Last updated July 07, 2026 · Reviewed by the AnvayaPrep team
Introduction
Evaluate and Complete the Argument Questions cover two related but distinct question types. Evaluate questions ask what additional information would be most useful in determining whether an argument succeeds or fails. Complete the Argument (Fill in the Blank) questions ask what statement most logically fills a gap in a partially stated argument.
Together these question types appear approximately 4 to 7 times per LSAT administration. Both test a sophisticated form of argument analysis: understanding not just the argument's current logical status, but what information would change that status (Evaluate) or what logical step is missing from its chain (Complete).
The 31 topics in this unit cover: defining and applying the Yes/No Test for Evaluate questions, recognizing the bidirectional quality of correct Evaluate answers, identifying the common gap types targeted by Evaluate questions, handling different completion scenarios (premise completion, conclusion completion, strengthen completion, logical flow completion), translating completion indicator words (therefore, because, however, unless) into their completion type, pre-phrasing completion answers, recognizing completion answer traps, evaluating causal and analogical arguments for what information would help assess them, and applying the useful-information-questions strategy.
Learning Objectives
- Apply the Yes/No Test to evaluate question answer choices: verify that one possible answer would strengthen the argument while the opposite would weaken it.
- Identify the bidirectional quality of correct Evaluate answers: the information must cut both ways depending on the answer.
- Recognize the most common gap types targeted by Evaluate questions: causal validity, sample representativeness, comparison validity, prediction conditions, and analogy strength.
- Identify which type of completion is needed from the indicator word: "because" (premise), "therefore" (conclusion), "however" (counterpoint/contrast), "unless" (conditional limit).
- Pre-phrase the logical content of a completion before reading answer choices by following the argument's chain to its missing link.
- Recognize and avoid the most common completion traps: answers that complete the wrong part of the argument, answers that are too strong or too weak, and answers that introduce irrelevant information.
High-Yield Concepts
| Evaluate Question Characteristic | What It Means | How to Test |
|---|---|---|
| Bidirectional impact | Correct answer's "yes" version strengthens; "no" version weakens | Apply the Yes/No Test |
| Targets the argument's gap | The evaluation is about the specific weakness in the argument | Identify the gap first |
| Information questions | Phrased as "would it be useful to know whether..." | Apply Yes/No to the "whether" question |
| Completion Indicator | Type of Completion Needed | What to Fill In |
|---|---|---|
| ...therefore, [blank] | Conclusion completion | What do the premises establish? |
| ...[blank], because the evidence shows... | Premise completion | What claim does this evidence support? |
| ...however, [blank] | Contrast or qualification | What qualifies or counters the preceding point? |
| ...[blank], unless certain conditions exist | Conditional limit | What is the default that holds unless conditions override? |
| ...and so it follows that [blank] | Logical consequence | What must be true given what precedes? |
For Evaluate questions, take each answer choice and ask: "If the answer to this is YES, does that help the argument? If the answer is NO, does that hurt it?" The correct answer shows opposite effects depending on the response. Wrong answers either cut only one direction (only strengthen or only weaken) or have no effect at all.
Study Strategy
Begin by mastering the Yes/No Test as the primary Evaluate technique. Practice applying it to 15 to 20 Evaluate questions before moving to other sub-topics.
For Complete the Argument questions, master the indicator-word approach first. Knowing what type of completion a particular indicator word requires (premise, conclusion, contrast, conditional) focuses the search before reading answer choices.
Study the common gap types that Evaluate questions target: causal validity (would knowing whether A causes B help?), sample representativeness (would knowing whether the sample reflects the population help?), comparison validity (would knowing whether the cases are truly comparable help?). These patterns repeat across many Evaluate questions.
Practice pre-phrasing completions by reading the passage with the blank and predicting the missing statement based on the argument's logical flow. Even an approximate prediction dramatically narrows the answer choices.
Evaluate questions are like asking what kind of test would tell you if a bridge is safe. The correct test is one that gives different verdicts depending on the result: if the test passes, the bridge is safe; if it fails, the bridge is unsafe. A test that always gives the same verdict regardless of the bridge's condition tells you nothing useful.
Common Mistakes
Selecting one-directional Evaluate answers. The most common error is selecting an answer that only strengthens (or only weakens) regardless of how the information comes out. If knowing something can only help the argument (never hurt it), it is not the most useful evaluation tool. You need information that discriminates between the argument being valid and being invalid.
Completing the wrong part of the argument. In Complete questions, students sometimes fill in a conclusion when a premise is needed, or fill in a premise when a conclusion is needed. Reading the indicator word carefully prevents this.
Selecting completions that are too strong. A completion that overstates what the argument's premises can support is wrong. The correct completion flows naturally from the logical chain: it is what the argument should say, not what would be ideal for the argument to say.
Ignoring context when completing contrasting statements. "However" and "but" signal that the completion contrasts with the preceding statement. Students sometimes fill in a completion that continues the same direction rather than introducing a contrast or qualification.
Exam Tips
On Evaluate questions, identify the argument's gap before applying the Yes/No Test. This focuses the test on the most relevant dimension. Then apply the test to each answer choice systematically.
On Complete questions, read the passage slowly up to the blank and try to predict the completion from the argument's logical flow. Even if your prediction does not match an answer choice exactly, it guides elimination.
The "useful information questions" variant asks "which of the following would be most useful to know in evaluating the argument?" This is identical in structure to regular Evaluate questions. Apply the Yes/No Test normally.
For Complete the Argument questions, do not select an answer simply because it makes the argument stronger or more interesting. The correct completion is the one that most logically flows from the argument's chain. An answer that would be a good addition to the argument but does not follow naturally from the preceding premises is wrong, even if it strengthens the conclusion.
Sign up free to keep reading
Create a free AnvayaPrep account to finish this LSAT guide on Evaluate and Complete the Argument — plus flashcards and practice questions.