In an "Analyze an Argument" task, an assumption is considered "critical" to the argument if:

The correct answer to the question "In an "Analyze an Argument" task, an assumption is considered "critical" to the argument if:" is Option C: The argument's conclusion relies entirely on its truth; without it, the conclusion collapses..

The other options — A) It is explicitly stated by the author to support their conclusion., B) The argument's conclusion logically follows even if the assumption is proven false., D) It is a commonly held belief that most readers would readily accept. — are incorrect for this GRE Exam Prep question. As explained above: A critical assumption is an unstated premise without which the argument's conclusion cannot logically stand. If a critical assumption is false, the argument's reasoning fails, and the conclusion is u…