Information and IdeasVery hardFinding weakening a retention claim
Information and Ideas practice question
A university claims that its new mentoring scheme raised first-year student retention, noting that retention rose from 82 percent to 88 percent in the scheme's first year.
Which finding, if true, would most directly weaken the university's claim?
- A. In the same year, the university raised its entry requirements and admitted students who were, on average, better prepared.Correct
- B. The mentors received two days of training.
- C. Students rated the mentors highly in a survey.
- D. Retention at a rival university stayed at 82 percent that year.
Answer: A. In the same year, the university raised its entry requirements and admitted students who were, on average, better prepared.
Better-prepared students are more likely to stay regardless of mentoring, so the rise has a rival explanation.
Why the other answers are wrong
- B. The mentors received two days of training.
- Training details don't bear on the cause of the rise.
- C. Students rated the mentors highly in a survey.
- High ratings support the scheme, if anything.
- D. Retention at a rival university stayed at 82 percent that year.
- A flat rival makes the university's rise look MORE like the scheme's doing.
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