Caliper Assessment Problem Solving and Cognition 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a logic puzzle, Anna is taller than Ben, and Ben is taller than Carl. Dan is shorter than Carl. Who is the tallest?
- Ben
- Carl
- Anna (Correct answer)
- Dan
Correct answer: Anna
The chain Anna > Ben > Carl > Dan makes Anna the tallest.
Question 2: A pattern alternates: Circle, Square, Triangle, Circle, Square, Triangle... What is the 17th shape?
- Circle
- Square (Correct answer)
- Triangle
- Cannot be determined
Correct answer: Square
The cycle length is 3; 17 mod 3 = 2, which maps to the 2nd position — Square.
Question 3: Three colleagues must finish a report. Alex writes 3 pages/hour, Beth writes 2 pages/hour, and Carlos writes 1 page/hour. If the report needs 36 pages, how many hours will it take working together?
- 4 hours
- 6 hours (Correct answer)
- 9 hours
- 12 hours
Correct answer: 6 hours
Combined rate = 3+2+1 = 6 pages/hour; 36 ÷ 6 = 6 hours.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes a 'false dichotomy' in reasoning?
- Presenting only two options when more exist (Correct answer)
- Drawing a conclusion before gathering evidence
- Using emotional language to sway an argument
- Repeating an assertion louder to make it seem true
Correct answer: Presenting only two options when more exist
A false dichotomy incorrectly frames a situation as having only two mutually exclusive options when other alternatives exist.
Question 5: A manager notices that sales spike every time it rains. She concludes that rain causes people to buy more. What flaw exists in this reasoning?
- The sample size is too large
- Correlation is being mistaken for causation (Correct answer)
- The conclusion is logically deduced
- The data is irrelevant to the situation
Correct answer: Correlation is being mistaken for causation
Correlation between two variables does not prove one causes the other; a confounding factor (e.g., people shop indoors when it rains) may explain both.
Question 6: If you rearrange the letters 'TRAMS', you can spell what common English word?
- SMART (Correct answer)
- MARSH
- TRAMS
- STORM
Correct answer: SMART
The letters T, R, A, M, S rearrange to spell SMART.
Question 7: A cognitive bias where people favor information that confirms their pre-existing beliefs is called:
- Anchoring bias
- Confirmation bias (Correct answer)
- Availability heuristic
- Dunning-Kruger effect
Correct answer: Confirmation bias
Confirmation bias is the tendency to search for, interpret, and recall information in a way that confirms one's existing beliefs.
Caliper Assessment Problem Solving and Cognition 3
In a logic puzzle, Anna is taller than Ben, and Ben is taller than Carl.
Dan is shorter than Carl.
Who is the tallest?