具体来说，它是在考察应试者三个大方面的逻辑能力：1. argument construction （论点构造）；2. argument evaluation (论点评价)；3. formulating or evaluating a plan of action (阐明或者评价一个行动计划)。
GMAT中的Critical Reasoning一般有14至15道题，题干由一段结论陈述句、一段提问和5项与之相关的原因和假设组成，要求考生在一定时间内从5项原因和假设中选择出最佳的一项。Critical Reasoning没有任何direction，所以看懂文章是很重要的关键因素。不过也可以通过加深对出现的各种题型的认识，和一些考试技巧的总结，来提高答题的正确率。
(一)、论点构造题
这一方面的问题主要让考生去识别或找到：the basic structure of an argument（论述的基本结构），properly drawn conclusion（正确得到的结论），underlying assumption （隐含的假设），well-supported explanatory hypotheses（有力的解释性假说）以及parallels between structurally similar arguments（结构上相似的论点的类似性）。换句话说，这类题型考察的就是我们识别怎样的前提或附加信息可以得出、支持或削弱既定结论的能力。从根本上看，就是在考察演绎推理的能力。
The cost of producing radios in Country Q is ten percent less than the cost of producing radios in Country Y. Even after transportation fees
and tariff charges are added, it is still cheaper for a company to import radios from Country Q to Country Y than to produce radios in Country Y.
The statements above, if true, best support which of the following assertions?
(A) Labor costs in Country Q are ten percent below those in Country Y.
(B) Importing radios from Country Q to Country Y will eliminate ten percent of the manufacturing jobs in Country Y.
(C) The tariff on a radio imported from Country Q to Country Y is less than ten percent of the cost of manufacturing the radio in Country Y.
(D) The fee for transporting a radio from Country Q to Country Y is more than ten percent of the cost of manufacturing the radio in Country Q.
(E) It takes ten percent less time to manufacture a radio in Country Q than it does in Country Y.
很明显，题干中出现了2个比较对象：the cost of producing radios in Country Q, the cost of producing radios in Country Y, 和一个矛盾点：transportation fees and tariff charges。只有C项触及了题干中出现比较对象和矛盾点。因此C是最佳选项。作者: bigpig 时间: 2010-4-26 15:59
(二)、论点评价题
这一方面的问题主要让应试者在分析既定的论点基础之上去识别：factors that would strengthen, or weaken, the given argument（加强或削弱既定论点的因素），reasoning errors committed in making that argument（推理错误），以及the method by which the argument proceeds（论述方法）。也就是说，这类题型是在考察考生归纳推理的能力，要让考生根据题干中已有的推理找出支持、反驳观点以及假设条件。
解读题干的时候，要快读，迅速获取读得懂的信息。同时由于题干一般较长，要注意后面的信息比较重要，不能遗漏。读题干的时候，还可以思考：推出结论还需要什么样的附加信息？
判断这类题型5个选项的相关性时，可以使用如下判别方法：
1. 如果选项中没有比较，而其中设计的事件题干中有涉及，就有相关关系；
2. 如果选项中有比较，而比较的两个对象和比较点题干中都有涉及，就有相关关系；有一条没有，就是无关选项。
3. 有关项多于一项时，根据提示，取支持或反对结论的那一项。进一步分析，若多个选项取向相同，对于多个支持或多个反对结论的相关选项，要取更绝对化的那个；或者，把它们取非，带入题干结论，去掉使结论一定不成立那项。
来看下面这道例题：
Teenagers are often priced out of the labor market by the government-mandated minimum-wage level because employers cannot afford to pay that much for extra help. Therefore, if ConGREss institutes a subminimum wage, a new lower
legal wage for teenagers, the teenage unemployment rate, which has been rising since 1960, will no longer increase.
Which of the following statements, if true, would most weaken the argument above?
(A) Since 1960 the teenage unemployment rate has risen when the minimum wage has risen.
(B) Since 1960 the teenage unemployment rate has risen even when the minimum wage remained constant.
(C) Employers often hire extra help during holiday and warm weather seasons.
(D) The teenage unemployment rate rose more quickly in the 1970’s than it did in the 1960’s.
(E) The teenage unemployment rate has occasionally declined in the years since 1960.
应对这道题时，先看选项的相关性。显然，只有选项A和B是有关的。而且，A、B两项都是驳斥题干观点的。因此，要选出驳斥力较强的一项。我们可以把两项取非，这时B比A更加绝对，teenage unemployment rate与minimum wage之间的落差更大。因此，B是最佳选项。作者: bigpig 时间: 2010-4-26 16:00
(三)、行动计划类题型
这方面的问题主要让你去识别：the relative appropriateness, effectiveness, or efficiency of different plans of action（不同行动方案的相对合适性、有效性或效率），factors that would strengthen, or weaken, the prospects of success for a proposed plan of action（加强或削弱拟议行动方案成功的因素），assumptions underlying a proposed plan of action（拟议行动计划基于的假设）。
