Directions How to Answer

Aptitude Test Topic: Analytical Reasoning

Analytical Reasoning questions are designed to assess the ability to consider a group of facts and rules, and, given those facts and rules, determine what could or must be true. The specific scenarios associated with these questions are usually unrelated to law, since they are intended to be accessible to a wide range of test takers. However, the skills tested parallel those involved in determining what could or must be the case given a set of regulations, the terms of a contract, or the facts of a legal case in relation to the law. In Analytical Reasoning questions, you are asked to reason deductively from a set of statements and rules or principles that describe relationships among persons, things, or events.

Directions

The following questions are based on a passage or set of conditions. To answer the question, choose the answer you think is most appropriate among the given options.

To give the answer click/tap the option alphabet for your answer choice. for correct answer green check and for wrong answer a red cross will appear along with a button to show explanation with or without video of the question answer.

Analytical Reasoning: Placement Arrangements Practice MCQ

Four couples—J, K, L, M—are standing in a line. Their positions are numbered consecutively from 1 to 8, and each person is holding hands with the persons on either side of him or her.

J and J are holding hands.

K and K are not holding hands.

L and L are holding hands.

One of the Ls is at one end of the line, and one of the Ms is at the other end.

Question Statement:

If an M is in position 8, which of the following CANNOT be true?

I. The other M is in position 5.

II. The Ks can be in positions 3, 5, or 7.

III. One of the Js is in position 3.

I only

II only

III only

II and III only

I, II, and III

Explanation:

Correct Answer: A

The conditions “J and J are holding hands” and “L and L are holding hands” are naturally symbolized as JJ and LL, respectively. The condition “K and K are not holding hands” can be symbolized as K...K. [The symbol ~(KK) would also work well, but the symbol K...K is more descriptive because it shows the space between the Ks.] The condition “One of the Ls is at one end of the line, and one of the Ms is at the other end” can be symbolized as L=1st/last and M=1st/last. The diagram will consist of eight dashed lines numbered 1 through 8, from left to right:

K ... K

L = First / Last

M = First / Last

No significant conditions can be derived from the given information, and no conditions can be placed on the diagram. So we attack the questions.

This question requires an indirect proof. That is, take a sub-statement; then try to construct a valid diagram for it. If this cannot be done, it is an answer—otherwise it is not.

Start with Statement I. If M is in position 5, then, from the supplemental condition “M is in position 8” and the condition L=1st/last, we know that the Ls must be in positions 1 and 2:

Now, the condition JJ forces the Js into either positions 3 and 4, or 6 and 7:

In both diagrams the Ks are forced next to each other, which violates the condition K...K. Hence Statement I cannot be true. This eliminates (B), (C), and (D), as they don’t contain I.

Next, Statement II is time consuming because we will have to check all three positions for the Ks. So skip to statement III. Place J in position 3:

Then from the condition JJ, we know that the other J must be in position 4:

Then the Ks can be placed in positions 5 and 7 and the M in position 6—all without violating any conditions:

This is a valid diagram with J in position 3. Hence Statement III can be true. This eliminates (E). Therefore, by process of elimination, we have learned that the answer is (A), without having to check Statement II.

Question: 3 Test: 11 of 11 Next Test

Tests

You are taking Aptitude Test No. 11

Each aptitude test is comprised of 10 except the last test which might have fewer than 10 in some topics.

You are at question (MCQ) number 3 and Test Number 11 of Analytical Reasoning: Placement Arrangements. To deal with Analytical Reasoning questions, you must take lesson on the subject. In case of science and Art subjects revise your text books and in case of general aptitude topics take lessons from the topic page.

The question: If an M is in position 8, which of the following CANNOT be true?

I. The other M is in position 5 .... with options: I only, II only, III only, II and III only can be solved with the concepts and understanding of Analytical Reasoning.