When a Polygraph Test is Judged Inconclusive, There is No Reflection on the Examinee.

Question: When a polygraph test is judged inconclusive, there is no reflection on the examinee. Rather, such a judgment means that the test has failed to show whether the examinee was truthful or untruthful. Nevertheless, employers will sometimes refuse to hire a job applicant because of an inconclusive polygraph test result.

Which of the following conclusions can most properly be drawn from the information above?

(A) Most examinees with inconclusive polygraph test results are in fact untruthful.
(B) Polygraph tests should not be used by employers in consideration of job applicants.
(C) An inconclusive polygraph test result is sometimes unfairly held against the examinee.
(D) A polygraph test indicating that an examinee is untruthful can sometimes be mistaken.
(E) Some employers have refused to consider the results of polygraph tests when evaluating job applicants.

“When a polygraph test is judged inconclusive, there is no reflection on the examinee.”-is a GMAT critical reasoning question. This GMAT Critical Reasoning topic has been taken from the book ‘GMAT Official Guide 2021’. GMAT critical reasoning tests the logical and analytical skills of the candidates. Critical reasoning in GMAT requires candidates to find the strengths and weaknesses of the argument, or find the logical flaw in the argument. The GMAT CR section contains 10 -13 GMAT critical reasoning questions out of 36 GMAT verbal questions. 

Answer: C
Explanation: This is a GMAT critical reasoning question. We have to select the option that can be a conclusion to the information presented in the above passage.

Let’s go through all the available options and select the one that fits the condition well.

Option A: Most examinees with inconclusive polygraph test results are in fact untruthful.

This option is incorrect because there is no information related to how often people do or do not lie. So, we can not assume that most of the examinees with inconclusive polygraph test results are untruthful. It is possible that sometimes the examinees are truthful. So, Option A is incorrect.

Option B: Polygraph tests should not be used by employers in consideration of job applicants.

This option is incorrect because the passage does not talk about polygraph test results, it talks about inconclusive polygraph test results. Is it possible that the polygraph tests are conclusive or what if the applicant is telling the truth? There is no mention of these situations in the passage. So, Option B is incorrect.

Option C: An inconclusive polygraph test result is sometimes unfairly held against the examinee.

This option is correct because there is no logically fair reason to refuse to employ someone on the basis of the inconclusive polygraph test. It is possible that the applicant is truthful and qualifies for the job. Only because the test results are inconclusive cannot form a basis for the refusal of employment. So, Option C is correct.

Option D: A polygraph test indicating that an examinee is untruthful can sometimes be mistaken.

This option is incorrect because we know that a polygraph test is not always correct but is is nowhere mentioned in the passage. Also, the passage talks about inconclusive polygraph test results and not untruthful polygraph test results. Som Option D is incorrect.

Option E: Some employers have refused to consider the results of polygraph tests when evaluating job applicants.

This option is incorrect because what some employers did is of no concern to us. Also, this statement is in total contrast to what the passage talks about. The passage says employers refuse to hire a job applicant because of an inconclusive polygraph test result. So, Option E is incorrect.

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