Logical reasoning PrepTest 135 · Section 4 · Question 24

Question prompt

Paleomycologists, scientists who study 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

Flawed Parallel Reasoning Questions

Stimulus Summary

Fungi scientist → Acquainted with publications of other fungi scientists
Professor M: Acquainted with publication of one fungi scientist
Therefore: Professor M is a fungi scientist

Answer Anticipation

If you spent more than a second trying to pronounce “paleomycologist” in your head, you spent too much time on it! Don’t get wrapped up in the science or any complicated language. If needed, shorthand it or come up with a synonym - especially here, where it defines the word for you.
There are two issues in this stimulus. First, there’s an illegal reversal. A conditional is established (all fungi scientists are “invariably”) about fungi scientists, and then a Professor who meets the necessary condition to be such a scientist is concluded to be one. Second, the Professor isn’t even shown to fully meet the necessary condition - rather, she meets a single example (Prof. D’s publications) of the broad necessary condition (all other fungi scientists). Let’s find an answer that similarly establishes a conditional rule, and concludes that someone fits the sufficient condition based on them meeting one example of the necessary condition.

Answer choices

  1. A
    When a flight on Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A matches the stem
    Flight delayed → Connecting flights delayed

    Frieda: Her connecting flight delayed

    Therefore: Her initial flight delayed

    This answer establishes a rule, and then concludes that someone fits the sufficient condition based on their one example of the necessary condition being met. That’s a match for the stimulus!
  2. B
    Any time that one Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    This answer features an illegal negation, not an illegal reversal, so it isn’t parallel.
  3. C
    Any time the price Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    This answer has a conditional rule with a sufficient condition that’s met by the premise, so it doesn’t feature an illegal reversal.
  4. D
    All employees of Global Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    This answer features a conditional and someone who meets its sufficient condition, so it doesn’t feature an illegal reversal. (Here, there’s a shift between being eligible for a plan and actually participating in it.)
  5. E
    Whenever a competitor of Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E is not credited
    This answer choice has that or statement in the necessary side, which throws off the logic. Here, the argument concludes that missing one necessary condition means the other condition must have been hit, leading to the sufficient condition. There’s some reversals and negations going on here, so it’s not parallel.

What this tests

Question analytics

Based on historical answer selection rates for this question.

Answer choice distribution

  1. A Credited 59%
  2. B 6%
  3. C 6%
  4. D 22%
  5. E 7%

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