Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills Practice Questions: 15 | Critical Analysis & Reasoning Skills for MCAT PDF Download

In the past, children who were rejected or abandoned by their living parents often faced bleak futures in institutions like the poorhouse or workhouse, or they ended up living on the streets. However, today in the United States, we have a system in place to address the needs of such children - the foster care system and the department of social services.

While most children in the foster care system still have living parents, their circumstances have led to their placement in foster care. The primary goal of the system is to eventually reunite these families, which have been torn apart by various circumstances.

These circumstances can be diverse. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 60 percent of children enter the foster care system due to concerns for their own safety, often as a result of abuse or neglect. Around 16 percent are in foster care because their parents are absent, either due to incarceration or issues related to substance abuse, alcoholism, or mental illness. Another 14 percent find themselves in foster care due to their own involvement in criminal or delinquent behavior. A small minority, roughly 4 percent, are placed in foster care because their birth parents are unable to handle their child's special needs or disabilities.

Less than 1 percent of foster children are in the system because their parents have voluntarily relinquished all rights to them. For the remaining 99 percent, the agencies responsible for their care strive to create a plan for reunification with their families. Sometimes this process is relatively quick, with 20 percent of children staying in foster care for less than 6 months. However, for others, the process is slower or even unsuccessful, as 32 percent of children remain in care for more than 3 years.

In a study conducted by the Casey Family Programs in collaboration with several universities, former foster children in Washington and Oregon were examined. The study revealed concerning findings about their lives as young adults. Once they aged out of the foster care system, approximately 25 percent experienced homelessness at some point. At the time of the study, around 35 percent were living at or below the poverty level. More than 50 percent of these individuals struggled with mental health problems, ranging from anxiety and depression to more severe issues.

Among the foster children studied, 56 percent had obtained a high school diploma, while 29 percent had earned a General Educational Development (GED) certificate instead. In comparison, the general population typically sees 82 percent of individuals graduating from high school, with 5 percent earning a GE(d)

Various studies support the notion that foster care does not always serve as a positive step toward adulthood. The National Association of Social Workers found that about 80 percent of prison inmates had spent some part of their childhood in the foster care system. While this statistic may reflect the circumstances that led children to enter foster care rather than the system itself, the National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect discovered that children were 11 times more likely to experience abuse while in state care than in their own homes. This raises the question of whether the alternatives to foster care could potentially be even worse.

In summary, while the foster care system aims to reunite families and provide care for children in need, challenges and negative outcomes persist. Homelessness, poverty, mental health issues, and educational disparities are prevalent among those who have aged out of the system. Additional research indicates a link between foster care and incarceration rates, as well as a higher likelihood of experiencing abuse while in state care. These findings highlight the ongoing complexities and areas of concern within the foster care system.
Q.1. In the context of the passage, the word reconciled means:
(a) acquiescent
(b) resigned
(c) reunited
(d) resolved

Correct Answer is Option (c)
The correct answer is C. This question tests your ability to interpret vocabulary in the passage. In the fourth paragraph, the word "reconciled" is used to describe the goal of the foster care system, which is to bring the child and family back together. While choices A, B, and D are similar in meaning to reconciled, only choice C specifically conveys the idea of being brought back together.

Q.2. The central thesis of the passage is that:
(a) foster care has greatly improved since Dickens’s day.
(b) foster care is not as beneficial as it should be.
(c) foster care relies on the kindness of strangers.
(d) foster care’s goal is the creation of a new, functional family.

Correct Answer is Option (b)
The correct answer is B. This question requires you to identify the main idea of the passage. To determine the main idea, consider the point the author is trying to convey. The passage presents a negative perspective by referencing the Casey Family Programs study. This suggests that choice A is not the main idea. Furthermore, the final sentence of the passage supports this interpretation. Choice C is not mentioned in the passage, and choice D is incorrect because the passage states that the goal of foster care is to create a plan for reconciling the child and family. The best summary of the central thesis is captured in choice B.

Q.3. Based on the information in the passage, which of these outcomes is MOST likely when a young boy is placed in foster care?
(a) He will be reunited with his family within 3 years.
(b) He will spend part of his adulthood in prison.
(c) He will remain in the system due to delinquent behavior.
(d) He will be moved between two or three foster homes.

Correct Answer is Option (a)
The correct answer is A. This question requires you to make predictions based on the information provided in the passage. The phrase "MOST likely" indicates that you need to consider the option that has the highest probability. Choice B may have some likelihood, as the passage mentions that 80 percent of prisoners have spent time in foster care. However, without specific numbers comparing prisoners to foster children, it is impossible to calculate the exact odds. Choices C and D may also have some likelihood, but they are not mentioned in the passage. The passage does provide statistics in paragraph 4 that indicate that 99 percent of foster children have the goal of reconciliation. Among those, 20 percent are reconciled within 6 months, and 68 percent are reconciled within 3 years. Therefore, choice A is the most likely outcome based on the information provided.

Q.4. The passage implies that:
(a) withdrawal of care at age 18 may be detrimental to foster children.
(b) abuse and neglect are just as prevalent in foster homes as on the street.
(c) handicapped children are twice as likely to end up in foster care.
(d) a GED diploma is equivalent in value to a high school degree.

Correct Answer is Option (a)
The correct answer is A. This question asks you to make predictions based on the information presented in the passage. The phrase "MOST likely" indicates that you should consider the option with the highest probability. While choice B might have some likelihood, as mentioned in the passage that 80 percent of prisoners have had some experience in foster care, without specific numbers comparing prisoners to foster children, it is not possible to determine the exact odds. Choices C and D may also have some likelihood, but they are not explicitly mentioned in the passage. In paragraph 4, the passage provides statistics indicating that 99 percent of foster children have the goal of reconciliation, and among them, 20 percent are reunited within 6 months, and 68 percent are reunited within 3 years. Therefore, based on the information given, choice A is the most probable outcome.

Q.5. Suppose a new study of former foster children found that those who were in foster care due to incorrigibility and delinquent behavior were those who later found themselves in prison for some part of their adulthood. This new information would most CHALLENGE the implication that:
(a) foster care does not succeed in reuniting families.
(b) state care alone increases the odds of future incarceration.
(c) children are more likely to be abused in foster care.
(d) many children enter foster care because of absent parents.

Correct Answer is Option (b)
The correct answer is B. This question requires you to apply new evidence presented in the passage. The new study suggests that delinquency and not foster care itself is what leads to future incarceration. This implies that the foster care system is only incidental in the context of future incarceration. Therefore, it challenges the notion that foster care alone increases the odds of future incarceration (choice B). The new study does not have any impact on choices A, C, or D.