Logical and Deductive Reasoning Flashcards

A policy states: 'Overtime is approved only when the budget allows AND a supervisor signs off.' The budget allows, but no supervisor signed. What follows?

Answer: Overtime is not approved

Both conditions must be met; since supervisor sign-off is missing, overtime cannot be approved.

Statements: All trained dispatchers can handle multi-line calls. No volunteer staff are trained dispatchers. Which conclusion is valid?

Answer: No volunteer staff can handle multi-line calls

Since volunteers are not trained dispatchers and only trained dispatchers handle multi-line calls, no volunteer can handle them.

A code uses the pattern: each letter shifts +2 in the alphabet (A→C, B→D). What does 'EQNKEG' decode to?

Answer: POLICE

Shifting each letter back by 2: E→C, Q→O, N→L, K→I, E→C, G→E spells POLICE.

Six staff members sit in a row: M, N, O, P, Q, R. M sits at one end. P is not adjacent to M. Q sits between N and R. O sits next to M. Who can sit at the other end?

Answer: P

With M at one end and O adjacent to M, the far end must accommodate someone not restricted; P, who cannot be next to M, fits at the other end.

If the rule is 'Vehicles failing inspection must be removed within 48 hours,' and a vehicle failed inspection 50 hours ago but is still present, what is the logical conclusion?

Answer: The rule has been violated

50 hours exceeds the 48-hour deadline, so the rule requiring removal has been violated.

A supervisor says: 'Either the report is late OR the data is incorrect — but not both.' The report is on time. What follows?

Answer: The data is incorrect

The exclusive-or rule means exactly one condition is true; since the report is on time (not late), the data must be incorrect.

Which of the following is an example of a valid hypothetical syllogism?

Answer: If A then B; if B then C; therefore if A then C

Hypothetical syllogism chains two conditional statements: if A→B and B→C, then A→C.