FAST Future Aptitude Selection Tool Logical Reasoning 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A cat has 4 legs, a dog has 4 legs, and a horse has 4 legs. What is the best inductive generalization from these observations?
- All animals have 4 legs
- Most mammals have 4 legs (Correct answer)
- All cats are dogs
- Horses and dogs are the same
Correct answer: Most mammals have 4 legs
Inductive reasoning from these examples best supports that many mammals have 4 legs, not that every animal does.
Question 2: Which statement is an example of inductive reasoning?
- All birds fly; penguins are birds; therefore penguins fly
- I have observed 100 white swans; therefore all swans are white (Correct answer)
- If X=Y and Y=Z then X=Z
- Either it rains or it does not rain today
Correct answer: I have observed 100 white swans; therefore all swans are white
Inductive reasoning draws a general conclusion from specific observations, like concluding all swans are white after observing many.
Question 3: Which argument contains a logical fallacy? 'Some cats are black. Whiskers is a cat. Therefore, Whiskers is black.'
- The argument is logically valid
- The conclusion is certain
- The argument is a fallacy because 'some' does not mean 'all' (Correct answer)
- Whiskers must be a different color
Correct answer: The argument is a fallacy because 'some' does not mean 'all'
Concluding Whiskers is black from 'some cats are black' is a fallacy because 'some' does not imply 'all.'
Question 4: Three students from the same class scored 90, 85, and 95 on a test. A fourth student is most likely to score:
- Exactly 90
- Around 85 to 95 (Correct answer)
- Below 50
- Above 100
Correct answer: Around 85 to 95
Inductive reasoning suggests the fourth student would likely score in a range similar to the observed results.
Question 5: 'Every time I eat peanuts I get a stomachache; therefore peanuts cause my stomachaches.' This is an example of:
- Deductive reasoning
- A formal proof
- Inductive reasoning (Correct answer)
- A logical fallacy
Correct answer: Inductive reasoning
This is inductive reasoning — drawing a general conclusion from repeated specific personal observations.
Question 6: Which argument uses valid deductive reasoning?
- Every exam I have taken was hard, so the next one will be too
- It rained last Monday; therefore it will rain this Monday
- All prime numbers greater than 2 are odd; 7 is prime and greater than 2; therefore 7 is odd (Correct answer)
- Most students pass; therefore I will pass
Correct answer: All prime numbers greater than 2 are odd; 7 is prime and greater than 2; therefore 7 is odd
This is valid deductive reasoning — if the premises are true the conclusion follows with certainty.
FAST Future Aptitude Selection Tool Logical Reasoning 3
A cat has 4 legs, a dog has 4 legs, and a horse has 4 legs.
What is the best inductive generalization from these observations?