Basic Ability Test Basic Ability Logical Deduction and Syllogisms 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: All mammals are warm-blooded. Whales are mammals. Which conclusion is valid?
- Whales are warm-blooded (Correct answer)
- Warm-blooded animals are mammals
- Whales are fish
- Not all mammals are warm-blooded
Correct answer: Whales are warm-blooded
The syllogism directly concludes that whales, being mammals, must be warm-blooded.
Question 2: No reptiles are warm-blooded. Lizards are reptiles. What follows?
- Lizards are warm-blooded
- Lizards are not warm-blooded (Correct answer)
- Some reptiles are warm-blooded
- Warm-blooded animals are not lizards
Correct answer: Lizards are not warm-blooded
Since no reptiles are warm-blooded and lizards are reptiles, lizards are not warm-blooded.
Question 3: If today is Tuesday, then tomorrow is Wednesday. Today is not Tuesday. What can you conclude?
- Tomorrow is Wednesday
- Tomorrow is not Wednesday
- Nothing can be concluded about tomorrow (Correct answer)
- Today is Monday
Correct answer: Nothing can be concluded about tomorrow
Denying the antecedent is a logical fallacy; you cannot conclude anything about tomorrow without more information.
Question 4: Some athletes are vegetarians. All vegetarians avoid red meat. Which conclusion must be true?
- All athletes avoid red meat
- Some athletes avoid red meat (Correct answer)
- No athletes eat red meat
- All vegetarians are athletes
Correct answer: Some athletes avoid red meat
The athletes who are vegetarians must also avoid red meat, so at least some athletes avoid it.
Question 5: Every square is a rectangle. Figure X is not a rectangle. What follows?
- Figure X is a square
- Figure X is not a square (Correct answer)
- Figure X is a triangle
- Rectangles are not squares
Correct answer: Figure X is not a square
If every square is a rectangle and X is not a rectangle, then X cannot be a square.
Question 6: All members of Club A are members of Club B. Maria is a member of Club B. What can be concluded?
- Maria is a member of Club A
- Maria is not a member of Club A
- Maria may or may not be in Club A (Correct answer)
- Club A and Club B are the same
Correct answer: Maria may or may not be in Club A
Club B may have members who are not in Club A, so Maria's membership in A cannot be determined.
Question 7: No students failed. James is a student. What must be true?
- James failed
- James did not fail (Correct answer)
- Some students failed
- James is not a student
Correct answer: James did not fail
Since no students failed and James is a student, James did not fail.
Basic Ability Test Basic Ability Logical Deduction and Syllogisms 2
All mammals are warm-blooded.
Whales are mammals.
Which conclusion is valid?