GRE CR: Contradiction Questions

Contradiction questions are a distinctive GRE Critical Reasoning question type because you are expected to select an answer choice that directly contradicts a fact stated in the argument. In all other Critical Reasoning question types, you are expected to accept the facts presented at face value and target the reasoning in the argument. For example, in weaken the argument questions, you are expected to attack gaps in the reasoning rather than question or contradict the facts stated in the argument.

To solve contradiction questions, start by reading the question stem carefully so you understand that your task is to contradict a fact stated in the argument. As with all Critical Reasoning questions, develop a Mind Map that connects the key points in the argument logically. Then, evaluate each answer choice to see whether it contradicts any fact stated or implied in the argument. Go by elimination, and once you narrow the set to one choice, cross check that your selection clearly contradicts a fact stated in or implied by the argument.

The following descriptive video, part of our GRE online course, explains this question type, presents a methodical step by step approach for solving it, and demonstrates the approach on GRE-style CR contradiction problems so you see exactly how the method applies on live GRE-like questions. Take your time to absorb the question pattern and the solution methodology, and apply it consistently in the further part of your GRE preparation and practice across GRE sectional tests and GRE full-length practice tests.

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How Contradiction Questions Appear on the GRE

What do the CR Contradiction questions look like

CR contradiction questions present a short paragraph that delivers information in a focused and compact way. These passages usually range from 60 to 100 words to keep the argument clear and efficient. A direct question stem asks you to identify the specific statement that contradicts the information provided in the argument. The format remains multiple choice with five answer choices in total. Exactly one answer correctly contradicts the argument. You must spot that single statement with precision and care to resolve the question.

Virtues of a Valid Contradiction Statement

Contradicting the information presented

A contradiction statement directly challenges the information in a passage. You must identify answer choices that clearly go against the presented facts. Contradicting the given facts is both accepted and expected in this specific question type. This differs from other Critical Reasoning tasks where you examine reasoning without disputing the stated information.

Consider an example where a passage concludes that oil prices rise because the local currency declines. To weaken this conclusion, you look for statements that contradict either the change in oil prices or the movement of the currency. A Mind Map provides the necessary structure to guide your evaluation. The passage may include a Missing Link or it may already be complete, but your task remains to identify the statement that directly opposes what the passage presents.

Strategy for Solving Contradiction Questions

Approach for solving Contradicting questions

Read the question first to identify it as a contradiction question. Focus on recognizing the question type immediately so you set the right direction for your analysis. Then, read the paragraph with full attention to every detail and create a mind map that tracks the flow of ideas in a clear and connected way.

Link the key points in the passage as you build the mind map to form a logical train of thought that remains faithful to the text. Avoid forming any fixed expectation for the correct answer choice because many valid contradiction statements can exist for the same passage. Use a clean elimination process to narrow the options effectively and apply the grid method to systematically eliminate incorrect choices until you find the statement that directly opposes the passage facts.

GRE-style Contradiction Practice Question with Explanation

GRE-style Contradiction practice question with explanation

Correct Answer: D

For a detailed explanation of this question, please refer to the video presented earlier on this page.

Following is a concise, step-wise written explanation, using our Missing-Link Approach (MLA)…

Step 1: Read the Question First

The goal is to identify which statement directly contradicts the information in the passage. We are looking for something that cannot be true if the passage is true.

Step 2: Read the Paragraph Carefully

Here is the passage broken into three logical bytes:

Byte 1: In India (1910 to 1930), the number of English fiction books rose every year.
Byte 2: During the same time, the number of fiction books in all languages also rose.
Byte 3: The English fiction growth rate was lower than the growth rate of all fiction books combined.

Step 3 and 4: Evaluate and Eliminate Choices

The passage provides data on the volume of books published, not their financial or monetary value; therefore, this does not contradict the text. Eliminate.
If the total grew faster than the English portion, the proportion could not remain constant; however, this is a statement about “all books” rather than “all fiction books,” making it less direct than other options. Eliminate.
An increase of 30 percent in the number of books is entirely consistent with the premise that the number of books “continued to rise.” Eliminate.
The passage establishes that English fiction grew slower than total fiction, which mathematically requires the proportion of English fiction to decrease. A statement claiming the proportion rose from 23 percent to 25 percent directly conflicts with this mathematical reality. Keep.
A decline in the proportion from 23 percent to 21 percent is consistent with the trend described in the passage. Eliminate.