neither conclusion follows
Q28. "We should replace the hostel mess contractor, because students have complained about the food every week this term." Which assumption is this argument based on?
- A. The new contractor will charge less.
- B. The complaints are mainly about the current contractor's food and a new contractor could do better.
- C. The hostel has too many students.
- D. Students never complain about food.
Q29. "Fatima will certainly pass the entry test, since she has bought the best preparation book available." Which assumption is necessary for this conclusion?
- A. The entry test is very easy this year.
- B. Fatima is the only student who has bought the book.
- C. The book is expensive.
- D. Owning the book is enough to guarantee passing the test.
Q30. Statement: Ali is older than Bilal. Bilal is older than Danish. Danish and Ehsan are twins. Conclusions: I. Ali is older than Ehsan. II. Bilal and Ehsan are the same age. Which conclusion(s) follow(s)?
- A. Only conclusion I follows
- B. Only conclusion II follows
- C. Both conclusions I and II follow
- D. Neither conclusion follows