Sample Task
Section A – Logical Reasoning
Topic: Strengthening and Weakening of Arguments
Difficulty Level: Medium & Hard
Pattern: CLAT Style
Question 1 – Medium
A city administration claims that banning private vehicles in the central business district on
weekends will significantly reduce air pollution levels. The administration cites a pilot project
conducted over two weekends in which pollution levels dropped by 18%.
Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the administration’s argument?
A. Most residents support measures aimed at reducing pollution.
B. During the pilot project, weather conditions remained similar to those on previous weekends.
C. Public transportation services were available at discounted prices.
D. Many nearby cities have also implemented similar restrictions.
Answer:
B. During the pilot project, weather conditions remained similar to those on previous weekends.
Explanation:
This option eliminates an alternative explanation for reduced pollution levels. If weather
conditions were similar, the reduction is more likely due to the vehicle ban.
Question 2 – Medium
A university proposes replacing printed textbooks with digital resources to improve student
learning outcomes. The administration argues that digital materials provide easier access and
interactive learning tools.
Which of the following, if true, most weakens the argument?
A. Some students prefer studying from printed books.
B. Several professors already use online teaching platforms.
C. A survey reveals that students using digital materials experience higher levels of screen
fatigue and lower concentration.
D. The university library has limited seating capacity.
Answer:
C. A survey reveals that students using digital materials experience higher levels of screen
fatigue and lower concentration.
Explanation:
The administration claims digital materials improve learning. Evidence showing reduced
concentration directly weakens that claim.
Question 3 – Hard
A nutrition company claims that its newly launched herbal drink improves memory and
concentration among students. The company cites a study conducted on 50 students over two
weeks in which participants reported improved focus after consuming the drink daily.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the company’s conclusion?
A. The herbal drink contains ingredients commonly found in traditional medicines.
B. The students participating in the study were also attending a special memory-training
workshop during the same period.
C. The drink is more expensive than similar products available in the market.
D. Some students disliked the taste of the drink.
Answer:
B. The students participating in the study were also attending a special memory-training
workshop during the same period.
Explanation:
The workshop could have caused the improvement in focus, thereby weakening the claim that
the drink alone produced the effect.
Question 4 – Hard
A government report concludes that increasing surveillance cameras in public spaces reduces
crime rates. The report points to a district where crime decreased by 25% after cameras were
installed.
Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the report’s conclusion?
A. The district also introduced stricter policing measures during the same period.
B. Crime rates in neighboring districts without additional surveillance cameras remained
unchanged.
C. Citizens have expressed concerns regarding privacy violations.
D. The cost of maintaining surveillance systems has increased.
Answer:
B. Crime rates in neighboring districts without additional surveillance cameras remained
unchanged.
Explanation:
This comparison suggests that the reduction in crime was likely related to the installation of
cameras rather than a broader regional trend.
Question 5 – Hard
A publishing company argues that audiobooks will eventually replace printed books because
audiobook sales have increased steadily over the last five years.
Which of the following, if true, most weakens the argument?
A. Printed book sales have also increased steadily during the same period.
B. Younger audiences tend to prefer digital platforms.
C. Audiobooks are often consumed while multitasking.
D. Several publishers have increased investment in audiobook production.
Answer:
A. Printed book sales have also increased steadily during the same period.
Explanation:
If printed books are also growing in popularity, rising audiobook sales alone do not prove that
printed books will be replaced.
Section B – English
Topic: Reading Comprehension (Philosophy)
Difficulty Level: Medium & Hard
Pattern: CLAT Style
Passage 1 – Medium
Philosophers have long debated whether morality is universal or shaped entirely by culture.
Some thinkers argue that certain moral principles, such as justice and honesty, are common to
all societies because they arise from human reason. Others believe morality changes according
to social customs, historical circumstances, and collective beliefs. This disagreement reflects a
broader tension between objective truth and cultural interpretation. While moral relativists
caution against imposing one society’s standards upon another, supporters of universal morality
argue that without shared ethical principles, criticism of injustice becomes impossible.
Question 1
What is the central issue discussed in the passage?
A. The role of religion in morality
B. Whether morality is universal or culturally determined
C. The relationship between politics and ethics
D. The influence of law on social customs
Answer:
B. Whether morality is universal or culturally determined
Explanation:
The passage focuses primarily on the debate between universal morality and moral relativism.
Question 2
According to the passage, moral relativists are most likely to support which of the following
views?
A. Every society should follow identical ethical rules.
B. Justice can never exist in society.
C. Moral judgments should consider cultural context.
D. Ethical principles are entirely determined by religion.
Answer:
C. Moral judgments should consider cultural context.
Explanation:
The passage states that moral relativists caution against imposing one society’s standards on
another.
Passage 2 – Hard
René Descartes believed that doubt could serve as the foundation of knowledge. By
systematically questioning everything that could possibly be false, he sought certainty that could
not be undermined. This method led him to the famous conclusion, “I think, therefore I am.”
Descartes argued that while sensory experiences may deceive individuals, the act of thinking
itself proves the existence of the thinker. Critics, however, argue that Descartes placed
excessive emphasis on reason while neglecting the role of experience and emotion in human
understanding. Nevertheless, his philosophy significantly influenced modern rationalism and
scientific inquiry.
Question 3
Why did Descartes use doubt as a philosophical method?
A. To reject scientific inquiry completely
B. To establish knowledge that could not be questioned
C. To prove that emotions are more important than reason
D. To demonstrate that sensory experiences are always reliable
Answer:
B. To establish knowledge that could not be questioned
Explanation:
The passage explains that Descartes used systematic doubt to find certainty.
Question 4
Which of the following best describes the criticism mentioned in the passage?
A. Descartes relied too heavily on emotions.
B. Descartes ignored political philosophy.
C. Descartes focused excessively on reason and overlooked experience and emotion.
D. Descartes rejected the importance of logic.
Answer:
C. Descartes focused excessively on reason and overlooked experience and emotion.
Explanation:
The criticism directly mentioned is that Descartes overemphasized reason.
Question 5
Which of the following can be most reasonably inferred from the passage?
A. Descartes’ ideas had no influence on modern science.
B. Rationalism became unpopular after Descartes.
C. Descartes’ philosophy contributed to later intellectual developments.
D. Critics completely rejected Descartes’ philosophical methods.
Answer:
C. Descartes’ philosophy contributed to later intellectual developments.
Explanation:
The passage concludes by noting that his philosophy significantly influenced modern rationalism
and scientific inquiry.