Logical and Deductive Reasoning Flashcards

All city inspectors must pass a background check. Ramon passed a background check. What can be logically concluded?

Answer: Ramon may or may not be a city inspector

Passing the background check is a necessary condition for inspectors, but passing it does not confirm Ramon is one.

In a filing system, folders are arranged: Red comes before Blue, Blue comes before Green, and Yellow comes after Green. Which folder is filed last?

Answer: Yellow

The sequence is Red → Blue → Green → Yellow, making Yellow the last folder.

A supervisor states: 'If an officer is late three times, disciplinary action follows.' Officer Chen received disciplinary action. What must be true?

Answer: Chen may have been late three or more times, or another rule applied

Disciplinary action could stem from multiple causes; the rule only guarantees action follows lateness, not the reverse.

Five applicants — F, G, H, I, J — are ranked 1 through 5. F ranks higher than G. H ranks lower than I. J ranks between F and H. G ranks 4th. What is F's rank?

Answer: 1st

Since G is 4th and F ranks higher than G, F must be 1st, 2nd, or 3rd; placing J between F and H with H below I forces F to 1st.

Which argument contains a logical flaw? 'Our department has never had a misconduct complaint, therefore our officers never act improperly.'

Answer: It confuses absence of complaints with absence of misconduct

Absence of complaints does not prove absence of misconduct; incidents may go unreported.

A patrol schedule repeats every 4 days: Day 1-North, Day 2-South, Day 3-East, Day 4-West. If today is Day 3, what zone is patrolled 9 days from now?

Answer: South

9 days after Day 3 is Day 12; 12 mod 4 = 0 maps to the 4th position in the cycle, which is West.

An investigator concludes: 'Witnesses A and B both lied, so the entire witness pool is unreliable.' This is an example of:

Answer: Hasty generalization

Drawing a broad conclusion about all witnesses from only two cases is a hasty generalization.