Basic Ability Test Basic Ability Logical Deduction and Syllogisms 3

Question 1

If it rains, the ground gets wet. The ground is wet. What can you conclude?

Accepted Answer

Nothing definite about rain

Answer

Affirming the consequent is a fallacy; the wet ground could have another cause.

Question 2

All pilots have flight licenses. No amateurs have flight licenses. Which is valid?

Accepted Answer

No pilots are amateurs

Answer

Since all pilots have licenses and no amateurs have licenses, the two groups cannot overlap.

Question 3

Some books are bestsellers. Some bestsellers are fiction. What must be true?

Accepted Answer

Nothing definite about books and fiction

Answer

The overlapping sets of books/bestsellers and bestsellers/fiction may or may not intersect at all three.

Question 4

Either the report is late or the manager approved an extension. The report is not late. What follows?

Accepted Answer

The manager approved an extension

Answer

In a valid disjunction, if one option is false the other must be true.

Question 5

All engineers know math. Sam does not know math. What follows?

Accepted Answer

Sam is not an engineer

Answer

By contrapositive, if Sam doesn't know math, Sam cannot be an engineer.

Basic Ability Test Practice Test