What is the difference between assumption and inference

However, this is only your belief. In other words, you have based this assumption on your belief. If the belief is a sound one, then your assumption can also be a sound one. Therefore, assumptions can be justified or unjustified, depending on your reason for forming them.

In logical reasoning, an assumption is an unstated link in the chain of evidence and conclusion. To find the assumption, you have to find the gap in an argument and filling it. An inference is a conclusion you draw depending on your observations. Making an inference means arriving at a conclusion after logically analyzing the available evidence and facts.

We can also explain it as a logical interpretation or explanation of your observations. Similarly, imagine a situation where you are talking with your friend, you can observe the change in his tone, mood and body language and infer what he is feeling.

Inference can also be made from the observations, evidence or facts that are gathered by someone else. Lara infers this, assuming that Prof. Camilla reads and responds to her emails.

So, now you know the difference between assumptions and inferences. The next step is to apply these concepts and strategies and invest a good amount of time in practicing CR questions from previous year CAT papers and mock tests. You can also see Percentage concepts, questions and shortcut tricks for the CAT exam. Enroll Now. Download Unacademy App. Really,helpful article. Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. On the other hand, assumption is a new information and can never be logically deduced from any given information. Inference must be true if the given information is true.

Generally, the questions structure of the two varies in the following ways: If the statements above are true, which of the following must be true? Inference Select the assumption on which the argument depends? Assumption As you can see, in the above question, you are basically asked to logically deduce the inference from the given set of statements. An assumption must have a conclusion while an inference is rarely followed by any conclusion. Infact, you can formulate logical inferences from given assumptions.

Given below is the strategy to get hold on assumption-based questions : 1. Identify the conclusion Once you have found the premise given in the question, the next step is to look for the conclusion.

Identify the assumption When you know the premise and conclusion, it is easy to figure out the assumption. It is better to avoid formulating assumptions before reading the option since we tend to make assumptions based on our personal beliefs and biases. A good way would be to negate a given answer choice to check if the conclusion can be arrived at or not.

Understand the question Firstly, you need to be sure that the question is asking for an inference. The inference-based questions generally appear in the following forms: The above information supports which of the following assertions? What conclusion can be drawn from the evidence above?

Which of the following assertions is most strongly supported by the evidence above? Which of the following conclusions can most likely be drawn from the information above? Simplify the statements The statements given in the question often make use of jargons and appear complicated to students. Evaluate options Once you have simplified the given information, the next task is to check which option follows from it.

While evaluating answer choices, keep the following things in mind: An inference can never be a direct line from the given passage. Extreme answer choices should not be chosen.

The selected answer should lie within the scope of the passage. You should not assume anything unrelated to the given statements. Example: Statement : When bears are injected with certain chemicals A and C they start showing erratic behaviour. Logical Reasoning Assumptions. Sample Assumption Question.

Isaac wears glasses. Evaluating the Answer Choices. Keep a close eye on what the question is asking for, and read accordingly. Necessary vs. Need Help? Outside the U. View our International Programs.