Statement and Assumptions
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Key Techniques
Study MaterialStatement and Assumptions - Key Techniques
The following techniques will help you solve Statement and Assumptions questions quickly and accurately in competitive examinations. The key is to identify the unstated idea taken for granted by the speaker or writer, rather than deciding whether an option is simply true in real life.
Statement → Purpose → Hidden Basis → Test → Eliminate → Decide
Technique 1: Identify the Exact Statement
First, understand exactly what the statement says. Do not add information that is not mentioned.
The statement may be an instruction, suggestion, advertisement, proposal, report, warning, or general observation. Its nature often gives a clue about the assumption.
Example:
Statement: "Employees should receive adequate training before handling the new software independently."
The statement is recommending training before independent work. Do not assume that employees have no skills at all.
Technique 2: Identify the Purpose
Ask why the statement has been made. Understanding the purpose makes it easier to identify the hidden assumption.
- An instruction usually assumes that following it will serve a useful purpose.
- A suggestion usually assumes that the suggested action can provide some benefit.
- An advertisement usually assumes that the advertised benefit may attract the intended audience.
- A proposal usually assumes that the proposed action can address the relevant objective.
- A warning usually assumes that the mentioned risk is relevant to the situation.
Technique 3: Find the Hidden Basis
Look for the idea that has not been stated but provides the basis for the statement.
Statement: "Use the online appointment system to reduce waiting time."
Possible assumption: The online system can help organise appointments and reduce the need to wait in the regular queue.
This idea is not directly stated, but it provides a logical basis for the recommendation.
Technique 4: Apply the "Taken for Granted" Test
Ask:
"Is the speaker taking this idea for granted while making the statement?"
If the statement naturally depends on the proposed idea or treats it as understood, the assumption is likely to be implicit.
Technique 5: Use the "Why Would They Say This?" Test
Imagine the speaker is asked:
"Why are you making this suggestion?"
The answer can reveal the underlying assumption.
Statement: "The company should provide additional training before employees start using the new system."
Question: Why make this recommendation?
Possible answer: Because employees may need additional knowledge or practice to use the new system effectively. This provides a reasonable basis for the recommendation.
Technique 6: Direct Relevance Test
An assumption must be directly connected with the statement. An option may be true but still not be an implicit assumption.
Statement: "Take a ferry or boat instead of a bus to reach the islands faster."
Possible assumption: "The islands are in a remote location."
The location may be remote, but that fact is not required for the recommendation. The important assumption is that ferry or boat travel is available and can provide the suggested time advantage.
Technique 7: Do Not Use Personal Experience
Do not select an assumption because it matches something you have personally experienced.
The question is based on the information and logic contained in the statement. Your personal experience may introduce facts that the question never provides.
Exam Tip: Solve the question from the statement's perspective, not from your own experience.
Technique 8: Distinguish Assumption from Conclusion
An assumption is a hidden basis behind the statement. A conclusion is an inference drawn from the statement.
| Assumption | Conclusion |
|---|---|
| Unstated basis | Inferred result |
| Taken for granted | Derived from information |
| Supports the statement | Comes after reasoning |
If an option describes what can be inferred after reading the statement, be careful not to mistake it for an assumption.
Technique 9: Check for Repetition
An assumption should normally add a hidden basis rather than simply repeat the statement.
Statement: "Employees should receive training before using the new software independently."
Option: "Employees should be trained before using the new software."
This option largely repeats the statement. It does not clearly provide a separate hidden basis.
Technique 10: Check the Scope
The assumption should not be broader than the statement without sufficient support.
For example, if a statement talks about some employees, an assumption about all employees may go beyond the statement.
| Statement | Potentially Unsupported Assumption |
|---|---|
| Some customers prefer online service. | Every customer prefers online service. |
| The method may improve productivity. | The method will always improve productivity. |
| A solution can reduce delays. | The solution is the only way to eliminate delays. |
Technique 11: Watch the Word "Only"
The word "only" restricts the statement to a single condition or possibility. Therefore, examine such assumptions carefully.
However, do not reject an assumption simply because it contains the word "only". The statement may genuinely support a restrictive condition. The question is whether the restriction is justified.
Remember: "Only" is a warning signal, not an automatic rejection signal.
Technique 12: Watch Words Like "All", "Every" and "Always"
Universal words can make an assumption much stronger than the original statement.
- All means the assumption applies universally.
- Every applies to each member of the group.
- Always indicates an unconditional or repeated result.
- Never completely excludes an outcome.
If the statement does not support this level of certainty, the assumption should generally be rejected.
Technique 13: Do Not Treat Every Possible Idea as an Assumption
An idea can be possible without being implicit.
This is one of the most important distinctions in this topic.
Statement: "The company should provide flexible working arrangements to improve employee satisfaction."
Possible idea: Employees may value flexibility.
Unrelated possibility: Employees may also prefer a particular type of office furniture.
The first idea has a direct relationship with the statement. The second may be possible, but it is not a necessary hidden basis for the recommendation.
Technique 14: Necessary vs Merely Helpful
Ask whether the assumption provides a meaningful basis for the statement or is merely something that could be helpful.
A useful question is:
"Does the statement rely on this idea, or is this just an additional possibility?"
Technique 15: Avoid Unsupported Cause-and-Effect Assumptions
Do not assume a causal relationship merely because two ideas appear together.
If a statement recommends an action, do not automatically assume that the action will completely solve every related problem.
Statement: "The organisation should introduce additional training to improve employee performance."
Unsupported assumption: "Training will solve every performance problem in the organisation."
The statement may assume that training can contribute to improvement, but it does not establish that training will solve every possible performance issue.
Technique 16: Check Whether the Assumption Supports the Purpose
A strong assumption should help explain why the statement was made.
If an option has no meaningful connection with the purpose, eliminate it.
Shortcut: Statement purpose + hidden supporting idea = strong candidate for an implicit assumption.
Technique 17: Test an Assumption by Removing It
Temporarily remove the proposed assumption from the situation and ask whether the statement still makes reasonable sense.
If removing the assumption seriously weakens the purpose of the statement, it is a stronger candidate for being implicit.
Technique 18: Use the Reversal Test
Imagine that the assumption is false. Then ask whether the statement would still make sense in the same way.
Statement: "Use the online appointment system to reduce waiting time."
If the system could not help organise appointments or reduce the regular waiting process at all, the recommendation would lose its intended basis.
This indicates that the system's ability to provide the suggested benefit is closely connected with the statement.
Technique 19: Separate Stated Facts from Hidden Assumptions
First identify what is explicitly stated. Then identify what is not stated but may be taken for granted.
| Category | Example |
|---|---|
| Stated fact | The company recommends additional training. |
| Possible assumption | Training may help employees use the system effectively. |
| Unsupported assumption | Employees have no skills before training. |
Technique 20: Identify the Audience
In advertisements, instructions, notices, and recommendations, identifying the intended audience can help reveal the assumption.
For example, an advertisement encouraging people to take a course assumes that the course offers a benefit that is relevant to the intended learners.
However, this does not mean that every advertised result is guaranteed for every person.
Technique 21: Handle Advertisements Carefully
Advertisements frequently contain claims designed to influence decisions. The implicit assumption may concern the usefulness or attractiveness of the advertised product or service.
Statement: "Join our professional certification course to improve your career opportunities."
A reasonable assumption is that the course may provide knowledge or credentials that can be useful for career development.
It does not follow that every person who joins the course will definitely receive a high-paying job.
Technique 22: Handle Notices and Reports Carefully
A report may rely on information from sources, but do not assume that every possible detail about the source is automatically implicit.
Similarly, if a statement says that an event is expected to happen, do not convert the expectation into certainty unless the wording supports it.
Technique 23: Distinguish Possibility from Certainty
An assumption may sometimes be expressed as a possibility. Words such as may, might, possibly, could should be evaluated according to the statement.
Do not automatically prefer a possibility-based assumption, but do not reject it simply because it is not certain.
Rule: The level of certainty in the assumption should be consistent with the level of certainty supported by the statement.
Technique 24: Check for Hidden Contradictions
An assumption cannot normally contradict the basic meaning of the statement.
If the statement recommends an action because it is expected to be useful, an assumption claiming that the action is completely useless would conflict with the purpose of the statement.
Technique 25: Avoid Over-Generalisation
Do not extend a statement beyond its stated scope.
A recommendation concerning one department does not automatically imply that every department has the same problem. A statement about some customers does not automatically apply to every customer.
Exam Tip: Match the scope of the assumption with the scope of the statement.
Technique 26: Test Each Assumption Independently
When two assumptions are given, do not evaluate them as a pair initially. Test each one separately.
- Read assumption I.
- Test its relationship with the statement.
- Decide whether it is implicit.
- Repeat the same process for assumption II.
- Combine the results to select the answer.
Technique 27: Use Elimination
Elimination is especially useful when an assumption is clearly unrelated, extreme, repetitive, or unsupported.
Quick Elimination Signals:
- Completely unrelated information
- Personal experience
- Unsupported universal claims
- Extreme conclusions
- Direct repetition
- Information that contradicts the statement
- Ideas requiring significant outside knowledge
Technique 28: The Four-Question Validation Test
Before marking an assumption as implicit, ask these four questions:
1. Is it directly related?
2. Is it an unstated idea?
3. Is it being taken for granted?
4. Does it support the purpose of the statement?
If an assumption passes these tests and does not introduce an unsupported extreme, it is a strong candidate.
Technique 29: The 10-Second Assumption Test
For fast examination solving, use the following mental checklist:
- What is being said?
- Why is it being said?
- What is being taken for granted?
- Is the option directly connected?
- Is it broader or stronger than the statement?
- Is it a conclusion rather than an assumption?
Technique 30: Final Verification
Before selecting your final answer, verify every assumption one last time.
Final Checklist
- It is connected with the statement.
- It is not merely a repetition.
- It is not simply a conclusion.
- It does not depend on personal experience.
- It does not introduce unnecessary outside information.
- Its scope is consistent with the statement.
- It does not make an unsupported absolute claim.
- It represents something the speaker can reasonably be taking for granted.
Fast Exam Strategy
Understand → Find Purpose → Find Hidden Basis → Check Relevance → Check Scope → Eliminate → Answer
- Read the statement once carefully.
- Identify its purpose.
- Ask what the speaker is taking for granted.
- Check each assumption independently.
- Reject unrelated or superfluous options.
- Watch for unsupported words such as all, every, only, always, and never.
- Do not confuse assumptions with conclusions.
- Do not use personal experience.
- Check whether the assumption is within the statement's scope.
- Select the answer only after testing every assumption.
Key Techniques at a Glance
| Technique | Quick Rule |
|---|---|
| Identify Statement | Understand exactly what is given. |
| Identify Purpose | Ask why the statement is made. |
| Find Hidden Basis | Look for what is taken for granted. |
| Taken-for-Granted Test | Check whether the statement relies on the idea. |
| Relevance Test | Reject unrelated information. |
| Personal Experience Test | Do not add your own experiences. |
| Assumption vs Conclusion | Basis is assumption, inference is conclusion. |
| Repetition Test | Do not treat simple repetition as a hidden assumption. |
| Scope Test | Do not unnecessarily broaden the statement. |
| Extreme Word Test | Check all, every, only, always, never carefully. |
| Possibility Test | Match certainty with the statement. |
| Reversal Test | Imagine the assumption is false and test the statement. |
| Elimination | Remove irrelevant, extreme, or unsupported options. |
| Independent Evaluation | Test each assumption separately. |
| Final Verification | Confirm that the option is truly implicit. |
LearnFrenzy Golden Rule
An assumption is the hidden idea that the speaker or writer takes for granted. Do not choose an option because it is merely true, possible, or familiar.