LSAT Practice Questions for Wrong Answers

It’s time to put your knowledge of LSAT Logical Reasoning wrong answer choices to the test. We’re going to present you with some practice LSAT questions to see if you can eliminate the wrong answer choices based on what you have learned in this series.

This is the final article in a series of articles on LSAT Logical Reasoning wrong answer choices. The series includes the following articles:

LSAT Practice Questions for Wrong Answers

Try the following question:

1.     The management team has proposed installing new bar code scanning system in the warehouse to improve our productivity. The software consultants can come in during work hours but that would interfere with our daily operations. They have also offered to come in during the weekends to install the software, but they would charge us quite a bit extra over their regular fees. I think we need to save money and let them install the software during normal work hours.

The argument above assumes which one of the following:

(A) The cost of the bar code scanning system would not exceed the cost of having the equipment installed during the weekend.
(B) The value of lost productivity in daily operations during a working hours installation would be less than the difference between working hours installation and weekend installation.
(C) A working hours installation would take fewer people and be finished faster than a weekend installation.
(D) The bar code scanning system will immediately show improvements in productivity.
(E) Employees in the warehouse would still be able to work during the working hours installation.

First, we know this is an assumption question from the question stem. Something is missing in the argument and it will be our job to find it.

A simple paraphrase of the argument might go like this:

Install the software in the day time, lose productivity + Install on the weekends, costs more money = Install in the day time to save money.

To find the assumption, we build a bridge between the conclusion and the evidence (review the assumption lesson for more information on bridge building). What is similar and dissimilar? The conclusion discusses day time money savings and the evidence discusses day time productivity loss. So the bridge we need to build has something to do with the connection between money savings and productivity loss.

That ties into the red flag. What seems suspicious to you when you read the argument (what is the red flag that pops up)? Sure we might save money from not incurring extra weekend charges, but how much will lost productivity end up costing?

The assumption (your prephrase) must be that the value of lost productivity will not exceed the extra weekend charges. Answer choice (B) comes the closest to that and is of course the correct answer. Since we’re discussing wrong answer choices in this lesson, let’s take a look at the other answers.

(A) The cost of the bar code scanning system would not exceed the cost of having the equipment installed during the weekend.

This answer is out of scope. Where does the actual cost of the system ever come up in the argument. We’re only discussing installation options. This answer is trying to make a bridge to something that isn’t in the argument.

(C) A working hours installation would take fewer people and be finished faster than a weekend installation.

Out of scope. We don’t know why the weekend installation would cost more — maybe it’s because it would take more people and would finish faster, but who knows? It might be that they just want to charge more on the weekends. The argument doesn’t give us any information about this, so it is out of scope.

(D) The bar code scanning system will immediately show improvements in productivity.

Out of scope. Where is the connection between the productivity from the new system and the cost and loss of productivity involved in installing the system? Again, we’re only concerned with the costs associated with installing the system, everything else is out of scope. There is also some extreme language with the word “immediately” which should tip you off. Most assumptions are of necessity reasonable in tone.

(E) Employees in the warehouse would still be able to work during the working hours installation.

Out of scope. Maybe all of them could work, maybe none of them could work. We don’t know what goes into the cost-saving calculations the argument is assuming.

Let’s try another question type, a strengthening question:

2. When a person is exposed to a stressful or traumatic situation, they learn to avoid the most memorable actions involved in that situation, even if the action was not related to the trauma. This is why so many college students are afraid of public speaking.

Which one of the following, if true, would most support the above argument?

(A) College students are less likely than other people to have memorable situations.
(B) College students are less likely than others to make a connection between a stressful situation and the actions involved in that situation.
(C) College students have better memories and are under more stress than most people.
(D) College students who suffer traumatic situations are more likely to require therapy to overcome their subsequent fears.
(E) College students are more likely than others to avoid new situations that might be stressful.

First, we know this is a strengthening question, so you’ll be asked to find an answer choice that best supports the central assumption.

A simple paraphrase might be:

People avoid certain memorable actions associated with stressful situations. Thus, college students avoid public speaking.

College students are people, so we need to bridge public speaking to certain memorable actions in stressful situations. 

So we’re looking for an answer choice that would support the assumption that public speaking could be memorable action taking during a stressful situation.

Answer choice (C) best supports this assumption. It’s not great support, but it’s better than the other four choices. If college students have better memories and are introduced to more stress than the average person, they are more likely (according to the argument) to avoid all sorts of behavior, including public speaking.

Now let’s consider the other answer choices:

(A) College students are less likely than other people to have memorable situations.

Right Answer, Wrong Question. This answer actually weakens the argument, which is a common wrong answer choice in a strengthening question. If they are less likely to have a memorable situation, they are less likely to associate it with trauma.

(B) College students are less likely than others to make a connection between a stressful situation and the actions involved in that situation.

Right Answer, Wrong Question. This answer choice would also weaken the argument for the same reason as (A).

(D) College students who suffer traumatic situations are more likely to require therapy to overcome their subsequent fears.

Out of scope. The argument is not concerned with what happens after a traumatic incident, except that people avoid actions associated with the traumatic incident.

(E) College students are more likely than others to avoid new situations that might be stressful.

Out of scope. We don’t know what happens before a stressful situation occurs, we’re only concerned with what gets associated and avoided as a result. 

Summary Tips for LSAT Logical Reasoning Wrong Answers

• Most of the wrong answers on the LSAT fall into a small number of categories: Scope error; Right answer, wrong question; Contradictions and distortions; Wrong tone (extreme language)
• After you take a practice test, study all the answers to all the questions-not just the ones you got wrong. The only way to succeed on the LSAT is to learn it inside and out like a test maker.
• Scope errors are the most common wrong answer type on the LSAT. Learn to define an argument’s scope.
• Pay careful attention to the question stem-you don’t want to mark the right answer for the wrong type of question. Circle the key word in the question stem.
• Even if an answer is in scope, watch out to see it doesn’t contradict or distort the author’s meaning.
• Watch out for distortions of tone, especially extreme language.

Now return to our LSAT page to choose another lesson.