Statement and Assumptions
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Introduction & Key Concepts
Study MaterialStatement and Assumptions
Statement and Assumptions is an important topic in Logical Reasoning that tests your ability to identify the information that is directly stated and the information that is implicitly accepted or taken for granted.
A statement is information, an opinion, an instruction, a proposal, or a fact presented about a particular situation. An assumption is an unstated idea or condition that is taken for granted when the statement is made.
When a person says or writes something, it is not always necessary to express every supporting idea in words. Some information is left unsaid because the speaker or writer assumes that it will be understood by the reader or listener. This hidden or unstated part is called an assumption.
What is a Statement?
A statement is a piece of information presented for consideration. It may describe a situation, give an instruction, make a proposal, report an event, or express an opinion.
In Statement and Assumptions questions, the statement is the given information. You must not add your own information or personal experience while analysing it.
Example:
"Give adequate job-related training to employees before assigning them full-fledged work."
This statement suggests that training is considered relevant before employees are given complete responsibility for the work.
What is an Assumption?
An assumption is an unstated idea that must be accepted for the statement to make sense or for the speaker's proposal, advice, advertisement, or decision to have a reasonable basis.
The most important point is that an assumption is not directly stated. It is something that the speaker or writer takes for granted.
Simple Example
Statement: "Take a ferry or a boat instead of a bus to reach the islands faster."
The statement assumes that ferries or boats are available for travelling to the islands. Otherwise, the suggestion would not be meaningful.
Statement vs Assumption
| Statement | Assumption |
|---|---|
| It is the information explicitly presented. | It is the information that is taken for granted. |
| It can be directly read from the question. | It is usually not directly stated. |
| It provides the situation or proposal. | It provides an unstated basis behind the situation or proposal. |
| It is the starting point of the reasoning. | It is the hidden idea supporting the statement. |
| It should be accepted as given information. | It must be tested to determine whether it is implicit. |
What Does "Implicit" Mean?
In these questions, you are generally asked whether an assumption is implicit in the statement.
An assumption is implicit when the statement depends on that unstated idea or when the speaker appears to take that idea for granted while making the statement.
Remember:
Implicit = understood or taken for granted, even though it is not directly stated.
How Statement and Assumption Questions Work
A typical question contains a statement followed by two or more possible assumptions. You must examine each assumption independently and decide whether it is logically implicit in the statement.
For example:
Statement: "Give adequate job-related training to employees before assigning them full-fledged work."
Assumptions:
- Training can help employees perform their work more effectively.
- Employees have no skills at all before receiving training.
Assumption I is implicit because the instruction to provide training before assigning full-fledged work depends on training being useful for effective performance. Assumption II is not implicit because the statement does not say that employees have no skills before training.
Core Principle of Statement and Assumptions
Do not ask, "Is this assumption generally true?"
Ask, "Is this assumption taken for granted by the statement?"
This distinction is extremely important. An assumption may sound reasonable in real life but still not be implicit in the given statement.
Important Points While Selecting the Correct Assumption
1. The Assumption Should Be Directly Related to the Statement
The assumption must have a clear connection with the statement. Do not select an assumption simply because it is generally possible or related to your personal experience.
Example:
Statement: "Take a ferry or a boat instead of a bus to reach the islands faster."
Assumption: "Ferries and boats are available for travelling to the islands."
This assumption is directly connected with the suggestion. If such transportation were not available, the recommendation would not make practical sense.
2. Do Not Use Personal Experience
A common mistake is to use information from your own experience or general knowledge. The question should be solved using the logic of the statement, not your personal beliefs.
For example, if a statement recommends a particular mode of transport, do not assume additional facts about the location, weather, geography, cost, or availability unless the statement itself supports them.
3. The Assumption Should Not Be Ambiguous
An assumption should have a clear connection with what the statement is trying to communicate. An option that introduces an uncertain or unrelated interpretation should be treated carefully.
Statements containing words such as all, every, each, only, always may make an assumption unnecessarily broad if the statement does not support such certainty.
Important:
Strong words are not automatically wrong. The real question is whether the statement provides enough support for that degree of certainty.
4. The Assumption Should Not Be Superfluous
A superfluous assumption is an unnecessary idea that does not contribute to the meaning or purpose of the statement.
If the statement can stand logically without a particular assumption, that assumption is less likely to be implicit.
5. An Assumption Should Not Simply Repeat the Statement
An assumption is hidden information, not a direct repetition of what has already been stated.
If an option merely restates the exact information already given, it should not automatically be considered an assumption.
6. An Assumption Is Not a Conclusion
An assumption is something taken for granted before or while making the statement. A conclusion is something inferred after analysing the information.
| Assumption | Conclusion |
|---|---|
| Unstated basis behind the statement | Inference drawn from the information |
| Supports the statement or proposal | Results from reasoning about the statement |
| Taken for granted | Derived from given information |
Assumptions in Instructions and Suggestions
When a person gives an instruction or suggestion, the instruction usually rests on some unstated condition.
For example:
Statement: "Employees should receive adequate training before handling the new system independently."
Implicit assumption: Training can help employees understand or use the new system more effectively.
Not necessarily implicit: Employees have no knowledge of the system before training.
The second idea goes beyond the statement. Employees may already have some knowledge but still require additional training.
Assumptions in Advertisements
Advertisements and notices often contain an implied assumption that the proposed product, service, course, or action can provide some benefit to the intended audience.
However, do not convert a general promotional claim into an absolute assumption.
Statement: "Learn a foreign language course to improve your career opportunities."
Possible implicit assumption: Learning a foreign language may provide useful career opportunities for some learners.
Not necessarily implicit: Everyone who learns a foreign language will get a high-paying job.
The second statement introduces an unsupported universal claim. The advertisement does not require every learner to obtain a high-paying job.
Assumptions in Newspaper Reports
A statement presented as a report may also contain assumptions about the reliability or basis of the information. However, such assumptions must be examined carefully.
For example:
Statement: "A newspaper reports that an expansion of the ministry is expected shortly."
A reader may reasonably consider that the report is based on some source or information. However, assumptions such as "the newspaper has quoted authentic sources" or "every detail of the report is guaranteed to be correct" cannot automatically be treated as implicit unless the wording supports them.
Possibility-Based Assumptions
An assumption may sometimes involve a possibility rather than an absolute certainty.
Words such as may, might, possibly, could can be appropriate when the statement itself suggests a possible situation.
The important point is that the possibility must still be logically connected with the statement.
Example:
Statement: "The company should introduce flexible working arrangements to improve employee satisfaction."
A reasonable implicit assumption is that flexible working arrangements may help improve employee satisfaction. The statement does not require the stronger claim that flexible working will improve satisfaction for every employee.
Multiple Assumptions Can Be Implicit
A single statement can have more than one implicit assumption. Therefore, do not assume that only one option must be correct.
Each assumption should be tested independently.
Example:
Statement: "The organisation should conduct additional training before employees begin using the new software."
Possible assumptions:
- Employees may need additional knowledge to use the new software effectively.
- Training may reduce difficulties associated with using the new software.
Both assumptions can reasonably support the instruction.
Standard Answer Pattern
Statement and Assumptions questions commonly provide two assumptions and ask you to determine which are implicit.
| Option | Meaning |
|---|---|
| A | Only assumption I is implicit |
| B | Only assumption II is implicit |
| C | Neither assumption I nor II is implicit |
| D | Both assumptions I and II are implicit |
Some questions may contain three or more assumptions. In such questions, carefully evaluate each assumption independently before selecting the appropriate combination.
The "Why Would This Statement Be Made?" Test
One of the most useful techniques is to ask:
Why would the speaker or writer make this statement?
What must the speaker be taking for granted?
If an option provides a necessary hidden basis for the statement, it is more likely to be implicit.
Statement and Assumption: A Simple Example
Statement: "Use the online appointment system to avoid waiting in line."
Assumption I: The online appointment system can help manage appointments without requiring the person to wait in the regular queue.
Assumption II: Every person who uses the system will always receive service immediately.
Analysis:
- Assumption I is closely connected with the purpose of the recommendation.
- Assumption II is too absolute because the statement does not guarantee immediate service for everyone.
Therefore: Only assumption I is implicit.
Words That Require Special Attention
Certain words can make an assumption unnecessarily broad or restrictive. Always examine the exact level of certainty suggested by the option.
| Word | What to Check |
|---|---|
| All | Does the statement really apply to everyone? |
| Every | Is the assumption universally applicable? |
| Each | Does the statement justify an individual-level universal claim? |
| Only | Does the statement exclude every other possibility? |
| Always | Is there enough support for an unconditional claim? |
| Never | Does the statement justify complete exclusion? |
| May / Possibly | Does the statement reasonably allow such a possibility? |
Exam Tip: Do not reject an assumption merely because it contains a strong word. Reject it when the statement does not support that degree of certainty.
Common Mistakes
- Using personal experience: Assuming something because it is true in your own experience.
- Adding outside information: Introducing facts that are not present in the statement.
- Confusing assumption with conclusion: Treating an inference as the hidden basis of the statement.
- Accepting every reasonable statement: An option can be generally true but still not be implicit.
- Ignoring extreme wording: Accepting unsupported words such as "all", "only", or "always".
- Selecting a repetition: Treating a direct restatement as an unstated assumption.
- Overthinking: Searching for complicated hidden meanings when the statement has a simple logical basis.
- Ignoring the purpose: Failing to ask why the statement, suggestion, instruction, or advertisement was made.
Quick Comparison: What to Accept and What to Reject
| Usually More Likely to Be Implicit | Usually Less Likely to Be Implicit |
|---|---|
| Directly connected with the statement | Unrelated to the statement |
| Provides a hidden basis for the statement | Simply repeats the statement |
| Reasonably necessary for the proposal or instruction | Merely possible but unnecessary |
| Consistent with the statement | Contradicts the statement |
| Supported by the wording | Requires unsupported outside information |
| Reasonable in scope | Unnecessarily universal or absolute |
Quick Revision Framework
Read → Understand Purpose → Identify Hidden Basis → Test Necessity → Check Scope → Decide
- Read the statement carefully.
- Identify its purpose. Is it an instruction, suggestion, advertisement, report, proposal, or opinion?
- Ask what is being taken for granted.
- Check whether the assumption is directly connected.
- Remove outside knowledge and personal experience.
- Check whether the assumption is necessary or meaningfully supports the statement.
- Watch for unsupported extreme words.
- Evaluate every assumption independently.
- Select the appropriate answer option.
LearnFrenzy Golden Rule
An assumption is not what you believe to be true. It is what the speaker or writer has taken for granted while making the statement.
For competitive examinations, always remember: do not judge the assumption from real-life experience alone. Judge it from the relationship between the statement, its purpose, and the hidden idea required to support it.