Logical reasoning PrepTest 148 · Section 1 · Question 14

Incorrect. As soon as we're given the second conditional premise here ("And if . . . "), we can eliminate this answer.

Incorrect. The first statement is too weak ("might be") to match with the premises of the stimulus, so we can eliminate this answer.

Correct. Argument or Facts:
Argument

Valid or Flawed:
Valid

Question Type:
Parallel Reasoning

Stimulus Summary:
Life on P23 → Water on surface
not Water on surface
Therefore: not Life on P23

Answer Anticipation:
This Parallel Reasoning question presents a conditional rule ("In order for...there must be"). It then establishes in a premise that the necessary condition for life isn't met on planet P23, concluding that there isn't life. This is a valid application of the contrapositive of a conditional, so the correct answer should do the same.

Answer Explanation:
Planning to increase drilling → Buy new equipment
not Buy new equipment
Therefore: not Planning to increase drilling
Despite the order of the premises being reversed, the logic of the argument matches—the contrapositive of a conditional is applied to a specific situation. This is, therefore, the correct answer.

Key Takeaway:
Parallel Reasoning questions frequently feature conditional logic. When they do, get to diagramming ASAP, and eliminate answers as soon as you note a mismatch. However, don't eliminate answers that present the premises/conclusion in a different order—as long as the pieces are all present, the argument can still be parallel.

Incorrect. The necessary condition of the conditional is met in this argument, so it's a flawed illegal reversal.

Incorrect. This answer validly applies a conditional to a situation, but it doesn't rely on the negation of the necessary condition/the contrapositive, so it's not a match in the way (C) is.