Introduction
Statement & Argument questions present a debatable statement (usually a policy or "should" question) followed
by two arguments — "for" or "against." You judge whether each argument is strong (relevant and
substantially impactful) or weak (superficial, irrelevant, or based on a minor/isolated point).
Criteria for a Strong Argument
- Directly relevant to the statement's core issue.
- Points to a significant, wide-reaching consequence — not a minor or one-off detail.
- Practical and realistic, not based on extreme or unlikely scenarios.
- Doesn't just restate the statement's premise in different words.
Q. Statement: "Should all bank branches switch to fully digital, cashless service counters?"
Argument I: Yes, it would significantly reduce operational costs and processing time for routine transactions.
Argument II: No, some elderly and rural customers are not comfortable with digital-only banking and may be excluded from essential services.
Argument I is strong — it points to a substantial, general benefit (cost and time savings) relevant to the whole
banking system. Argument II is also strong — it raises a significant and widespread concern (financial exclusion
of vulnerable groups), not a minor or isolated issue.
Answer: Both arguments are strong.
⚠️ Key Insight: An argument based on an extreme, rare, or overly narrow scenario (e.g., "No,
because one customer in one branch complained") is weak — strong arguments must reflect a broad, generally
applicable concern or benefit.
💡 Exam Tip: Both arguments for and against a statement can be strong at the same time — this
isn't a contradiction; it reflects that the underlying issue is genuinely debatable from multiple angles.
✅ Practice Focus: Testing relevance and significance of each argument · Rejecting narrow or
extreme-scenario arguments · Recognising when both "for" and "against" arguments can independently be strong.