Strongest Argument Practice

Practice bank for UCAT Decision Making questions that ask you to identify the strongest argument for or against a proposal.

---

Quick-Reference: Evaluating Arguments

What Makes an Argument Strong?

A strong argument:

1. Directly addresses the proposal (not a tangential point)
2. Is relevant to the specific topic being discussed
3. Provides significant impact (not trivial)
4. Does not make unwarranted assumptions
5. Considers real-world feasibility

What Makes an Argument Weak?

A weak argument:

• Is irrelevant to the specific proposal
• Makes extreme or unsupported claims ("This will definitely...")
• Is too vague to be meaningful
• Relies on emotion rather than reasoning
• Addresses a different topic from the one in the question

The RIDS Framework

Criterion	Question to Ask
Relevance	Does this argument directly relate to the proposal?
Impact	Is the effect described significant enough to matter?
Directness	Does it address the proposal itself, or a side issue?
Soundness	Is the reasoning logical and assumption-free?

Common Traps