Statement Arguments
Key Concepts
| # | Concept | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Strong Argument | Directly & logically supports/contradicts the statement; based on universally accepted fact, experience or prevailing scenario. |
| 2 | Weak Argument | Irrelevant, ambiguous, personal, comparative without data, or based on exceptional cases. |
| 3 | Implicit Assumption | An unstated premise that must be true for the argument to hold. |
| 4 | Fact vs. Opinion | Fact: verifiable; Opinion: subjective belief. Only facts strengthen. |
| 5 | Scope Match | Argument must stay inside the scope of the statement; outside = weak. |
| 6 | Extremes & Absolutes | Words like “always/never/all” usually make the argument weak. |
| 7 | Positive–Negative Rule | Government/public-interest statements → positive arguments are preferred. |
| 8 | 3-Step Filter | (i) Relevance (ii) Truth (iii) Significance → all 3 = strong. |
15 Practice MCQs
1. Statement: Should India abolish the death penalty?
Arguments:I. Yes, because many innocents may be executed. (A)
II. No, because it acts as a deterrent to serious crime. (B)
III. Yes, because European countries have done so. (C)
IV. No, because the Bible supports it. (D)
Answer: Only I & II are strong (Option A). III is weak (foreign example), IV is belief.
Shortcut: Ignore foreign examples & religious quotes.
Tag: Scope match + Fact vs. Opinion
2. Statement: Should RRBs increase the upper-age limit for Group-D by 5 years?
Arguments:I. Yes, it will reduce unemployment among experienced youth. (A)
II. No, it will reduce chance for freshers. (B)
III. Yes, older workers are more sincere. (C)
IV. No, physical efficiency drops with age. (D)
Answer: I & II strong ⇒ choose “Both I & II” (A).
Shortcut: Balanced pros & cons both strong ⇒ “both strong”.
Tag: Balanced argument pair
3. Statement: Should night-shift allowance for railwayTrackmen be doubled?
Arguments:I. Yes, their health risk is higher. (A)
II. No, it will increase financial burden on railways. (B)
III. Yes, their work is more difficult than daytime. (C)
IV. No, other departments will also demand. (D)
Answer: I & II strong ⇒ A (both).
Shortcut: Health-risk = strong; financial burden = accepted reality.
Tag: Prevailing scenario
4. Statement: Should India make voting compulsory?
Arguments:I. Yes, it will ensure 100 % turnout. (A)
II. No, it infringes individual freedom. (B)
III. Yes, Australia has it. (C)
IV. No, illiterates will vote blindly. (D)
Answer: I & II strong ⇒ A.
Shortcut: Foreign example (III) = weak.
Tag: Foreign-scope
5. Statement: Should RRB discontinue negative marking?
Arguments:I. Yes, it discourues guessing. (A)
II. No, it improves reliability. (B)
III. Yes, rural candidates lose more. (C)
IV. No, coaching institutes favour it. (D)
Answer: II strong only (B).
Shortcut: Reliability = technical fact ⇒ strong.
Tag: Technical fact
6. Statement: Should petrol cars be banned after 2030?
Arguments:I. Yes, pollution will fall. (A)
II. No, EV infrastructure is poor. (B)
III. Yes, because Tesla supports it. (C)
IV. No, it will kill automobile jobs. (D)
Answer: I, II, IV strong ⇒ “All except III” (A).
Shortcut: Company opinion = weak.
Tag: Company opinion
7. Statement: Should railway privatise catering completely?
Arguments:I. Yes, private players give better food. (A)
II. No, prices will shoot up. (B)
III. Yes, railways can focus on safety. (C)
IV. No, private monopoly will come. (D)
Answer: All four strong ⇒ “All strong” (A).
Shortcut: Each argument is experience-based & relevant.
Tag: All-strong set
8. Statement: Should there be a common Eligibility Test for all RRB posts?
Arguments:I. Yes, it saves cost. (A)
II. No, different skills are needed. (B)
III. Yes, reduces candidate fatigue. (C)
IV. No, technical posts need separate papers. (D)
Answer: I & III weak (generic); II & IV strong ⇒ B.
Shortcut: Skill-difference = strong.
Tag: Skill match
9. Statement: Should railway stations have free Wi-Fi?
Arguments:I. Yes, passengers need connectivity. (A)
II. No, security risk increases. (B)
III. Yes, it earns through ads. (C)
IV. No, villagers misuse it. (D)
Answer: I, II, III strong ⇒ A (all except IV).
Shortcut: “Misuse by villagers” = biased ⇒ weak.
Tag: Biased language
10. Statement: Should RRB exams be conducted only in regional languages?
Arguments:I. Yes, rural candidates comfort rises. (A)
II. No, English/Hindi maintain uniformity. (B)
III. Yes, it preserves mother tongue. (C)
IV. No, question translation raises cost. (D)
Answer: All strong ⇒ A.
Shortcut: Cost & uniformity = accepted facts.
Tag: Cost-factor
11. Statement: Should railways stop issuing monthly passes?
Arguments:I. Yes, revenue loss is huge. (A)
II. No, daily commuters suffer. (B)
III. Yes, digital QR tickets are better. (C)
IV. No, it will raise road traffic. (D)
Answer: II & IV strong ⇒ C.
Shortcut: Public inconvenience = strong negative.
Tag: Public inconvenience
12. Statement: Should there be a dress code for rail passengers?
Arguments:I. Yes, it improves decorum. (A)
II. No, India has diverse cultures. (B)
III. Yes, airlines have it. (C)
IV. No, enforcement is impossible. (D)
Answer: II & IV strong ⇒ C.
Shortcut: Diversity & enforceability = strong negatives.
Tag: Diversity factor
13. Statement: Should RRB allow candidates to change exam centre after allotment?
Arguments:I. Yes, natural calamities may occur. (A)
II. No, logistical nightmare. (B)
III. Yes, it shows human face. (C)
IV. No, it will be misused. (D)
Answer: I & II strong ⇒ A.
Shortcut: Calamity = strong; logistics = strong.
Tag: Calamity clause
14. Statement: Should railways introduce dynamic pricing in all classes?
Arguments:I. Yes, it maximises revenue. (A)
II. No, poor cannot plan budget. (B)
III. Yes, airlines follow it. (C)
IV. No, it promotes black ticketing. (D)
Answer: I, II, IV strong ⇒ A.
Shortcut: Airlines example = weak (already used in Q-12).
Tag: Repetition weakness
15. Statement: Should RRB remove the interview stage completely?
Arguments:I. Yes, it reduces corruption. (A)
II. No, personality matters. (B)
III. Yes, it saves time. (C)
IV. No, already very short. (D)
Answer: I & II strong ⇒ A.
Shortcut: Corruption & personality both widely accepted.
Tag: Corruption angle
Speed Tricks
| Situation | Shortcut | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign example given | Instantly mark “weak” | “USA has done it” ⇒ weak |
| Words like ‘always/never’ | 90 % weak | “Private players always give better service” |
| Religious/book quote | Weak | “Gita says work is worship” |
| Comparison without data | Weak | “X is better than Y” (no study) |
| Public-welfare statement | Positive argument likely strong | “Will reduce accidents” ⇒ strong |
Quick Revision
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| 1 | Strong = fact + relevance + significance |
| 2 | Weak = opinion, exception, bias, foreign, religion |
| 3 | If balanced pros & cons both strong ⇒ pick “both strong” |
| 4 | Extreme words ⇒ usually weak |
| 5 | Government scheme ⇒ positive arguments preferred |
| 6 | Ignore company/brand endorsements |
| 7 | Accept universal truths (sun rises, pollution bad) |
| 8 | Scope creep ⇒ argument invalid |
| 9 | Cost & infrastructure = accepted realities |
| 10 | In 90 % questions, 2 strong 2 weak pattern ⇒ use elimination |
BETA
