Texas Civil Service Logical and Deductive Reasoning Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Consider the following statements: 1. All city departments that handle sensitive citizen data are required to use two-factor authentication for all system logins. 2. The City Treasury Department handles sensitive citizen data. Based on these statements, which of the following conclusions is logically certain?
- Only departments that handle sensitive data use two-factor authentication.
- The City Treasury Department is the only department required to use two-factor authentication.
- Employees of the City Treasury Department are required to use two-factor authentication for system logins. (Correct answer)
- All city departments will soon be required to use two-factor authentication.
Correct answer: Employees of the City Treasury Department are required to use two-factor authentication for system logins.
This is an example of deductive reasoning. The first statement provides a general rule (All departments with sensitive data must use 2FA). The second statement identifies the Treasury Department as a member of that group. Therefore, the rule must apply to the Treasury Department, making the conclusion that its employees must use 2FA a logical certainty.
Question 2: A city ordinance states: 'A permit is required for any public gathering of 50 or more people in a city park. The applicant for the permit must be a resident of the city.' Based on this rule, which of the following situations describes a violation of the ordinance?
- A non-resident organizes a gathering of 100 people in a city park after successfully obtaining a permit.
- A city resident organizes a picnic for their 30 family members in a city park without a permit.
- A city resident organizes a public concert in a city park that is attended by 200 people, but they never applied for a permit.
- A group of 60 tourists gathers in a city park without a permit, organized by a tour company based in another state. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: A group of 60 tourists gathers in a city park without a permit, organized by a tour company based in another state.
The correct answer identifies violations of both conditions. The gathering has more than 50 people, which triggers the permit requirement. The organizer is a company from another state, not a city resident, which violates the applicant requirement. While choice C is a violation, choice D is a more comprehensive violation of the stated rules, as both the permit is missing AND the organizer is ineligible to apply.
Question 3: An internal audit of a city's purchasing records revealed the following: 'In the last fiscal year, every purchase order over $5,000 was approved by the department director. The purchase order for the new fleet vehicles was for $150,000.' What can be logically inferred from this information?
- The department director personally signed the purchase order for the new fleet vehicles. (Correct answer)
- No purchase orders under $5,000 were approved by the department director.
- The purchase of the new fleet vehicles was the largest purchase of the last fiscal year.
- The department director only approves purchase orders over $5,000.
Correct answer: The department director personally signed the purchase order for the new fleet vehicles.
The first statement establishes a rule that applies to all purchase orders over $5,000. The second statement presents a specific instance—a $150,000 purchase order—that falls into the category defined by the rule. Therefore, it can be logically inferred that the department director approved this specific purchase order.
Question 4: Read the following argument: 'The city's recycling program has seen a 10% increase in participation each of the last two years. Therefore, the program's participation will increase by 10% again this year.' Which of the following statements best describes the flaw in this reasoning?
- The argument attacks the character of the people who run the recycling program.
- The argument assumes that a past trend will necessarily continue into the future. (Correct answer)
- The argument incorrectly uses data about participation to draw a conclusion about cost.
- The argument concludes that the program is successful without defining success.
Correct answer: The argument assumes that a past trend will necessarily continue into the future.
This is an example of flawed inductive reasoning, specifically a hasty generalization or extrapolation. While the past trend is noted, there is no guarantee that it will continue. External factors could change, or the growth could level off. The argument's flaw is assuming the future will be exactly like the past.
Question 5: To be eligible for the City Employee Wellness Program discount, an employee must: (1) be full-time, (2) complete an annual health screening, and (3) attend at least one wellness seminar per quarter. - Employee A is part-time, completed the health screening, and attended two seminars. - Employee B is full-time, did not complete the health screening, and attended four seminars. - Employee C is full-time, completed the health screening, and attended one seminar. Based on these rules, which conclusion is correct?
- Employee A is eligible.
- Employee B is eligible.
- Only Employee C is eligible. (Correct answer)
- Both Employee B and C are eligible.
Correct answer: Only Employee C is eligible.
This question requires applying a set of rules with 'AND' conditions, meaning all criteria must be met. Employee A is disqualified for being part-time. Employee B is disqualified for not completing the health screening. Employee C is full-time, completed the screening, and attended one seminar, thus meeting all three requirements.
Question 6: Consider the following statements: - Some city vehicles are electric. - All electric vehicles are required to have a charging station inspection sticker. Which of the following statements must be true?
- All city vehicles are required to have a charging station inspection sticker.
- If a city vehicle is not electric, it does not need an inspection sticker.
- Some city vehicles are required to have a charging station inspection sticker. (Correct answer)
- Most city vehicles are not electric.
Correct answer: Some city vehicles are required to have a charging station inspection sticker.
Since some city vehicles are electric (Statement 1), and all electric vehicles require a specific sticker (Statement 2), it logically follows that at least some city vehicles (the electric ones) must have that sticker. We cannot conclude anything about all city vehicles, non-electric vehicles, or the proportion of electric to non-electric vehicles.
Texas Civil Service Logical and Deductive Reasoning Questions and Answers
Consider the following statements:
1.
All city departments that handle sensitive citizen data are required to use two-factor authentication for all system logins.
2.
The City Treasury Department handles sensitive citizen data.
Based on these statements, which of the following conclusions is logically certain?