Medium LSAT Strengthen Questions With Answers Practice Questions

Strengthen questions account for approximately 15% of the Logical Reasoning section on the Law School Admission Test. These tasks require you to identify the piece of information that most supports the conclusion of an argument. By mastering these medium LSAT strengthen questions with answers, you can significantly boost your score and sharpen your analytical abilities.

Concept Explanation

Strengthen questions require you to select an answer choice that provides additional support for the argument's conclusion by bridging a gap between the premises and the conclusion. Unlike "Must Be True" questions, the correct answer does not need to be proven by the stimulus; rather, it acts as a new piece of evidence that makes the conclusion more likely to be valid. To effectively tackle these questions, you must first isolate the conclusion and the supporting premises. Most LSAT arguments contain a logical gap or an unstated assumption. The correct answer choice will often address this gap, rule out a potential counter-argument, or provide data that confirms the relationship between the evidence and the claim. According to LSAC, the governing body of the LSAT, logical reasoning is foundational to legal education. Utilizing tools like an AI Exam Simulator can help you simulate the pressure of identifying these gaps under timed conditions. When evaluating choices for medium LSAT strengthen questions with answers, look for options that strengthen the link between the premise and conclusion or validate the premises themselves. Even a small increase in probability is sufficient to "strengthen" the argument.

Solved Examples

1. Example 1: The Health Supplement
   Argument: A recent study showed that people who take Vitamin X daily have 20% fewer colds than those who do not. Therefore, taking Vitamin X prevents viral infections.
   Solution:
   1. Identify the conclusion: Taking Vitamin X prevents viral infections.
   2. Identify the gap: The study shows a correlation, but not necessarily causation. Perhaps Vitamin X users also exercise more.
   3. Find a strengthener: An answer choice stating "A clinical trial where participants were randomly assigned Vitamin X or a placebo showed the Vitamin X group had fewer infections" would strengthen the argument by providing experimental evidence of causation.
2. Example 2: The Corporate Policy
   Argument: Company Y implemented a new remote work policy last year. Since then, company profits have increased by 10%. Thus, the remote work policy improved the company's financial performance.
   Solution:
   1. Identify the conclusion: Remote work improved profits.
   2. Identify the gap: Other factors (like a market boom) could have caused the profit increase.
   3. Find a strengthener: "During the last year, the overall market for Company Y’s products remained stagnant or declined." This rules out external market growth as the cause, making the policy a more likely driver of profit.
3. Example 3: The Ancient Pottery
   Argument: Archaeologists found pottery shards in Region A that are identical in style to pottery from Region B. Because Region A is 500 miles from Region B, the two populations must have engaged in trade.
   Solution:
   1. Identify the conclusion: The populations engaged in trade.
   2. Identify the gap: Could the styles have developed independently? Could one group have migrated?
   3. Find a strengthener: "The clay used in the pottery found in Region A is chemically identical to clay deposits found only in Region B." This provides physical evidence that the items moved from one place to another, supporting the trade hypothesis.

Practice Questions

1. Economic Growth: A city councilor argues that building a new stadium will boost the local economy because construction will create 500 temporary jobs. Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the councilor's argument?

• The stadium will be built using materials sourced entirely from local suppliers.
• Most of the 500 jobs will be filled by workers from neighboring cities.
• The city already has two other large sports venues.
• The stadium construction will be funded by a new tax on local small businesses.

2. Wildlife Conservation: Biologists observed that the population of songbirds in Forest X declined after the introduction of a new species of hawk. They concluded that the hawks are preying on the songbirds. Which of the following most strengthens the biologists' conclusion?

• Songbird populations in nearby Forest Y, which has no hawks, remained stable.
• The hawks are known to eat insects as well as small birds.
• Forest X has experienced a decrease in its primary tree cover due to logging.
• Songbirds in Forest X have developed new nesting habits recently.

3. Legal Ethics: A law firm partner argues that increasing the billable hour requirement will increase the firm's annual revenue. Which of the following most strengthens the partner's position?

• The firm currently has a backlog of work that existing staff cannot complete within current hours.
• Many associates at the firm have expressed a desire for a better work-life balance.
• The firm’s clients are increasingly sensitive to the high cost of legal services.
• Other law firms in the area are decreasing their billable hour requirements.

4. Public Health: A city implemented a ban on smoking in public parks. Two years later, the incidence of reported asthma attacks in the city dropped by 15%. The health department claims the ban caused the decrease. Which of the following most strengthens the claim?

• Air quality monitors showed a significant decrease in fine particulate matter in the parks after the ban.
• The city also launched a major campaign to encourage residents to exercise more.
• During the same period, the city’s population increased by 5%.
• Several new asthma clinics opened in the city during those two years.

5. Technology: An electronics company claims that their new smartphone screen is virtually indestructible because it did not crack when dropped from a height of three feet onto a wooden floor. Which of the following most strengthens the company's claim?

• The screen also remained intact when dropped from ten feet onto a concrete surface.
• The wooden floor used in the test was polished and smooth.
• The smartphone's battery life is longer than that of previous models.
• Competitors use a different type of glass for their smartphone screens.

6. Education: A school district claims that its new phonics-based reading program is superior to the old method because average reading scores rose by 5% in the first year. Which of the following most strengthens the district's claim?

• The demographic makeup of the student body remained unchanged during that year.
• Teachers received a one-time bonus for participating in the new program.
• The reading test used in the second year was easier than the one used in the first year.
• Many parents started hiring private tutors for their children during the same year.

7. Agriculture: A farmer noticed that corn yields were higher in fields treated with Fertilizer Z than in fields treated with Fertilizer W. The farmer concludes that Fertilizer Z is more effective for corn growth. Which of the following strengthens this conclusion?

• The fields treated with Fertilizer Z and Fertilizer W had identical soil quality and sunlight exposure.
• Fertilizer Z is significantly more expensive than Fertilizer W.
• The farmer used a larger amount of Fertilizer Z than Fertilizer W.
• Wheat yields were also higher in fields treated with Fertilizer Z.

8. Psychology: A study found that children who play chess score higher on math tests than children who do not. The researchers concluded that playing chess improves mathematical ability. Which of the following most strengthens the researchers' conclusion?

• A follow-up study showed that children's math scores improved significantly after they were taught to play chess.
• Children who are naturally gifted at math are more likely to be drawn to games like chess.
• The study included children from a wide variety of socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Chess involves strategic thinking and spatial awareness, which are useful in many subjects.

Answers & Explanations

1. Answer: The stadium will be built using materials sourced entirely from local suppliers.
   Explanation: The argument is that the stadium will boost the local economy. Sourcing materials locally ensures that the money spent on construction stays within the community, directly supporting the conclusion.
2. Answer: Songbird populations in nearby Forest Y, which has no hawks, remained stable.
   Explanation: This acts as a control group. By showing that songbirds didn't decline in a similar environment without hawks, it strengthens the link between the hawks' arrival and the songbirds' decline in Forest X.
3. Answer: The firm currently has a backlog of work that existing staff cannot complete within current hours.
   Explanation: For increased billable hours to lead to increased revenue, there must be actual work to bill. A backlog proves that the extra hours will be productive and billable.
4. Answer: Air quality monitors showed a significant decrease in fine particulate matter in the parks after the ban.
   Explanation: This provides a mechanism for the improvement. It shows the ban actually changed the environment in a way that would logically lead to fewer asthma attacks.
5. Answer: The screen also remained intact when dropped from ten feet onto a concrete surface.
   Explanation: "Indestructible" is a strong claim. Testing the screen under much harsher conditions (higher drop, harder surface) provides much stronger evidence for that claim than the original weak test.
6. Answer: The demographic makeup of the student body remained unchanged during that year.
   Explanation: This rules out an alternative explanation (a change in the student population) for the rise in scores, thereby strengthening the link to the new program.
7. Answer: The fields treated with Fertilizer Z and Fertilizer W had identical soil quality and sunlight exposure.
   Explanation: By controlling for other variables that affect crop yield, this ensures that the difference in yield is more likely due to the fertilizer itself.
8. Answer: A follow-up study showed that children's math scores improved significantly after they were taught to play chess.
   Explanation: This establishes a temporal sequence (chess first, then math improvement), which strongly supports a causal relationship over a mere correlation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Strengthen and a Justify question?

Strengthen questions ask for any information that helps the conclusion, even slightly. Justify (or Sufficient Assumption) questions require an answer that makes the conclusion 100% logically certain.

Can the correct answer to a strengthen question bring in new information?

Yes, strengthen questions almost always introduce new information not found in the stimulus. Your task is to accept the answer choices as true and see which one best supports the argument.

How do I handle causal arguments in strengthen questions?

To strengthen a causal claim, look for answers that eliminate alternative causes, show the cause and effect appearing together, or show that the effect does not occur when the cause is absent.

Are "strengthen" questions the same as "most strongly supported" questions?

No, they are opposites. In "strengthen" questions, you find an answer that supports the stimulus; in "most strongly supported" (Inference) questions, the stimulus supports one of the answer choices.

What should I do if two answers both seem to strengthen the argument?

Carefully re-read the conclusion. Often, one answer choice will address the conclusion more directly or provide a stronger degree of support than the other.