NMAT 2026 Quiz 21: Assumption

Q1. A Nagar Palika has decided to ban private cars from the old market area on Sundays to make it more pleasant for pedestrians.
Assumptions:
I. Pedestrians will find the area more pleasant when there are fewer cars.
II. Shops in the district will lose most of their Sunday customers. Only assumption I is implicit Only assumption II is implicit Either I or II is implicit Neither I nor II is implicit Both I and II are implicit Correct Option A … Explanation: The stated purpose of the ban is to make the market area more pleasant for pedestrians. That purpose makes sense only if fewer cars make the area more pleasant, so assumption I is implicit. Assumption II is not implicit. Nothing in the statement suggests shops will lose most of their Sunday customers. Pedestrians can still shop, and an authority would hardly adopt a measure it expected to ruin local trade. Options B and E include II, which is not assumed. Option C applies only when two assumptions are complementary, which these are not. Option D ignores assumption I, which the decision clearly rests on. Hence, option A. Q2. A mobile app developer announced that its new update will be available only to users who have installed the latest version of the operating system.
Assumptions:
I. Users with older operating systems will be able to use the update.
II. The update depends on features that exist only in the latest operating system. Only assumption I is implicit Only assumption II is implicit Either I or II is implicit Neither I nor II is implicit Both I and II are implicit Correct Option B … Explanation: Restricting the update to users on the latest OS implies the update relies on something that only the latest OS provides, so assumption II is implicit. Assumption I directly contradicts the announcement, which says the update is available only on the latest version. Options A and E include I, which the statement rules out. Option C wrongly treats the two assumptions as alternatives. Option D overlooks assumption II, which explains the restriction. Hence, option B. Q3. A recent survey found that City K has the lowest cost of living among the cities it covered.
Assumptions:
I. City K has the smallest population among the cities covered.
II. People prefer to live in cities with a low cost of living. Only assumption I is implicit Only assumption II is implicit Either I or II is implicit Neither I nor II is implicit Both I and II are implicit Correct Option D … Explanation: The statement simply reports a survey finding about cost of living. Assumption I is not implicit because the survey says nothing about population, and cost of living does not depend on a city being the smallest. Assumption II is not implicit either. The statement makes no claim or recommendation about where people prefer to live; it only reports a fact. Options A, B, C and E all read assumptions into a purely factual report. Hence, option D. Q4. A coaching center advertises: "Our students improved their mock-test scores by an average of 20% within one month."
Assumptions:
I. Students at other coaching centers improved by less than 20% on average.
II. Prospective students regard improvement in mock-test scores as relevant evidence of a center's quality. Only assumption I is implicit Only assumption II is implicit Either I or II is implicit Neither I nor II is implicit Both I and II are implicit Correct Option B … Explanation: An advertisement highlights score improvement because it expects prospective students to see this as evidence of quality, so assumption II is implicit. Assumption I is not implicit. The ad makes no comparison with other centers, and a 20% improvement can be attractive on its own merits whether or not competitors do better or worse. Options A and E include the unsupported comparison in I. Option C wrongly treats the assumptions as alternatives. Option D ignores the persuasive logic behind the advertisement. Hence, option B. Q5. The editor of a local newspaper wrote: "Reducing the font size of our print edition will cut our paper costs."
Assumptions:
I. Readers will stop buying the paper if the font becomes smaller.
II. The newspaper has no other way to cut its costs. Only assumption I is implicit Only assumption II is implicit Either I or II is implicit Neither I nor II is implicit Both I and II are implicit Correct Option D … Explanation: The editor claims only that a smaller font, meaning more text per page and therefore fewer pages, will reduce paper costs. Assumption I is not implicit. If readers stopped buying the paper, the plan would be self-defeating, so the editor would not assume it. Assumption II is not implicit either. The editor says this measure will cut costs, not that it is the only possible way to do so. Options A, B, C and E all attribute assumptions that the statement does not need. Hence, option D. Q6. Kavita decided to carry an umbrella to work after reading in the morning paper that "heavy rain is expected in the city this afternoon."
Assumptions:
I. Newspaper weather forecasts are reliable enough to act on.
II. An umbrella offers some protection from rain. Only assumption I is implicit Only assumption II is implicit Either I or II is implicit Neither I nor II is implicit Both I and II are implicit Correct Option E … Explanation: Kavita changed her behaviour based on the newspaper forecast, which shows she trusts it enough to act on it, so assumption I is implicit. She chose an umbrella specifically because rain was expected, which shows she believes it offers some protection from rain, so assumption II is implicit. Options A and B each capture only half of her reasoning. Option C wrongly treats the assumptions as alternatives, when both underlie her decision together. Option D ignores both. Hence, option E. Q7. After a rise in noise complaints, a residents' society has banned the use of loudspeakers in its housing complex after 10 p.m.
Assumptions:
I. All residents of the housing complex want loudspeakers banned after 10 p.m.
II. Residents of the complex will generally comply with the society's rules. Only assumption I is implicit Only assumption II is implicit Either I or II is implicit Neither I nor II is implicit Both I and II are implicit Correct Option B … Explanation: A ban is meaningful only if the society expects residents to generally follow its rules, so assumption II is implicit. Assumption I is not implicit because the word "all" makes it too extreme. A rise in complaints shows that some residents object to the noise, not that every resident supports the ban. Options A and E include the extreme assumption I. Option C wrongly treats the assumptions as alternatives. Option D ignores the compliance the ban depends on. Hence, option B. Q8. A state government has made helmets compulsory for pillion riders to reduce fatalities in two-wheeler accidents.
Assumptions:
I. Wearing a helmet reduces the chance that a pillion rider is fatally injured in an accident.
II. Some fatalities in two-wheeler accidents involve pillion riders who were not wearing helmets.
III. No other measure is now needed to reduce two-wheeler fatalities. Only I is implicit Only II is implicit Only I and II are implicit Only II and III are implicit All are implicit Correct Option C … Explanation: A helmet rule aimed at cutting fatalities assumes helmets actually lower a pillion rider's risk of fatal injury, so I is implicit. The rule can reduce fatalities only if some of those deaths currently involve pillion riders without helmets, so II is implicit. If no such cases existed, the rule would change nothing. III is not implicit. Introducing one safety measure does not imply that no other measures are needed, and governments often use several measures together. Options A and B each miss one necessary assumption. Options D and E wrongly include III. Hence, option C. Q9. A university requires all first-year students to attend a two-week orientation program before classes begin to help them adapt to university life.
Assumptions:
I. Some first-year students may struggle to adapt to university life.
II. First-year students who skip an orientation program generally drop out of the university.
III. Another university also offers a similar orientation that students find sufficient. Only I is implicit Only II is implicit Only III is implicit Only I and III are implicit Only I and II are implicit Correct Option A … Explanation: A program designed to help students adapt makes sense only if some students may find adapting difficult, so I is implicit. II is not implicit because it is far too extreme. The university wants to ease adjustment, not prevent near-certain dropouts. III is not implicit because what another university does has no bearing on this university's decision. Options B, C, D and E all include an unwarranted assumption. Hence, option A. Q10. A food-delivery platform has begun displaying hygiene ratings of partner restaurants on its app to encourage restaurants to improve their standards.
Assumptions:
I. Restaurants with the lowest hygiene ratings will be forced to close.
II. Restaurants' orders are likely to be influenced by the hygiene ratings that customers see.
III. Customers rank hygiene above price and taste when choosing a restaurant. None is implicit Only III is implicit Only II is implicit Only II and III are implicit Only I and II are implicit Correct Option C … Explanation: Displaying ratings will push restaurants to improve only if the ratings affect their orders, which gives them a business reason to raise standards. So II is implicit. I is not implicit because it is extreme. The platform aims for improvement, not closures. III is not implicit because the plan needs ratings to influence some customer choices, not to outrank price and taste. Option A ignores the mechanism the plan relies on. Options B, D and E include unwarranted extreme assumptions. Hence, option C. Q11. A company's HR head emailed staff: "Employees who complete the cybersecurity training by Friday will receive one extra day of paid leave."
Assumptions:
I. Employees value additional paid leave.
II. The company wants its employees to complete the cybersecurity training.
III. All employees will complete the cybersecurity training by Friday. All are implicit Only I is implicit Only II is implicit Only II and III are implicit Only I and II are implicit Correct Option E … Explanation: Paid leave is offered as an incentive, which works only if employees value it, so I is implicit. A company offers a reward for completing training only because it wants the training completed, so II is implicit. III is not implicit. The incentive and deadline actually suggest the company is unsure everyone will finish in time, and it certainly does not assume all will. Option A wrongly includes III. Options B and C each miss one necessary assumption. Option D includes III and leaves out I. Hence, option E. Q12. A regional airline has decided to cancel its loss-making short-haul routes and redeploy the released aircraft to long-haul routes.
Assumptions:
I. Long-haul routes will be more profitable than the short-haul routes being cancelled.
II. The short-haul routes supply a large share of the passengers on the airline's long-haul routes.
III. The aircraft released from short-haul routes are suitable for long-haul flying.
IV. All passengers on the cancelled routes will switch to other airlines. Only I and II are implicit Only I, II and III are implicit Only I and III are implicit Only III and IV are implicit Only I, III and IV are implicit Correct Option C … Explanation: Moving aircraft from loss-making routes to long-haul routes makes sense only if long-haul flying will be more profitable, so I is implicit. Redeployment is possible only if the released aircraft can fly long-haul, so III is implicit. II is not implicit. If short-haul routes fed many long-haul passengers, cancelling them would hurt the airline, so assuming II would undermine the decision. IV is not implicit because it is extreme ("all"), and what passengers do afterwards does not affect the logic of the decision. Options A and B include II. Options D and E include IV. Hence, option C. Q13. A publishing house is printing only a limited number of copies of a debut author's novel and will decide on a reprint after seeing first-month sales.
Assumptions:
I. Debut novels always sell fewer copies than novels by established authors.
II. First-month sales give a useful indication of later demand.
III. Additional copies can be printed in time to meet demand if first-month sales are strong.
IV. The publisher does not expect the novel to sell out within a month. Only I and II are implicit Only II, III and IV are implicit Only I, II and III are implicit Only II and III are implicit Only III and IV are implicit Correct Option D … Explanation: Basing the reprint decision on first-month sales assumes those sales are a useful signal of later demand, so II is implicit. The "wait and reprint" approach works only if extra copies can be produced in time to meet strong demand, so III is implicit. I is not implicit because "always" is extreme, and a limited print run reflects caution, not certainty about lower sales. IV is not implicit either. The plan is designed to handle strong sales through a reprint, so it does not depend on the publisher expecting the novel not to sell out. Options A and C include I. Options B and E include IV, and E also leaves out II. Hence, option D. Q14. Since the city library began offering weekend story hours for preschoolers two years ago, the number of children's books borrowed there has risen by 40 percent. The library's director concludes that the story hours have increased children's interest in borrowing books. Which of the following is an assumption on which the director's conclusion depends? The story hours are attended by more children than any other library program. Most children who attend a story hour borrow a book during the same visit. The increase in borrowing was not caused mainly by something other than the story hours. The library has bought more children's books than it did two years ago. Borrowing of books for adults at the library did not increase over the same period. Correct Option C … Explanation: The director draws a causal conclusion from a correlation: story hours began, and borrowing rose. For this to hold, the director must assume no other factor mainly caused the increase. Applying the negation test: if something else mainly drove the rise, the conclusion collapses. Option A compares story hours with other programs, which is irrelevant to whether they caused the rise. Option B is not required, since children could borrow books on later visits. Option D, if true, would introduce a possible alternative cause rather than support the conclusion. Option E is not necessary, because adult borrowing could change for unrelated reasons. Hence, option C. Q15. Since a telecom company introduced its new online billing portal six months ago, it has received only a handful of complaints about it. The customer-service head concludes that the vast majority of customers who use the portal are satisfied with it. The customer-service head assumes that: The portal was designed by the same team that designed the previous billing system. Most customers who are dissatisfied with the portal would have taken the trouble to complain to the company. Customers who use the portal pay their bills faster than customers who use other methods. The complaints received concern problems that have since been fixed. The company received fewer complaints about the portal than about its previous billing system. Correct Option B … Explanation: The argument treats a low number of complaints as evidence of high satisfaction. That works only if dissatisfied customers would actually complain. Negating B shows the dependence: if most unhappy customers simply did not bother to complain, few complaints would say nothing about satisfaction. Option A is irrelevant to customer satisfaction. Option C concerns payment speed, not satisfaction. Option D addresses whether problems were fixed, not whether few complaints reflect satisfaction. Option E introduces a comparison the argument does not rely on. Hence, option B. Q16. A survey of residents who have never visited the city museum found that 60 percent said the main reason is that its opening hours clash with their work schedules. The museum's trustees therefore plan to stay open until 9 p.m. on weekdays, expecting a significant rise in visitors. The trustees' expectation depends on which of the following assumptions? The museum will not need to hire additional staff to remain open longer. Most of the museum's current visitors come on weekends. Residents who have visited the museum before are more likely to visit again than those who have not. Other museums in the city have extended their hours and gained visitors. Many of the residents who cited work-schedule conflicts would actually visit if the museum were open on weekday evenings. Correct Option E … Explanation: The trustees move from what residents say (timing is the obstacle) to what they will do (visit once hours are extended). The plan succeeds only if many of those residents would actually come in the evenings. If they would not, visitor numbers would not rise. Option A concerns staffing costs, not whether visitors will increase. Option B describes current visitors, while the plan targets non-visitors. Option C concerns repeat visitors, which is irrelevant here. Option D would lend some support but is not necessary for the trustees' expectation. Hence, option E. Q17. The town of Alpha reduced its crime rate by 30 percent after installing street cameras in its main shopping district. The neighboring town of Beta, which is similar to Alpha in population, layout and mix of businesses, plans to install cameras in its own shopping district. Beta's mayor expects crime there to drop significantly. The mayor's expectation relies on which of the following assumptions? Alpha's crime drop resulted from the cameras, not another factor Beta will lack. Crime in Beta is currently higher than crime was in Alpha before its cameras. Alpha's cameras cost less than the cameras Beta plans to buy. Most residents of Beta support the installation of cameras. Cameras are the most effective crime-prevention measure available. Correct Option A … Explanation: The mayor reasons by analogy: cameras cut crime in Alpha, so they will do the same in Beta. This holds only if the cameras actually caused Alpha's drop, rather than some other factor that Beta does not share. If another factor was responsible, Beta cannot expect the same result. Option B is unnecessary, since crime can fall significantly regardless of how Beta's current level compares with Alpha's. Option C concerns cost, which does not affect crime reduction. Option D concerns public support, which is not needed for cameras to deter crime. Option E is too strong, because cameras need only be effective, not the most effective measure. Hence, option A. Q18. Over the past decade, the number of registered cyclists in Indore has doubled, while the number of cycling accidents reported to the police has risen by only 10 percent. Officials credit the city's new network of protected bike lanes for making cycling safer per rider. The officials' conclusion depends on which of the following assumptions? Protected bike lanes have been built in every part of the city. Car drivers in Indore have become more careful over the decade. The share of cycling accidents reported to the police has not fallen substantially. Cyclists in Indore ride longer distances than they did ten years ago. Most cycling accidents in Indore used to occur in areas that now have protected bike lanes. Correct Option C … Explanation: The officials use reported accidents as a measure of actual accidents. If the share of accidents being reported had fallen sharply, actual accidents could have risen much faster than 10 percent, and the safety conclusion would collapse. So the argument depends on the reporting share staying roughly stable. Option A is extreme, since lanes need not cover every part of the city to improve safety. Option B offers an alternative explanation that would weaken the officials' credit to the bike lanes. Option D is not required, and longer rides would, if anything, make the figures more impressive. Option E might support the claim, but "most" is stronger than the argument needs. Hence, option C. Q19. Nutritionist: Packaged snacks labeled "low fat" are generally no healthier than their regular versions, because manufacturers typically replace the removed fat with added sugar. Consequently, consumers who switch to low-fat snacks in order to improve their health are unlikely to succeed. The nutritionist's argument assumes which of the following? Low-fat snacks cost more than regular snacks. Added sugar is not significantly less harmful than the replaced fat. Most consumers who buy low-fat snacks read the nutrition labels. Most consumers who buy low-fat snacks are not trying to lose weight. Excess fat is the main cause of unhealthy diets. Correct Option B … Explanation: The nutritionist argues that swapping fat for sugar leaves the snack no healthier. This holds only if the added sugar is not much less harmful than the fat it replaces. Negating B shows the dependence: if sugar were far less harmful, low-fat snacks would be healthier and switching would help. Option A concerns cost, which is irrelevant to health. Option C concerns label-reading, which does not affect the snack's actual health value. Option D shifts the focus to weight loss, while the argument concerns health in general. Option E is too strong and not needed for the argument. Hence, option B. Q20. A mango exporter says that, on average, 20 percent of each sea-freight shipment spoils, while air-freighted shipments spoil almost not at all. Air freight costs the equivalent of 12 percent of a shipment's value more than sea freight. The exporter concludes that switching to air freight will raise its profit. The exporter assumes which of the following? Apart from the higher freight cost, switching to air freight will not affect the quality or selling price of the mangoes. Apart from the higher freight cost, switching to air freight will not increase delivery time or reduce the quality of the mangoes. Apart from the higher freight cost, switching to air freight will not affect the exporter's competitive position or market share. Apart from the higher freight cost, switching to air freight will not add expenses or reduce revenue by an amount that offsets the gain from reduced spoilage. Apart from the higher freight cost, switching to air freight will not affect the exporter's existing distribution arrangements or customer relationships. Correct Option D … Explanation: Air freight saves roughly 20 percent of shipment value in spoilage and costs 12 percent more, leaving a net gain of about 8 percent. Profit rises only if no other added costs or lost revenue wipe out that margin, which is exactly what D states. Negating D shows the dependence: if other effects offset the gain, profit would not rise. Options A, B, C and E are each too strong. Some change in price, quality, delivery time, market position or distribution could occur without cancelling the 8 percent net gain. The exporter does not need these factors to stay completely unchanged, only for their combined effect not to erase the gain. Hence, option D.