PrepTest 112

[lcid:3546] Prep Test 112 LSAT — Logical Reasoning — S3 Logical reasoning

Question prompt

Solicitor: Loux named Zembaty Remaining source text redacted.
Why the credited answer is right

Credited answer: E

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

Weaken Questions

Stimulus Summary

Goal - Pay off Loux’s debt and leave the rest of her estate to her grandson
Approach - Sell Stoke Farm to pay off the debt

Answer Anticipation

There’s a lot of extra information in this stimulus, but it boils down to one of the common patterns we see on the exam - a goal is established, and an approach to achieving it is noted.
Here, the goal for Zembaty is to pay off Loux’s debt and leave whatever’s left of her estate to her grandson. Zembaty has decided to do so by selling off Stoke Farm (the only farm) since Loux never expressed what she wanted to do with that farm, concluding that she wouldn’t have had any objection to this.
We need to weaken that determination, so we need a reason that Loux would have been upset by Zembaty selling off the Farm. Since the goal here was to pay off the estate’s debt and then give her grandson the remainder, and selling the estate would help at least partially pay off the debt, the answer should address her desire to leave her estate to the grandson she was “very fond” of. So it’s likely that the answer will weaken the conclusion by bringing up a reason that the grandson would have preferred Stoke farm - either because he likes that property, or he wanted a farm in particular.

Answer choices

  1. A
    The estate's debts could Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice A is not credited
    If selling the farm was necessary to achieve the goal of clearing the estate’s debt, then that suggests that there wouldn’t be a reason to be upset at Zembaty selling it.
  2. B
    Loux repeatedly told her Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice B is not credited
    He’s still receiving the remainder of her estate, and the debts needed to be cleared, so this doesn’t provide any reason that Loux would be upset by the sale.
  3. C
    Loux was well aware Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice C is not credited
    She knew that Zembaty would have to sell something to clear the debts, and she didn’t say anything about Stoke Farm, then this answer provides no reason to believe she’d object to the sale.
  4. D
    The Stoke Farm was Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice D is not credited
    If anything, selling the property that was causing debt so that it didn’t end up causing more debt for her grandson would be a reason to dump the Farm!
  5. E
    Loux's grandson had repeatedly Remaining source text redacted.
    Why choice E matches the stem
    The Stoke Farm was the only farmland that Loux owned. If her grandson wanted to own a farm, but Zembaty sold the only farmland in her estate, then Loux very well might be upset by that decision since it doesn’t align with her grandson’s preferences.

What this tests

Discussion

  • Why A? 3 replies

    Started by Dan

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