Strong & Weak Argument questions also form an important component of the Reasoning Ability syllabus of various banking/insurance/regulatory bodies exams like- RBI Grade B, RBI Assistant, SEBI Grade A, IFSCA Grade A, PFRDA Grade A, SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, SSC CPO, LIC AAO, IBPS PO, IBPS Clerk, IBPS SO, SBI PO, SBI Clerk, and many more.
In Reasoning, an ‘Argument’ is a set of statements that are intended to support a conclusion. An argument can be either strong or weak, depending on how well the statements support the conclusion.
A ‘Strong Argument’ is one in which the statements provide good evidence to support the conclusion. The statements are relevant, accurate, and reliable, and they provide a clear and compelling reason to accept the conclusion. A strong argument is one that is likely to be persuasive and convincing to the intended audience.
For example, an argument that "Smoking is harmful to health, and scientific studies have shown that smoking is a leading cause of lung cancer" is a strong argument, as the statements provide clear and convincing evidence to support the conclusion that smoking is harmful to health.
On the other hand, a ‘Weak Argument’ is one in which the statements do not provide good evidence to support the conclusion. The statements may be irrelevant, inaccurate, or unreliable, and they may not provide a clear or compelling reason to accept the conclusion. A weak argument is unlikely to be persuasive or convincing to the intended audience.
For example, an argument that "Smoking is bad because it smells bad and is expensive" is a weak argument, as the statements do not provide clear or relevant evidence to support the conclusion that smoking is bad.
Questions on strong and weak arguments are frequently asked in competitive exams because they are an effective way to test a candidate's ability to evaluate information critically and construct a persuasive argument.To answer these questions correctly, candidates need to evaluate the relevance, accuracy, and reliability of the statements, and consider how well they support the conclusion.
