PrepTest 107
[lcid:3524] Prep Test 107 LSAT — Logical Reasoning — S1
Logical reasoning
Question prompt
Barnes: The two newest
Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right
Credited answer: C
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
Newest employees - Tasks are too complex and salaries too high for people without experience
Therefore - Their salaries and duties should be reduced
Answer Anticipation
The conclusion here recommends that the new employees have their salaries and task complexity reduced. Whenever an argument makes a recommendation in the conclusion, it needs to establish the criteria by which that recommendation will be made, and show that it applies to the recommended action.
Here, the argument does establish the criteria for recommending a reduction in salary and task complexity - if a worker is inexperienced/a typical new employee, then they shouldn’t have tasks of this complexity or a salary this high.
However, it doesn’t establish that the new employees are inexperienced, or that they are the normal new employee. It’s possible that these employees were hired because they have extensive experience, and thus their tasks and salary are justified.
Since the argument recommends reducing their salaries and lowering their task complexity, it’s assuming that these new employees are inexperienced, so let’s find an answer reflecting that.
Answer choices
-
AThe duties of the Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice A is not credited
Barnes’ argument doesn’t rely on the new employees having the most complex tasks in the organization, just more complex than they should have. If anything, in recommending that the complexity be reduced, she’s assuming that there are tasks that are less complex. -
BIt is because of Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice B is not credited
Barnes' argument considers both salary and task complexity, but it doesn’t tie those together. -
CThe two newest employees Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice C matches the stem
This answer establishes that the two newest employees meet the criteria Barnes establishes in her premises. The new employees have salaries too high for the normal new employee, and tasks too complex for inexperienced workers. So she’s assuming that they are normal, inexperienced new workers. If these new employees are experienced at their occupations, then the high salary and complex tasks may be warranted, so this is a necessary premise. -
DBarnes was not hired Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice D is not credited
Barnes’ starting salary is out of scope of whether the new employees are paid too much. -
EThe salaries of the Remaining source text redacted.
Why choice E is not credited
If anything, this answer weakens the argument by suggesting that the salaries of the new employees are reasonable/competitive and thus shouldn’t be reduced.
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