HSRT COMPREHENSIVE EXAM 2026 QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔How to succeed with deduction based questions - ✔✔Deductive arguments aren't
concerned with what's true or false, rather what's valid or invalid
Based on the premises of the argument, you'll have to choose which deduction is
correct, making a deductively valid argument.
You must answer YES or NO
✔✔Some objects with four wheels are cars. All cars posses a steering wheel. This
object has four wheels but no steering wheel. Therefore:
a. this object is a car
b. this object is not a car
c. this object is a bike - ✔✔Deduction B
This object is not a car. If both premises are true,
-all cars possess a steering wheel
-some objects with four wheels are cars
-Therefore, an object with no steering wheel is not a car
✔✔Evaluation of argument - ✔✔This is the process of determining whether an
argument is strong or weak, in general. This is based on 3 things:
1) how relevant the argument is
2) how well supported the argument is by the sentence
3) Whether or not the argument avoids argumentative fallacies
✔✔How to succeed on questions involving evaluations of arguments: - ✔✔You will get
a statement or a question followed by three arguments made based off of that
statement or question. You must decide whether these arguments are strong or weak
✔✔Should private schools be taxed more heavily to pay for state school's pupil's
meals?
Yes, those children are going hungry! - ✔✔Weak Argument
Appeal to emotion- while it might be true these children are going hungry, the argument
appeals to emotion. It's attempting to stir an emotional response from you rather than a
logical one
✔✔Should private schools be taxed more heavily to pay for state school's pupil's
meals?
, No- big businesses should be taxed instead of private schools. Taxing private schools
should reduce the incentive to private a good service, and could lower the quality of
teaching - ✔✔Weak Argument
Double Standard- if schools are taxed it lowers the incentive for those schools to make
money, since they're a business. If a large business is taxed more they might move to a
lower tax bracket so they don't have to pay as much
✔✔Should private schools be taxed more heavily to pay for state school's pupil's
meals?
No- we live in a free market and therefore private schools deserve the profits they
make. That's just the way it is - ✔✔Weak Argument
is/ought fallacy- statement aks if we ought to tax private schools more heavily and
argument is saying. Argument is saying that it is the case that these schools don't pay
higher taxes and shouldn't have to
✔✔ How to succeed with assumption based questions: - ✔✔Think about which of the
claims are required to be true in order for the initial statement to also be true
✔✔Fallacy - ✔✔a false belief; an error in thinking
✔✔Formal Logical Fallacies - ✔✔Poorly constructed arguments
✔✔Informal Logical Fallacies - ✔✔fallacies that appear in everyday reasoning
-Appeal to emotion
-Appeals to authority
✔✔Strawman Fallacy - ✔✔Misrepresenting someone's argument to make it easier to
attack
✔✔Strawman Fallacy example - ✔✔Person A: The children's winter concert at the
school should include non-Christmas songs too. Person B: You won't be happy until
Christmas songs are banned from being played on the radio!
✔✔slippery slope fallacy - ✔✔a course of action that seems to lead inevitably from one
action or result to another with unintended consequences that might seem ludicrous
✔✔slippery slope fallacy example - ✔✔"If I allow my son to become an atheist, he'll start
murdering people for fun! Nothing will stop him from doing bad things, because he'll
have no morals at all!"
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔How to succeed with deduction based questions - ✔✔Deductive arguments aren't
concerned with what's true or false, rather what's valid or invalid
Based on the premises of the argument, you'll have to choose which deduction is
correct, making a deductively valid argument.
You must answer YES or NO
✔✔Some objects with four wheels are cars. All cars posses a steering wheel. This
object has four wheels but no steering wheel. Therefore:
a. this object is a car
b. this object is not a car
c. this object is a bike - ✔✔Deduction B
This object is not a car. If both premises are true,
-all cars possess a steering wheel
-some objects with four wheels are cars
-Therefore, an object with no steering wheel is not a car
✔✔Evaluation of argument - ✔✔This is the process of determining whether an
argument is strong or weak, in general. This is based on 3 things:
1) how relevant the argument is
2) how well supported the argument is by the sentence
3) Whether or not the argument avoids argumentative fallacies
✔✔How to succeed on questions involving evaluations of arguments: - ✔✔You will get
a statement or a question followed by three arguments made based off of that
statement or question. You must decide whether these arguments are strong or weak
✔✔Should private schools be taxed more heavily to pay for state school's pupil's
meals?
Yes, those children are going hungry! - ✔✔Weak Argument
Appeal to emotion- while it might be true these children are going hungry, the argument
appeals to emotion. It's attempting to stir an emotional response from you rather than a
logical one
✔✔Should private schools be taxed more heavily to pay for state school's pupil's
meals?
, No- big businesses should be taxed instead of private schools. Taxing private schools
should reduce the incentive to private a good service, and could lower the quality of
teaching - ✔✔Weak Argument
Double Standard- if schools are taxed it lowers the incentive for those schools to make
money, since they're a business. If a large business is taxed more they might move to a
lower tax bracket so they don't have to pay as much
✔✔Should private schools be taxed more heavily to pay for state school's pupil's
meals?
No- we live in a free market and therefore private schools deserve the profits they
make. That's just the way it is - ✔✔Weak Argument
is/ought fallacy- statement aks if we ought to tax private schools more heavily and
argument is saying. Argument is saying that it is the case that these schools don't pay
higher taxes and shouldn't have to
✔✔ How to succeed with assumption based questions: - ✔✔Think about which of the
claims are required to be true in order for the initial statement to also be true
✔✔Fallacy - ✔✔a false belief; an error in thinking
✔✔Formal Logical Fallacies - ✔✔Poorly constructed arguments
✔✔Informal Logical Fallacies - ✔✔fallacies that appear in everyday reasoning
-Appeal to emotion
-Appeals to authority
✔✔Strawman Fallacy - ✔✔Misrepresenting someone's argument to make it easier to
attack
✔✔Strawman Fallacy example - ✔✔Person A: The children's winter concert at the
school should include non-Christmas songs too. Person B: You won't be happy until
Christmas songs are banned from being played on the radio!
✔✔slippery slope fallacy - ✔✔a course of action that seems to lead inevitably from one
action or result to another with unintended consequences that might seem ludicrous
✔✔slippery slope fallacy example - ✔✔"If I allow my son to become an atheist, he'll start
murdering people for fun! Nothing will stop him from doing bad things, because he'll
have no morals at all!"
