Logical reasoning PrepTest 107 · Section 1 · Question 19

Question prompt

Arbitrator: The shipping manager Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: A

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

Argument or Facts

Argument

Valid or Flawed

Flawed

Question Type

Strengthen with Necessary Premise Questions

Stimulus Summary

Judgment - The shipping manager is to blame for the delayed opening
Details - He knew the contractor was typically delayed and didn’t plan for it

Answer Anticipation

Principle (Strengthen) questions generally reach a judgment in the conclusion, based on details in the premises. You should start with the judgment and work backwards to find the relevant information, as there are generally several extraneous details that can be ignored when looking at the answers!
Here, the judgment reached by the Arbitrator is that the shipping manager is to blame (too) for the delayed opening. Why does she believe that the manager is responsible? Because he was aware that the Contractor tended to face delays, and he didn’t account for that when planning.
So let’s find an answer that connects those concepts:
If someone doesn’t plan for a typical occurrence, then they share in the blame for any delays.

Answer choices

  1. A
    A manager should take Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A matches the stem
    The stimulus notes that the Contractor is “typical[ly]” delayed, so the Contractor not finishing on time was definitely a foreseeable problem. The Manager didn’t take this into account when making decisions about the opening date for the new facility. When you fail to do something you “should” do, then you share in the blame for any consequences, so this is the correct answer.
  2. B
    A manager should be Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    This answer would justify the Shipping Sanager’s claim that it isn’t his fault, and that blame rests squarely on the Contractor’s shoulders.
  3. C
    A manager should see Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    This is a tempting answer! However, the reason the Arbitrator gives for blaming the Shipping Manager is that the Contractor typically faces delays, and this wasn’t taken into account. If the rationale involved better oversight, then this would be the correct answer, but the Arbitrator relies on the foreseeability of the problem here to blame the Manager.
  4. D
    A manager should be Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    There’s no indication that the Shipping Manager directly supervised the Contractor.
  5. E
    A manager, and only Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    The Arbitrator’s conclusion is that the Shipping Manager “too” is to blame, so she believes the Contractor is also responsible - not “only a manager.” This answer also justifies holding a manager responsible, but not necessarily the Shipping Manager. Contrast this with (A), where the answer ties directly into the stimulus in that the Shipping Manager admits to making a decision in this case.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A Credited 85%
  2. B 2%
  3. C 2%
  4. D 10%
  5. E 1%

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