While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:The National Board of Counseling requires 500 hours of supervised...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
While researching a topic, a student has taken the following notes:
- The National Board of Counseling requires 500 hours of supervised practice for certification.
- The state of California mandates 1,000 hours of supervised practice for counseling licenses.
- Many counselors meet the national standard but cannot practice in California without additional hours.
- Professional associations have debated whether California's requirement provides better client protection.
- Some argue that the additional hours create unnecessary barriers to practice.
The student wants to evaluate California's licensing approach. Which choice most effectively uses relevant information from the notes to accomplish this goal?
California mandates 1,000 hours of supervised practice, while the National Board requires only 500 hours.
California's 1,000-hour requirement, though creating barriers that prevent some qualified counselors from practicing, reflects a deliberate choice to prioritize client protection over accessibility.
Many counselors who meet national standards cannot practice in California due to the state's higher requirements.
Professional associations continue to debate the merits of California's approach to counseling licensure.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'The National Board of Counseling requires 500 hours of supervised practice for certification.' |
|
| 'The state of California mandates 1,000 hours of supervised practice for counseling licenses.' |
|
| 'Many counselors meet the national standard but cannot practice in California without additional hours.' |
|
| 'Professional associations have debated whether California's requirement provides better client protection.' |
|
| 'Some argue that the additional hours create unnecessary barriers to practice.' |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: California's counseling license requirements are significantly higher than national standards, creating both potential benefits and access barriers that are actively debated.
Argument Flow: The notes establish the contrast between national and California requirements, show the practical impact on counselors, then present both sides of the debate about whether California's approach is beneficial (client protection) or problematic (unnecessary barriers).
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
- Since we need to "evaluate" California's approach, the correct answer should present an analysis rather than just facts
- A good evaluation would acknowledge both the potential benefits and drawbacks that are mentioned in the notes
- The notes give us both sides: the client protection argument (positive) and the unnecessary barriers argument (negative)
- The right answer should synthesize multiple pieces of information from the notes to provide a balanced assessment of California's approach, showing both what it accomplishes and what problems it creates
California mandates 1,000 hours of supervised practice, while the National Board requires only 500 hours.
- Simply states the factual difference in hour requirements
- Provides no evaluation or analysis of California's approach
- Just restates two facts from the notes without any assessment
California's 1,000-hour requirement, though creating barriers that prevent some qualified counselors from practicing, reflects a deliberate choice to prioritize client protection over accessibility.
- Acknowledges both the negative aspect (barriers preventing qualified counselors) and positive rationale (prioritizing client protection)
- Shows evaluation by weighing the trade-off between accessibility and protection
- Synthesizes multiple pieces of information from the notes into a balanced assessment
Many counselors who meet national standards cannot practice in California due to the state's higher requirements.
- States a consequence of California's requirements but doesn't evaluate the approach
- Simply restates one fact from the notes without analysis
Professional associations continue to debate the merits of California's approach to counseling licensure.
- Mentions that there's debate but doesn't actually evaluate California's approach
- Essentially says "people are discussing this" without providing the evaluation itself