Logical Reasoning and Puzzles Flashcards

Four cards lie face down: King, Queen, Jack, Ace. Clue 1: King is not next to Queen. Clue 2: Ace is at one end. Clue 3: Jack is immediately right of Queen. What is the left-to-right order?

Answer: Ace, Queen, Jack, King

Placing Ace at the left end and applying all clues yields Ace, Queen, Jack, King.

A farmer has 17 sheep. All but 9 die. How many sheep are left?

Answer: 9

'All but 9' means 9 survive; the starting total is irrelevant.

In a 3×3 matrix pattern, each row contains a circle, triangle, and square; each column contains large, medium, and small shapes. Row 3 has a large circle and a medium triangle. What is the missing cell in row 3?

Answer: Small square

Row 3 needs a square (row rule) and the square's column already has large and medium, so it must be small.

A boat travels 12 km upstream in 3 hours and 12 km downstream in 2 hours. What is the speed of the current?

Answer: 1 km/h

Upstream speed = 4 km/h, downstream speed = 6 km/h; current = (6 − 4) / 2 = 1 km/h.

Statements: No cats are dogs. Some dogs are wolves. Conclusion: Some wolves are not cats. Does the conclusion follow?

Answer: Yes, it definitely follows

The wolves that are also dogs cannot be cats (since no cats are dogs), so some wolves are definitely not cats.

Letters A, B, C, D, E are assigned distinct values from 1–5. Given A + C = 6, B + E = 6, and D = 3, what is B?

Answer: 2

D = 3; remaining values {1, 2, 4, 5} must form two pairs summing to 6: {1,5} and {2,4}; A+C uses one pair and B+E the other, with B being the smaller of the second pair = 2.

Exactly one of these statements is true: (1) 2 + 2 = 5. (2) Rome is in Italy. (3) All birds can fly. Which is the single true statement?

Answer: Statement 2

2 + 2 ≠ 5 (false), Rome is in Italy (true), and not all birds can fly — penguins cannot (false), so Statement 2 is the one true statement.