Start here · the first lesson of Flaw in reasoning
Flaw in reasoning
Critical Reasoning / Verbal Reasoning · for IPMAT Indore, IPMAT Rohtak and JIPMAT
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The idea
A flaw question asks what is wrong with the reasoning, not whether the conclusion is true. Five flaws cover most IPMAT-level items:
| Flaw | Signal | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Correlation → cause | "X and Y go together, so X causes Y" | More hospitals, more deaths |
| Sampling | survey of a self-selected or tiny group | 3 tourists → a whole state |
| Circular | reason = conclusion in other words | "trustworthy because reliable" |
| False choice | only two options offered | "ban all vehicles or ruin the monuments" |
| Part → whole | each part has a property, so the whole has it | excellent players → excellent team |
Textbook vs exam method
Textbook method
Identify premise and conclusion; ask which move from one to the other is not justified; match it to the list.
Exam method
- Predict the flaw name.
- Match. the option that describes this argument's move; ignore options that attack a premise or mention a cost.
- Check specifics. a correct flaw option usually mentions the argument's own content (respondents, population).