Although you do not need to know special analytical techniques and terminology, you should be familiar with the directions for the Argument task and with certain key concepts, including the following:

Although you do not need to know special analytical techniques and terminology, you should be familiar with the directions for the Argument task and with certain key concepts, including thefollowing:

alternative explanation a competing version of what might have caused the events in question that undercuts or qualifies the original explanation because it too can account for the observedfacts

analysis the process of breaking something (e.g., an argument) down into its component parts in order to understand how they work together to make up thewhole

argument a claim or a set of claims with reasons and evidence offered as support; a line of reasoning meant to demonstrate the truth or falsehood ofsomething

assumption a belief, often unstated or unexamined, that someone must hold in order to maintain a particular position; something that is taken for granted but that must be true in order for the conclusion to betrue

conclusion the end point reached by a line of reasoning, valid if the reasoning is sound; the resulting assertion

counterexample an example, real or hypothetical, that refutes or disproves a statement in the argument evaluation an assessment of the quality of evidence and reasons in an argument and of the overall merit of anargumentAn excellent way to prepare for the "Analyze an Argument" task is to practice writing on some of the published Argument topics. There is no one way to practice that is best for everyone. Some prefer to start practicing without adhering to the 30-minute time limit. If you follow this approach, take all the time you need to evaluate the argument. Regardless of the approach you take, consider the followingsteps:

Carefully read the argument and the specific instructions you might want to read them more thanonce.

Identify as many of the argument's claims, conclusions and underlying assumptions as possible and evaluate theirquality.

Think of as many alternative explanations and counterexamples as youcan.

Think of what specific additional evidence might weaken or lend support to theclaims.

Ask yourself what changes in the argument would make the reasoning moresound.

Write down each of these thoughts. When you've gone as far as you can with your evaluation, look over the notes and put them in a good order for discussion (perhaps by numbering them). Then write an evaluation according to the specific instructions by fully developing each point that is relevant to those instructions. Even if you choose not to write a full essay response, you should find it helpful to practice evaluating a few of the arguments and sketching out yourresponses.