Master GRE Critical Reasoning: 6 Essential Tips for Success

Critical Reasoning (CR) questions—sometimes called “paragraph argument” questions—are a specialized type of GRE Reading Comprehension question that tests your ability to think critically across various scenarios. These questions challenge your skills in critical analysis, logical reasoning, and careful attention to detail. Many GRE test-takers consider Critical Reasoning questions the most difficult in the Verbal section. To master GRE CR questions, you need to become proficient at analyzing arguments and navigating answer choices designed to mislead or confuse.

What Are GRE Critical Reasoning Questions?

GRE Critical Reasoning questions evaluate your ability to interpret, evaluate, and reason through short argumentative passages. These questions appear in the Verbal section and often require you to identify assumptions, evaluate evidence, or draw logical conclusions. Unlike some GRE question types, CR questions emphasize your reasoning skills over any specialized subject knowledge.

In this guide, you’ll learn six key tips to help you master GRE Critical Reasoning questions. But first, let’s cover some essential GRE CR fundamentals and review the different types of questions you might encounter.

GRE Critical Reasoning Basics

On the GRE, Critical Reasoning questions typically number 1 or 2 out of the 27 Verbal Reasoning questions. Sometimes, CR-style questions are embedded within broader Reading Comprehension passages. All CR questions assess your skill in making and analyzing arguments and plans logically.

Key fact: GRE Critical Reasoning questions test your ability to analyze and evaluate arguments, not your subject matter expertise.

Each question begins with a stimulus—usually a short passage of about 70 words or fewer—followed by a question and several answer choices. These answer choices come in two formats: either five choices with one correct answer, or three choices with one or more correct answers. Your task is to determine which answer choice logically fits the question’s requirements.

Passages typically cover topics like business, science, government, or history, but don’t worry—you won’t need specialized knowledge to answer correctly. The only outside information you might need is common knowledge, such as understanding that revenue is money earned from customers, as opposed to highly technical details.

Simply put, GRE CR questions measure your logical analysis skills, attention to detail, and ability to avoid mental traps.

GRE Critical Reasoning Question Types

There are seven major GRE Critical Reasoning question types you should know:

• Identify the Assumption: Find the unstated assumption supporting the argument.

• Weaken the Argument: Identify facts that weaken or cast doubt on the argument.

• Strengthen the Argument: Choose facts that support or reinforce the argument.

• Inference: Select conclusions logically following from the passage.

• Resolve the Paradox: Find facts that explain or resolve contradictory information.

• Complete the Passage: Pick the answer that best completes an unfinished passage.

• Boldface: Determine the roles different parts of a passage play in the argument.

The most common question types on the GRE are Assumption, Weaken, and Strengthen questions, but all types rely on the same foundational skills: argument analysis, understanding question demands, and distinguishing correct answers from tempting traps.

Key fact: Success across all CR question types depends on your ability to analyze arguments, interpret questions, and identify logically valid answers.

6 Essential Tips to Master GRE Critical Reasoning

Tip 1: Read the Passage First

Focus on fully understanding the passage before reading the question stem. This approach prevents missing key details and helps you grasp the argument’s structure clearly, leading to better answer choices.

Tip 2: Learn to Identify the Parts of an Argument

Recognize the three main elements of an argument:

• Evidence or Premises: Facts supporting the argument (always assumed true in GRE CR).

• Assumptions: Unstated facts that must be true for the conclusion to hold.

• Conclusion: The main claim the argument supports.

Knowing these parts helps you understand how answer choices relate to the argument.

Tip 3: Avoid “Pre-Thinking” Answers

Don’t try to guess the correct answer before reviewing all choices. Pre-thinking wastes time and can bias you toward incorrect options.

Tip 4: Watch Out for Cognitive Bias Traps

Incorrect answer choices often exploit common biases. Stay alert and question each option’s logical relevance rather than going with the “feel” of an answer.

Tip 5: Support Your Answers with Solid Logic

Always back up your choices with clear, logical reasoning. Avoid vague or emotional justifications.

Tip 6: Practice Untimed

Build your CR skills untimed first to focus on accuracy and thorough analysis before working on pacing under timed conditions.

Tip 1: Read the Passage First — Why It Matters

Many students debate whether they should read the question stem first or dive straight into the passage. The best advice, based on both expert guidance and test-taker experience, is to read the passage first — and here’s why.

Understanding the Passage Is Fundamental

Critical Reasoning questions are essentially about understanding and analyzing arguments. The passage contains the stimulus, usually a short argument or set of facts. If you don’t understand this passage fully, answering the question correctly becomes nearly impossible.

When you read the passage first, your brain focuses entirely on grasping what is said, the premises, the conclusion, and any assumptions or background information. You’re building a clear mental picture without distractions.

The Danger of Reading the Question First

If you read the question stem first, you might start reading the passage with a specific goal in mind (like “I need to find what weakens the argument”). This mindset can cause you to miss other important details or nuances in the passage. You might skim or overlook evidence because you’re too focused on hunting for an answer.

Moreover, you might waste time re-reading the question after reading the passage, since you only get the full picture of what’s asked once you’ve understood the passage.

How to Read the Passage Effectively

• Read carefully and deliberately. Focus on what the passage says.

• Identify the conclusion, premises, and any background info. Even if you don’t know exactly what the question is yet, get a good understanding of the argument’s structure.

• Don’t try to jump to conclusions or guess answers at this point.

Example to Illustrate

Imagine a passage says:

“Because city bike lanes increase safety for cyclists, the city council should expand bike lane construction to all neighborhoods.”

Here, the conclusion is that the city council should expand bike lanes. The premise is that bike lanes increase cyclist safety. Reading the passage first lets you see this clearly before looking at the question about assumptions or weaknesses.

Pro Tip

Make reading the passage your primary focus. It might feel slower at first, but over time, your ability to understand arguments fully will skyrocket, leading to higher accuracy.

Tip 2: Learn to Identify the Parts of an Argument

Mastering GRE Critical Reasoning means you must become fluent in the language of arguments. Every CR passage is essentially an argument, made up of three critical components:

• Evidence or Premises

• Assumptions

• Conclusion

Understanding each of these parts will help you evaluate answer choices and select the best one.

Evidence or Premises: The Facts You Can Trust

The premises are the facts or evidence that support the argument. In the world of GRE Critical Reasoning, premises are always considered true for the sake of the argument. You are not supposed to question their truthfulness but use them as given.

For example:

“Over 70% of drivers in the city use electric vehicles.”

This would be a premise if it supports a conclusion about city traffic or pollution.

Assumptions: The Hidden Glue

Assumptions are the unstated facts or beliefs that the argument depends on to connect the premises to the conclusion. Assumptions are often the trickiest part because they’re never directly stated but are vital for the argument to hold.

For example:

If the conclusion is, “Because more than 70% of drivers use electric vehicles, the city’s pollution levels will drop,” an unstated assumption is that electric vehicles produce less pollution than gas vehicles.

Conclusion: The Main Point

The conclusion is what the argument is trying to prove. It’s the “so what” — the main point the author wants you to accept.

You can identify conclusions by words like:

• Therefore

• Thus

• Hence

• So

• Consequently

• Must

Or by recognizing which statement is supported by the others.

Why Identifying These Parts Helps You

If you know exactly what the conclusion is, you know what the argument tries to prove. If you know the premises, you understand the given evidence. Spotting assumptions helps you find the argument’s weak spots or necessary connections.

For example, if a question asks you to find an assumption, knowing the conclusion and premises helps you identify what missing piece the argument depends on.

Practice Example

Passage:

“Because the majority of office employees now work remotely, the demand for office space in the downtown area will decrease.”

• Premise: The majority of employees work remotely.

• Conclusion: Demand for office space downtown will decrease.

• Assumption: Remote work reduces the need for office space.

Pro Tip

When you read CR passages, jot down (mentally or on scratch paper) what the premises and conclusion are. This will make answering questions about assumptions, weakening, or strengthening much easier.

Tip 3: Do Not Seek to “Pre-Think” the Answers

Some students believe in the strategy of “pre-thinking” an answer after reading the passage and question, but before looking at the answer choices. The idea is that if you can predict the answer, you’ll save time or avoid distractions.

However, this strategy can hurt your GRE CR performance.

Why Pre-Thinking Is Problematic

• It wastes valuable time. The GRE is a timed test, and spending extra time trying to guess the answer before seeing the choices is inefficient.

• It can mislead you. The answer you think of might not be among the options, so you’ll have to discard it and read the choices anyway.

• It increases the chance of falling for traps. If your pre-thought answer is close to an incorrect answer choice, you might pick the wrong one because you’re biased towards your guess.

What You Should Do Instead

• Read the passage carefully.

• Read the question stem carefully.

• Go straight to the answer choices.

• Evaluate each choice based on the passage and question.

Example

If the question asks you to find a weakness in an argument, instead of guessing the weakness after reading the passage, read the choices with an open mind and use logic to eliminate incorrect options.

Pro Tip

Focus on analyzing the answer choices about the passage. This keeps your reasoning grounded and prevents distractions from “guessing.”

Tip 4: Beware of Incorrect Answer Choices That Exploit Cognitive Biases

GRE Critical Reasoning questions are designed to be tricky. Incorrect answers often prey on common cognitive biases—mental shortcuts or emotional reactions we naturally have.

What Are Cognitive Biases?

Cognitive biases are tendencies to think in certain ways that can lead to errors in judgment. Examples include:

• Confirmation bias: Favoring information that confirms your beliefs.

• Association bias: Connecting ideas based on familiarity rather than logic.

• Emotional bias: Being swayed by emotionally charged language.

How GRE CR Uses These Biases

Test-makers include incorrect answer choices that sound plausible because they trigger your biases.

For example, in an argument about politicians’ incompetence, a wrong choice might mention “corruption” because it’s a common stereotype, even if it’s irrelevant to the argument’s logic.

How to Avoid Falling for Biases

• Stay aware that incorrect answers are crafted to tempt you.

• Don’t choose answers based on feelings or associations.

• Evaluate whether the choice logically fits the argument and question.

Example Trap

Argument:

“Since the number of tourists has increased, local wildlife populations have declined.”

Incorrect choice: “Tourists often litter, which harms animals.”

Although plausible and emotional, if the question asks for an assumption linking the decline directly to tourism, this might be irrelevant if the passage doesn’t mention littering.

Pro Tip

Train yourself to be skeptical of answers that sound “right” but don’t logically connect to the argument.

Tip 5: Support Every Choice You Make with Solid Logic

Success in GRE Critical Reasoning isn’t about guessing or intuition. It’s about logical, clear reasoning.

Why Solid Logic Matters

Sometimes an answer choice may sound positive or appealing, but doesn’t prove the argument right or wrong. You must back up every decision with logical reasoning tied to the passage.

How to Use Solid Logic

• Identify what the question asks (strengthen, weaken, assumption, etc.).

• Connect each answer choice directly to the passage’s premises and conclusion.

• Explain why a choice supports or undermines the argument.

• Eliminate choices that don’t have a clear logical link.

Example

If the argument concludes that a plan will work because it has community support, an answer choice stating “The mayor likes the plan” may be vague. Instead, the better answer might be, “A majority of residents have signed petitions endorsing the plan,” which logically strengthens the conclusion.

Pro Tip

When reviewing answer choices, mentally ask: “Does this choice logically prove or disprove the conclusion based on the premises?” If not, eliminate it.

Tip 6: Practice GRE Critical Reasoning Questions Untimed

Many students stress about time on the GRE Verbal, leading them to rush through CR questions.

Why Practice Untimed First?

• It helps you understand how to analyze arguments deeply without pressure.

• You can focus on accuracy and reasoning rather than speed.

• Over time, you build familiarity with questions

Advanced Strategy 1: Master the Different Types of CR Questions

Understanding the variety of question types in GRE Critical Reasoning will dramatically improve your ability to approach each question correctly. Each type requires a slightly different analytical lens.

Main Question Types

High-Yield Practice Sets: Focused Drills to Strengthen Your Skills

Practice is the cornerstone of GRE success. But not all practice is equal. You want to focus on high-yield question types and difficulty levels that reflect the actual GRE.

Selecting the Right Practice Questions

 

• Use Official GRE Materials
  Official GRE practice books and ETS’s PowerPrep tests provide the most representative question types and difficulty levels.

• Target Weak Areas
  Analyze your practice test results to identify which CR question types give you trouble (e.g., assumption, weaken, inference).

• Mix Difficulty Levels
  Include easy, medium, and hard questions to build confidence and challenge your skills progressively.

 

Sample Practice Set Categories

 

• Assumption Questions
  Practice negation technique here.

• Strengthen/Weaken Questions
  Focus on identifying premises and flaws.

• Flaw Identification
  Practice spotting logical errors.

• Inference Questions
  Work on drawing conclusions strictly supported by evidence.

• Paradox Resolution
  Get comfortable explaining contradictory facts.

 

Detailed Question Walkthroughs: Step-by-Step Analysis

Understanding how to break down GRE CR questions systematically is crucial. Below are detailed walkthroughs of representative question types.

Walkthrough 1: Strengthen the Argument

Passage:
“A recent study showed that employees who take short breaks every hour report higher productivity. Therefore, encouraging hourly breaks in the workplace will increase overall productivity.”

Question:
Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?

Step 1: Identify the Conclusion and Premises

 

• Conclusion: Encouraging hourly breaks will increase overall productivity.

• Premise: A Study shows that employees taking breaks every hour report higher productivity.

 

Step 2: Look for Assumptions

 

• Assumes that the study’s findings apply broadly.

• Assumes no negative effects from breaks.

 

Step 3: Evaluate Answer Choices

 

• A) Employees who take hourly breaks stay more focused during work. (Strengthens)

• B) Some employees dislike breaks and prefer longer, continuous work periods. (Weakens)

• C) The study did not control for other factors like workload. (Weakens)

• D) Productivity varies greatly depending on the type of work. (Neutral)

 

Step 4: Choose the Best Strengthening Answer

 

• (A) directly supports the conclusion by explaining why breaks increase productivity.

 

Walkthrough 2: Weaken the Argument

Passage:
“City X has seen a drop in car accidents since the installation of new traffic cameras. Therefore, the cameras caused the reduction in accidents.”

Question:
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?

Step 1: Identify the Conclusion and Premises

 

• Conclusion: Cameras caused accident reduction.

• Premise: Accident rates dropped after cameras were installed.

 

Step 2: Look for Flaws

 

• Possible confusion between correlation and causation.

 

Step 3: Evaluate Answer Choices

 

• A) The city also increased police patrols on the roads. (Weakens)

• B) Drivers are aware of traffic laws. (Neutral)

• C) Traffic cameras were installed near schools only. (Could weaken slightly)

• D) Accident rates in neighboring cities without cameras remained stable. (Neutral)

 

Step 4: Choose the Best Weakening Answer

 

• (A) provides an alternative cause for accident reduction, undermining the conclusion.

 

Walkthrough 3: Assumption Question Using Negation

Passage:
“A new diet claims to reduce cholesterol by limiting saturated fat intake. Since participants on the diet showed reduced cholesterol, the diet effectively lowers cholesterol.”

Question:
Which of the following is an assumption on which the argument depends?

Step 1: Identify the Conclusion and Premises

 

• Conclusion: Diet lowers cholesterol.

• Premise: Participants on a diet had reduced cholesterol.

 

Step 2: Identify Potential Assumptions

 

• No other factors influenced cholesterol reduction.

• Participants adhered strictly to the diet.

 

Step 3: Apply Negation Technique

 

• Pick assumption: “No other factors influenced cholesterol.”

• Negate: “Other factors influenced cholesterol.”

• If negation destroys an argument, it’s necessary.

 

Step 4: Evaluate Answer Choices

 

• A) Participants exercised regularly.

• B) Participants did not change exercise habits during the study.

• C) The diet includes fruits and vegetables.

• D) The diet is popular among athletes.

 

Step 5: Negate Each and Check Impact

 

• (B) “Participants did change exercise habits” negates a key assumption.

• So (B) is likely the assumption.

 

Test-Day Strategies for GRE Critical Reasoning

Scoring well on test day isn’t just about knowing content — it’s about managing time, stress, and mental stamina.

Strategy 1: Time Management

 

• Allocate roughly 1.5-2 minutes per CR question.

• If stuck, skip and return if time permits.

• Don’t spend more than 3 minutes on any single question.

 

Strategy 2: Stay Calm and Focused

 

• Take deep breaths before each question.

• Avoid rushing. Clear, methodical thinking beats frantic guessing.

 

Strategy 3: Use the Process of Elimination Aggressively

 

• Cross out wrong answers first.

• Narrow your choices to 2 or 3 before making a final decision.

 

Strategy 4: Trust Your Preparation

 

• If you’ve practiced extensively, your instincts will guide you well.

• Avoid second-guessing yourself unless you find clear evidence.

 

Strategy 5: Manage Fatigue

 

• The GRE is long; stay hydrated and mentally refreshed.

• Take advantage of breaks between sections to reset.

 

Additional Tips for Sustained Improvement

Read Widely to Build Logical Reasoning Skills

 

• GRE CR questions often reflect real-world reasoning styles.

• Reading editorials, opinion pieces, and analytical essays can help train your mind.

 

Join Study Groups or Forums

 

• Discussing challenging questions with peers deepens understanding.

• Explaining your reasoning to others reinforces your skills.

 

Track Your Progress

 

• Keep a journal or spreadsheet of question types, mistakes, and lessons learned.

• This helps you identify trends and adjust your study plan.

 

Final Words: Your Path to GRE Critical Reasoning Mastery

GRE Critical Reasoning is a skill, not just knowledge. It demands practice, patience, and smart strategies. By combining foundational understanding, advanced techniques, focused practice, and sharp test-day tactics, you can raise your CR score significantly.

Remember: Consistency is key. Regularly practice with intention, learn from every question, and maintain confidence on test day.

Strengthen the Argument
These questions ask you to pick an answer that supports or bolsters the conclusion. The correct choice adds evidence or assumptions that make the conclusion more likely.

Weaken the Argument
You must find an answer that undermines the conclusion. It could introduce a flaw, provide contradictory evidence, or challenge an assumption.

Find the Assumption
These questions ask you to identify a hidden assumption that the argument depends on. The correct answer is something the argument needs to be true for the conclusion to hold.

Identify the Conclusion
Sometimes, you’re asked to pinpoint the main conclusion of the argument.

Find the Flaw or Error in Reasoning
These questions require you to detect a logical error or flaw in the argument.

Inference
You must choose the statement that is logically supported or implied by the passage.

Paradox or Resolve the Paradox
You’re asked to explain an apparent contradiction or unexpected result in the passage.

Evaluate the Argument
These ask what information would be needed to evaluate the strength or validity of the argument.

Why Knowing the Type Matters

If you can identify the question type immediately, you can tailor your approach, filter answer choices more effectively, and save precious time.

How to Identify Question Types Quickly

• Look at the question stem carefully for keywords:
  • Strengthen: words like “strengthen,” “support,” “justify”

  • Weaken: words like “weaken,” “undermine,” “attack”

  • Assumption: “assumption,” “requires,” “depends on”

  • Flaw: “flaw,” “error in reasoning”

  • Inference: “must be true,” “follows logically”

  • Paradox: “resolve,” “explain”

  • Evaluate: “evaluate,” “question”

• Practice categorizing questions as you review practice sets.

Advanced Strategy 2: Use the “Negation Technique” to Find Assumptions

One of the trickiest CR question types is assumption questions. The best way to approach them is the negation technique.

What Is the Negation Technique?

• Identify the answer choice you think is the assumption.

• Negate it (turn it into its opposite).

• If negating the statement destroys or seriously weakens the argument, then it is a necessary assumption.

• If negating the statement does not affect the argument, it’s not the assumption.

Why This Works

A necessary assumption is something the argument cannot live without. If the assumption is false (negated), the argument collapses.

Example

Passage:
“Since the factory reduced emissions, local air quality has improved.”
Conclusion: Air quality improved because emissions decreased.

Possible assumption: “No other factors besides emission reductions affected air quality.”

• Negate: “Other factors besides emission reductions did affect air quality.”

• If this negation destroys the argument’s conclusion, then the assumption is necessary.

Advanced Strategy 3: Eliminate Extremes and Irrelevant Choices First

GRE CR answer choices often include extremes or irrelevant statements to distract you.

Extremes

• Words like “always,” “never,” “all,” and “none” are often red flags.

• The GRE favors nuanced reasoning, so be skeptical of extreme answers unless justified.

Irrelevant Information

• Some choices will include information unrelated to the argument or question.

• If an answer choice doesn’t address the conclusion, premises, or assumptions, it’s likely wrong.

How to Use This

• Scan answer choices quickly.

• Cross off extremes and irrelevant options first.

• Then evaluate the remaining plausible choices with careful logic.

Common Pitfall 1: Confusing Correlation with Causation

Many GRE arguments incorrectly assume that correlation implies causation. This is a common logical flaw.

What Is Correlation vs. Causation?

• Correlation: Two things happen together.

• Causation: One thing directly causes the other.

Why This Matters on the GRE

If the argument assumes that because two things co-occur, one caused the other, the argument is flawed.

Example

“Since ice cream sales and drowning incidents both increase in summer, ice cream sales cause drownings.”

This argument confuses correlation with causation.

How to Spot and Answer

• Look for arguments that link events without proof of causality.

• Expect weakening questions to exploit this flaw.

Common Pitfall 2: Overlooking Alternative Explanations

Many arguments ignore other possible explanations for the evidence, weakening their conclusion.

Why Alternative Explanations Matter

If other plausible causes or reasons exist but are ignored, the argument is incomplete or flawed.

Example

“Crime rates dropped after installing streetlights, so streetlights caused the drop.”

What if crime rates dropped for other reasons (e.g., increased police patrols)?

How to Spot and Use

• Ask yourself: Are there other explanations for the evidence?

• Look for answer choices that introduce alternative causes.

Common Pitfall 3: Misreading the Conclusion or Premises

Sometimes, test takers misunderstand what the argument’s main point or premises are, leading to wrong answers.

How to Avoid This

• Take time to identify the conclusion and premises.

• Paraphrase them mentally or jot notes if allowed.

• Double-check if your understanding fits the entire passage.

Practice Technique 1: Active Reading and Annotation

Improving your GRE CR skills requires practice beyond just answering questions. Active reading helps build comprehension and analytical skills.

What Is Active Reading?

• Engage with the passage by underlining or mentally noting conclusions, premises, and assumptions.

• Mark question stems and answer choices for keywords and logical roles.

How to Practice

• Use official GRE practice questions or prep books.

• Read each passage carefully, and pause to identify key parts.

• Don’t rush—build accuracy first.

Practice Technique 2: Timed Practice After Untimed Mastery

Once you’ve built accuracy and understanding through untimed practice, start adding timed drills.

How to Time Yourself

• Start with generous limits (e.g., 2 minutes per CR question).

• Gradually reduce time as you improve.

• Track accuracy alongside speed.

Why Timing Matters

The GRE is timed, so developing speed without sacrificing accuracy is crucial.

Practice Technique 3: Review Mistakes Thoroughly

One of the fastest ways to improve is by analyzing your errors in detail.

How to Review

• For every missed question, identify why you missed it.

• Was it a misunderstanding of the passage, misreading the question, or falling for a trap answer?

• Revisit related concepts and redo similar questions.

Building GRE Critical Reasoning Confidence: A Summary of Best Practices

• Know the question types and approach accordingly.

• Use the negation technique for assumption questions.

• Eliminate extreme or irrelevant answer choices quickly.

• Watch for common logical fallacies like correlation-causation and ignoring alternatives.

• Practice active reading and annotate arguments mentally.

• Build speed gradually with timed practice after mastery.

• Review mistakes deeply and learn from them.