PrepTest 141, Section 4, 11. Manager: This company’s supply chain…

How will the right answer fit in terms of support and conclusion?

Only the right answer will match the conclusion in the passage.

Highlight the main conclusion in the passage, if there is one:

that is an irresponsible approach

Manager: [SUPPORT]. [BACKGROUND]. But [CONCLUSION]. [BACKGROUND]. [SUPPORT].

The first sentence is not the conclusion, let’s make sure we agree about that. It wouldn’t make sense to say “that is an irresponsible approach” therefore “this company’s supply chain will develop significant weaknesses…” It only makes sense the other way around. In terms of recognizing LSAT patterns, when in doubt the disagreement is the conclusion.

Map the wording of the answers to the wording of the passage:

(B) It would be irresponsible…

This is the only answer that re-uses this wording. None of the others even has a synonym for “irresponsible” in it, so frankly this list of answers should be pretty easy to deal with.

(A) Some people argue…

Outside arguments are always background, never conclusions.

(C) If no changes are made…

This is the support from the first sentence, and definitely the most popular wrong answer among people who aren’t paying enough attention.

(D) …company should follow the same practices…

The argument doesn’t say anything like this anywhere. Don’t assume this just because it made a comparison to retirement planning. Assumptions are never conclusions anyway.

(E) Financial planners should advise…

It should be pretty clear there’s no conclusion related to retirement planning, that’s just an example the author gives.

(B) is the correct answer.

Common pattern/s in this question: It is very reliable to tag an author’s disagreement as their conclusion. That’s almost always what they’ll give support for. You’ll move faster and more confidently if you train to anticipate that’s where the argument is going whenever you see background that sounds like “Some people say…”