While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:Professor Martinez uses a weighted grading formula in her advanced...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- Professor Martinez uses a weighted grading formula in her advanced chemistry course.
- Students complete varying numbers of lab experiments throughout the semester.
- Final grades incorporate both individual participation and experimental work.
- The grading formula assigns 1 point per class attendance and 2.2 points per completed lab experiment.
- Students who attend regularly but complete fewer experiments often receive lower grades than students with perfect attendance who complete many experiments.
- Some students have questioned whether the system penalizes those who focus on consistent attendance.
The student wants to refute a claim that the grading system penalizes students who complete many experiments. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
Professor Martinez's grading formula creates disparities by penalizing students who focus primarily on attendance rather than experimental work.
Assigning 2.2 points per lab experiment versus 1 point per attendance, the weighted system actually advantages students who complete many experiments, disproving claims that it penalizes experimental work.
Students have questioned whether Professor Martinez's grading system fairly balances participation and experimental completion.
The weighted grading formula incorporates both attendance and lab experiments, though students with perfect attendance may still receive lower grades.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Professor Martinez uses a weighted grading formula in her advanced chemistry course." |
|
| "Students complete varying numbers of lab experiments throughout the semester." |
|
| "Final grades incorporate both individual participation and experimental work." |
|
| "The grading formula assigns 1 point per class attendance and 2.2 points per completed lab experiment." |
|
| "Students who attend regularly but complete fewer experiments often receive lower grades than students with perfect attendance who complete many experiments." |
|
| "Some students have questioned whether the system penalizes those who focus on consistent attendance." |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Professor Martinez uses a weighted grading system that assigns more points to lab experiments (2.2 points) than to class attendance (1 point), leading to higher grades for students who complete many experiments.
Argument Flow: The notes establish Martinez's weighted grading system, explain its components and point distribution, demonstrate how this weighting affects student outcomes in practice, and conclude with student concerns about whether the system unfairly penalizes those who prioritize attendance over experimental work.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- To refute the claim that the system penalizes students who complete many experiments, we need evidence showing the opposite—that students who complete many experiments are actually advantaged
- The key evidence is that labs are worth 2.2 points while attendance is only worth 1 point, meaning experiments are valued more highly
Professor Martinez's grading formula creates disparities by penalizing students who focus primarily on attendance rather than experimental work.
✗ Incorrect
- Claims the system penalizes students who focus on attendance, not experiments
- This doesn't refute the claim we're supposed to refute
Assigning 2.2 points per lab experiment versus 1 point per attendance, the weighted system actually advantages students who complete many experiments, disproving claims that it penalizes experimental work.
✓ Correct
- Uses the specific point values (2.2 vs 1) from our notes and directly states that the weighted system advantages students who complete many experiments
- Which disproves claims that it penalizes experimental work
Students have questioned whether Professor Martinez's grading system fairly balances participation and experimental completion.
✗ Incorrect
- Simply restates that students have questioned the system without providing any argument for or against the claim
The weighted grading formula incorporates both attendance and lab experiments, though students with perfect attendance may still receive lower grades.
✗ Incorrect
- Acknowledges that students with perfect attendance may still receive lower grades
- Which doesn't help refute the claim about penalizing experimental work