Logical reasoning PrepTest 120 · Section 3 · Question 3

Incorrect. The Dean's list is relevant only to the order of selection. Additionally, not all fourth-year students are guaranteed dorm rooms—that's a reversal of the first conditional.

Incorrect. The second conditional guarantees that the individual who is on the dean's list gets to pick a room before someone who isn't, not the other way around, as this answer states.

Incorrect. There's nothing that's sufficient to guarantee someone a dorm room—it is itself a sufficient condition to be guaranteed one!

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Facts

Question Type:
Must Be True

Stimulus Summary:
Guaranteed a dorm → Fourth-year student
Fourth-year student AND Dean's list → Choose before non-fourth-year students

Answer Anticipation:
A note on the first conditional. "The only" is a tricky indicator word, but the easiest way to deal with it is to treat it as something that introduces a sufficient condition. "Only" generally introduces a necessary condition, and it does here, too, but that's because it applies to a later concept in the sentence through some grammar trickery. Don't worry too much about that—just use it as a sufficient condition indicator!

With that noted, we have some overlap between the two conditionals, but they don't chain together since the second conditional introduces a new term in the sufficient condition. As such, it's likely that the correct answer will apply a single one of the two conditionals, or it will bring up a scenario that aligns with the conditionals. Let's head to the answers to find the right one.

Answer Explanation:
The second conditional guarantees that a fourth-year student on the dean's list can choose a dorm room before non-fourth-year students. Thus, Gerald—who fulfills both criteria—can select a room before non-fourth-year students, including Katrina. This answer is therefore correct.

Key Takeaway:
The only is a tricky conditional indicator word as far as the grammar is concerned. Don't get wrapped up in the grammar and specifics—the term following it is the sufficient condition!

Incorrect. Fourth-year students on the dean's list can select a dorm room ahead of other students, so this answer is contradicted by the stimulus in having a second-year student selecting ahead of a fourth-year student on the dean's list.