Deductive Reasoning Flashcards

Statement: 'Only experienced candidates are interviewed.' Mark was interviewed. What follows?

Answer: Mark is experienced

'Only experienced candidates are interviewed' means being interviewed requires experience, so Mark must be experienced.

All widgets in Batch A are defective. Widget #7 is not defective. What must be true?

Answer: Widget #7 is not in Batch A

Since all Batch A widgets are defective and #7 is not defective, it cannot be in Batch A.

If the server is down, users cannot log in. Users can log in. What follows?

Answer: The server is definitely up

By contrapositive, if users can log in, the server is not down — meaning it is up.

Some analysts are also programmers. All programmers know Python. Which must be true?

Answer: Some analysts know Python

The analysts who are programmers must know Python, making it true that some analysts know Python.

No contract employees receive bonuses. Janet received a bonus. What can be concluded?

Answer: Janet is not a contract employee

Since contract employees never receive bonuses and Janet did, she must not be a contract employee.

All red lights mean stop. The driver did not stop. What can be deduced?

Answer: The light was not red

By contrapositive, if the driver did not stop, the light was not red.

Either the budget is cut or the timeline is extended. The budget was not cut. What must follow?

Answer: The timeline is extended

When one option in an either/or is eliminated, the other must hold.