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Difficulty: EasyAvoiding Out-of-Scope and 'Could Be True' Inference Traps

Based on the provided passage, evaluate whether the statement MUST BE TRUE based solely on the information given.

Passage:
During the third quarter of last year, a regional healthcare provider implemented a new digital triage system in all of its urgent care centers. During that same quarter, the average wait time for non-emergency patients at these centers decreased by 15 percent.

Statement:
The implementation of the digital triage system was the primary cause of the reduction in average wait times for non-emergency patients.

Answer: Answer

Answer

The statement is False (it cannot be definitively inferred as a must-be-true conclusion).
The statement cannot be properly inferred because the passage only establishes that two events happened during the same period. Asserting that one event caused the other goes beyond the scope of the text and relies on an unproven assumption.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the premises stated in the passage.
The passage provides two facts: (1) a digital triage system was introduced in Q3, and (2) average wait times for non-emergency patients fell by 15% in Q3.
Valid GMAT inferences rely strictly on facts explicitly stated in the stimulus.
2
Compare the statement's claim against the facts.
The statement claims that the triage system was the 'primary cause' of the wait-time drop.
The statement moves beyond mere correlation to assert a direct causal relationship.
3
Apply GMAT inference rules to evaluate logical necessity.
Two events occurring simultaneously does not prove that one caused the other; alternate explanations (such as increased staffing or lower patient volume) remain possible.
Assuming causality from concurrence is an unwarranted extrapolation trap, making the statement fail as a must-be-true conclusion.

Key Concept

Avoiding Causal and 'Could Be True' Inference Traps
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Topics

Avoiding Out-of-Scope and 'Could Be True' Inference Traps

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