NBT Logical Reasoning & Problem Solving 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which word does NOT belong with the others? Eagle, Hawk, Penguin, Falcon
- Eagle
- Hawk
- Penguin (Correct answer)
- Falcon
Correct answer: Penguin
Eagles, hawks, and falcons are birds of prey that fly; penguins cannot fly.
Question 2: A clock shows 3:15. What is the angle between the hour and minute hands?
- 0°
- 7.5° (Correct answer)
- 15°
- 22.5°
Correct answer: 7.5°
At 3:15 the minute hand is at 90° and the hour hand is at 97.5° (3 hr × 30° + 15 min × 0.5°), giving a difference of 7.5°.
Question 3: Pat is taller than Sam. Sam is taller than Lee. Jordan is shorter than Lee. Who is the tallest?
- Sam
- Lee
- Pat (Correct answer)
- Jordan
Correct answer: Pat
The ordering is Pat > Sam > Lee > Jordan, so Pat is tallest.
Question 4: What comes next in the pattern? Z, X, V, T, __
- S
- R (Correct answer)
- Q
- P
Correct answer: R
Each letter skips one: Z→X→V→T→R, moving back two positions in the alphabet each time.
Question 5: A logical argument is considered VALID when:
- Its premises are all true
- Its conclusion is definitely true
- Its conclusion follows necessarily from the premises (Correct answer)
- It contains no false statements
Correct answer: Its conclusion follows necessarily from the premises
Validity concerns the logical structure: if the premises were true, the conclusion must follow — regardless of actual truth values.
Question 6: Five boxes are stacked. Box 3 is above Box 1 but below Box 5. Box 2 is at the very bottom. Box 4 is directly below Box 5. What is the order from bottom to top?
- 2,1,3,4,5 (Correct answer)
- 1,2,3,4,5
- 2,3,1,4,5
- 2,1,4,3,5
Correct answer: 2,1,3,4,5
Box 2 is lowest; Box 1 is next; Box 3 is above Box 1; Box 4 is directly below Box 5, placing the order as 2,1,3,4,5.
Question 7: If the first two statements are true, is the third statement true? 'All mammals breathe air. Whales are mammals. Whales breathe air.'
- True (Correct answer)
- False
- Uncertain
- Only sometimes true
Correct answer: True
This is a valid syllogism: all mammals breathe air, whales are mammals, therefore whales breathe air.
NBT Logical Reasoning & Problem Solving 3
Which word does NOT belong with the others? Eagle, Hawk, Penguin, Falcon