Logical reasoning PrepTest 101 · Section 2 · Question 13

Question prompt

Carl's Coffee Emporium stocks Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: D

The notes below walk through why it fits the stem and how to eliminate the rest.

Argument or Facts

Argument

Valid or Flawed

Valid

Question Type

Parallel Reasoning Questions / Sufficient & Necessary Questions

Stimulus Summary

Decaf AND Carl’s → French Roast OR Mocha Java
Coffee served by Yusef → Decaf
Yusef’s post-dinner coffee: ~French Roast
Therefore - Yusef’s post-dinner coffee from Carl’s → Mocha Java

Answer Anticipation

This Parallel Reasoning question is definitely steeped in conditional logic, but it’s definitely a little more complex than most conditional arguments! Let’s work through it one piece at a time.
The argument starts by bringing up two options for all coffee at a given location (“only”) - French Roast and Mocha Java. Note that even though the stimulus says “and” between them, logically, this is an OR - coffee is either FR or MJ, not both. So if you find a bag of decaf coffee at Carl’s, it’s either FR or MJ.
From there, we get another conditional - all the coffee that Yusef serves is decaf. We also learn about a specific serving of coffee from Yusef - his dessert coffee last night was not French Roast. So, putting these two together, we can say that the dessert coffee last night at Yusef’s was decaf but not FR.
From there, it reaches a conditional conclusion - “if” Yusef bought the coffee from Carl’s, then it was MJ. This is a valid argument, as we know the coffee was decaf, and so if it was purchased at Carl’s, it was either FR or MJ. Since it couldn’t have been FR, it must be MJ.
So, in short, we’re looking for an answer that has a conditional with two options in the necessary condition, then a specific case that might overlap with the first conditional (meets one of two sufficient conditions). One of the two necessary conditions from the first statement is ruled out. Then, the argument reaches a conditional conclusion that establishes - as a condition - the other half of the sufficient condition, concluding the remaining possible necessary condition:
A AND B → C OR D
E → A
E: ~C
Therefore - If E → B, then E → D
Yep, that’s complex! Let’s focus on those options, as they’re a pretty clear element to focus on.

Answer choices

  1. A
    Samuel wants to take Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    This argument isn’t valid - there’s no premise established guaranteeing that Samuel will prioritize the convertible over the sedan. It’s not established that the sedan can’t carry all three friends, nor that Samuel would pick a convertible over a more powerful sedan.

  2. B
    If Anna wants to Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    This answer concludes that Anna will not go with an initial option, which isn’t parallel to the stimulus.

  3. C
    Rose can either take Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    Similar to (B), this answer ends up concluding that an established option won’t be realized, unlike in the stimulus.

  4. D
    Werdix, Inc., has offered Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D matches the stem
    This argument starts by bringing up a conditional with an option in the necessary condition. It then shows that Amo might meet the sufficient condition of that conditional, and that he would rule out one option. It finishes with a conditional conclusion that’s predicated on Amo triggering the other sufficient condition (accepting a job at Werdix), stating that in that situation he’d go with the other option. That’s the same argument as the stimulus, so this is the correct answer.

  5. E
    If Teresa does not Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    The opening line here is an actual AND statement - her staff rebelling and the department’s efficiency declining will both happen, not one or the other.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A 10%
  2. B 3%
  3. C 6%
  4. D Credited 80%
  5. E 1%

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