NUMS — Medical & Dental Entry Test

NUMS Logical Reasoning — Critical Thinking: Assumptions, Cause and Effect (Set 4)

Take the NUMS Logical Reasoning — Critical Thinking: Assumptions, Cause and Effect (Set 4): 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: The hospital has installed hand-sanitiser dispensers at every ward entrance in order to reduce infections. Assumptions: I. Hand hygiene can help to reduce infections in a hospital. II. Every infection in the hospital enters through a ward entrance. Which assumption(s) is/are implicit in the statement?
- A. Neither assumption is implicit
- B. Both assumptions I and II are implicit
- C. Only assumption II is implicit
- D. Only assumption I is implicit ✓
Answer: D. Only assumption I is implicit
Explanation: The measure only makes sense if hand hygiene lowers infection risk; the claim that every infection enters through the entrances is far too strong and is not needed.
Q2. Statement: The principal announced that the college will remain closed on Monday because of the heavy rain forecast. Assumptions: I. Heavy rain may make travelling to the college difficult or unsafe. II. The college will also remain closed on Tuesday. Which assumption(s) is/are implicit in the statement?
- A. Both assumptions I and II are implicit
- B. Only assumption I is implicit ✓
- C. Only assumption II is implicit
- D. Neither assumption is implicit
Answer: B. Only assumption I is implicit
Explanation: The closure is justified only if the rain is a hazard (I). Nothing in the statement implies a Tuesday closure (II).
Q3. Statement: An advertisement says: "Try Healthy Bite biscuits — recommended by doctors!" Assumptions: I. All other biscuits contain harmful ingredients. II. People are likely to trust a recommendation made by doctors. Which assumption(s) is/are implicit in the statement?
- A. Both assumptions I and II are implicit
- B. Only assumption II is implicit ✓
- C. Neither assumption is implicit
- D. Only assumption I is implicit
Answer: B. Only assumption II is implicit
Explanation: Advertisers quote doctors because they expect the public to trust them (II); the advertisement does not assume anything about all other biscuits.
Q4. Statement: The government has banned the use of plastic bags in the city from next month. Assumptions: I. All citizens have already stopped using plastic bags. II. The ban will damage the city's economy. Which assumption(s) is/are implicit in the statement?
- A. Only assumption II is implicit
- B. Both assumptions I and II are implicit
- C. Only assumption I is implicit
- D. Neither assumption is implicit ✓
Answer: D. Neither assumption is implicit
Explanation: A ban is introduced because bags are still being used, so I is not assumed; and no one makes a rule expecting it to damage the economy, so II is not assumed either.
Q5. Statement: The doctor advised, "Walk for 30 minutes every day to keep your heart healthy." Assumptions: I. Regular walking benefits the heart. II. Walking is the only way to keep the heart healthy. Which assumption(s) is/are implicit in the statement?
- A. Both assumptions I and II are implicit
- B. Neither assumption is implicit
- C. Only assumption I is implicit ✓
- D. Only assumption II is implicit
Answer: C. Only assumption I is implicit
Explanation: The advice presupposes that walking benefits the heart; recommending one method does not assume it is the only one.

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Q6. Statement: Medical colleges consider an applicant's entry-test score along with FSc marks to select the best candidates. Assumptions: I. The entry-test score measures something about ability that FSc marks alone may not. II. Every applicant with a high entry-test score will certainly become a good doctor. Which assumption(s) is/are implicit in the statement?
- A. Both assumptions I and II are implicit
- B. Neither assumption is implicit
- C. Only assumption II is implicit
- D. Only assumption I is implicit
Q7. Statement: "Set your alarm for 5 a.m. so that you reach the laboratory before the first class," the warden told the student. Assumptions: I. An alarm is the only thing that can wake a person from sleep. II. Waking up at 5 a.m. leaves enough time to reach the laboratory before the class. Which assumption(s) is/are implicit in the statement?
- A. Neither assumption is implicit
- B. Only assumption I is implicit
- C. Only assumption II is implicit
- D. Both assumptions I and II are implicit
Q8. Statement: The health ministry has urged people to drink boiled water during the floods. Assumptions: I. Floodwater makes every source of water unsafe in every part of the country. II. People cannot boil water in any other season. Which assumption(s) is/are implicit in the statement?
- A. Only assumption II is implicit
- B. Only assumption I is implicit
- C. Both assumptions I and II are implicit
- D. Neither assumption is implicit
Q9. Statement I: A heavy hailstorm destroyed most of the apple crop in the northern orchards on Sunday night. Statement II: The price of apples in the city's wholesale market rose sharply on Wednesday. (Statement I happened first.) Which option describes the relationship between the two statements?
- A. I is the cause and II is its effect
- B. Both I and II are effects of a common cause
- C. II is the cause and I is its effect
- D. I and II are independent events with no cause-and-effect link
Q10. Statement I: Many students in the hostel developed stomach infections last week. Statement II: The hostel's water tank was found to be contaminated. (The contamination occurred before the students fell ill; Statement II describes the earlier event.) Which option describes the relationship between the two statements?
- A. I and II are independent events with no cause-and-effect link
- B. I is the cause and II is its effect
- C. Both I and II are effects of a common cause
- D. II is the cause and I is its effect
Q11. Statement I: The sales of umbrellas rose sharply in the city this week. Statement II: The sales of raincoats rose sharply in the city this week. (Both happened in the same week.) Which option describes the relationship between the two statements?
- A. I is the cause and II is its effect
- B. I and II are independent events with no cause-and-effect link
- C. Both I and II are effects of a common cause
- D. II is the cause and I is its effect
Q12. Statement I: A new MRI machine was installed in the city's main hospital in March. Statement II: The city's college cricket team won the inter-college trophy in March. (Both happened in March.) Which option describes the relationship between the two statements?
- A. II is the cause and I is its effect
- B. Both I and II are effects of a common cause
- C. I is the cause and II is its effect
- D. I and II are independent events with no cause-and-effect link
Q13. Statement I: A large number of customers withdrew their savings from the bank within two days. Statement II: A rumour that the bank was about to close spread widely. (The rumour spread one week before the withdrawals.) Which option describes the relationship between the two statements?
- A. Both I and II are effects of a common cause
- B. II is the cause and I is its effect
- C. I is the cause and II is its effect
- D. I and II are independent events with no cause-and-effect link
Q14. Statement I: A factory discharged untreated waste into the river for several months. Statement II: Dead fish were found floating in the river in large numbers last week. (The discharge began months before the fish deaths.) Which option describes the relationship between the two statements?
- A. I and II are independent events with no cause-and-effect link
- B. II is the cause and I is its effect
- C. I is the cause and II is its effect
- D. Both I and II are effects of a common cause
Q15. Mina argues: "The new vaccine passed trials on adults, so it will be safe for children too." Which assumption does her argument rely on?
- A. Children's bodies respond to the vaccine in a way similar to adults'
- B. The vaccine is cheap to produce, so it can be given to every child
- C. Adults are more likely than children to catch the disease being prevented
- D. Vaccines are never tested on children, only on adults, before being approved
Q16. The number of ambulances in a city doubled, and in the following year the death rate from road accidents fell. A councillor concludes that the extra ambulances saved lives. Which assumption does this conclusion depend on?
- A. No other major factor explains the fall in the death rate
- B. The number of road accidents rose that year
- C. Ambulances are the only vehicles used in emergencies
- D. The ambulances were bought from abroad
Q17. A principal says: "Every student who attended the extra classes passed the mock test, so extra classes should be made compulsory for all." Which assumption does this rely on?
- A. Students who did not attend failed the mock test
- B. The mock test was easier than the real test
- C. The students who attended were not already the stronger students
- D. Compulsory classes are cheaper to organise
Q18. A company claims: "Our energy drink improves concentration, because users reported feeling more alert." Which assumption does the claim rely on?
- A. The drink is sold in every shop
- B. Alertness is only measured by blood pressure
- C. Most people prefer energy drinks to tea
- D. Feeling more alert reflects a real improvement in concentration
Q19. Crime in a market fell after CCTV cameras were installed, and the shop owners say the cameras caused the drop. Which fact most weakens their conclusion?
- A. The market has more customers on Fridays than on any other day of the week
- B. Some shopkeepers dislike being filmed and feel the cameras invade their privacy
- C. Crime also fell by a similar amount in nearby markets that have no cameras
- D. The cameras were bought from a local company with a good reputation
Q20. A study found that students who eat breakfast score higher marks, so a teacher concludes that breakfast improves marks. Which fact most weakens this conclusion?
- A. Students who eat breakfast also tend to sleep longer and study more regularly
- B. Some students dislike eating early in the morning and prefer to skip meals
- C. Breakfast is a popular meal in the region and is eaten by most families
- D. Breakfast foods are cheaper than dinner foods, so most families can afford them
Q21. Dr Sami concludes that a herbal tea cures common colds because 90% of patients who drank it recovered within a week. Which fact most weakens his conclusion?
- A. The tea is sold in small packets that are marketed as a natural remedy
- B. The tea was made from a plant that is grown locally in the same region
- C. Almost all colds clear up within a week even without any treatment
- D. Dr Sami practises in a large city with many patients of all ages
Q22. The city council believes that building a footbridge near a school will reduce accidents involving children. Which fact most strengthens this belief?
- A. The school was built twenty years ago and has about a thousand students
- B. Many drivers use that road in the evening on their way home from work
- C. The footbridge will be painted in bright colours so that it is easy to see
- D. Most past accidents involved children crossing the road at that exact spot
Q23. A principal argues that starting school later in the morning improves attendance. Which fact most strengthens this argument?
- A. Some teachers prefer to arrive early so that they can prepare their lessons
- B. Attendance is higher in winter than in summer in schools across the whole region
- C. The school canteen opens at eight o'clock and serves cheap breakfast to early arrivals
- D. A neighbouring school that moved its start time later saw attendance rise, with no other changes
Q24. A seed company claims its new fertiliser raises wheat yield. Which fact most strengthens the claim?
- A. The company has been in business for fifty years and sells seeds in many countries around the world
- B. The fertiliser comes in a large, brightly coloured bag that is easy to carry and to store on the farm
- C. In a controlled trial, fields given the fertiliser out-produced otherwise identical fields given none
- D. Farmers in the area grow wheat every year, and most of them also grow barley and maize in rotation
Q25. In a survey of 200 students, 120 said they prefer online lectures and 80 said they prefer classroom lectures. Which inference is definitely true?
- A. Classroom lectures are less effective than online lectures
- B. Online lectures will soon replace classroom lectures
- C. Most students in the country prefer online lectures
- D. More of the surveyed students prefer online lectures than classroom lectures
Q26. A college had 500 candidates in 2022, of whom 60% passed, and 400 candidates in 2023, of whom 72% passed. Which statement is definitely true?
- A. More candidates passed in 2022 than in 2023
- B. The pass percentage will exceed 80% in 2024
- C. The paper was easier in 2023
- D. More candidates passed in 2023 because the pass percentage was higher
Q27. Statement: Many students living in a hostel have fallen ill after eating in the mess. Courses of action: I. The hostel authorities should promptly inspect the mess kitchen and food supplies. II. The mess should be closed permanently and all the cooks punished. Which follows?
- A. Both courses of action follow
- B. Only course of action I follows
- C. Only course of action II follows
- D. Neither course of action follows
Q28. Statement: A river has overflowed its banks and a nearby village is at risk of flooding. Courses of action: I. The residents should be moved to safe, higher ground immediately. II. The district administration should arrange food and shelter for the displaced residents. Which follows?
- A. Neither course of action follows
- B. Only course of action I follows
- C. Only course of action II follows
- D. Both courses of action follow
Q29. Hamza says: "Everyone in my family likes cricket, so everyone in Pakistan likes cricket." What is the main flaw in this reasoning?
- A. It contradicts an earlier statement by Hamza
- B. It relies on a statement made by a famous person
- C. It generalises from a small, unrepresentative sample
- D. It confuses cause with effect
Q30. An advertisement says: "Dr Khan, a famous heart surgeon, says Sparkle is the best toothpaste, so it must be the best." What is the main flaw in this reasoning?
- A. The expert's authority lies in a different field from toothpaste
- B. Heart surgeons are not allowed to brush their teeth
- C. The toothpaste is more expensive than others
- D. The advertisement uses too many adjectives