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The negation test is the single most powerful technique for identifying assumptions in LNAT passages. It provides a mechanical, reliable method for checking whether a particular claim is genuinely an assumption of the argument — or merely something the author happens to agree with. Master this test, and assumption questions become significantly more manageable.
If negating a statement destroys the argument, that statement is an assumption of the argument.
Conversely:
If negating a statement leaves the argument intact, that statement is NOT an assumption.
The logic is straightforward: an assumption is something the argument depends on. If you remove it (by assuming its opposite), the argument should collapse. If the argument survives, the statement was not essential.
Take the statement you think might be an assumption (often one of the answer options in a question).
Formulate the opposite of the statement. This does not mean changing it to something extreme — just reversing the core claim.
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