NYC Logical and Deductive Reasoning 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A memo states: 'Only department heads may authorize expenditures over $500.' A clerk authorized a $600 purchase. What must be true?
- The clerk acted within authority if approved later
- The clerk violated the policy (Correct answer)
- The $600 purchase was automatically invalid
- Department heads must now review all purchases
Correct answer: The clerk violated the policy
Only department heads may authorize amounts over $500; a clerk doing so violates the policy.
Question 2: Six applicants are numbered 1–6. Odd-numbered applicants are interviewed before even-numbered ones. Within each group, lower numbers go first. Who is interviewed third overall?
- Applicant 2
- Applicant 3
- Applicant 4
- Applicant 5 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Applicant 5
Odd group order: 1, 3, 5; even group order: 2, 4, 6 — the third interview goes to applicant 5.
Question 3: Statement: 'Some civil service positions require a written exam. All positions requiring a written exam require a background check.' Which is definitely true?
- All civil service positions require a background check
- Some civil service positions require a background check (Correct answer)
- No civil service positions skip background checks
- Written exams always lead to background checks for all positions
Correct answer: Some civil service positions require a background check
Some positions require a written exam, and all of those also require a background check, so some positions require a background check.
Question 4: If it is true that 'Whenever the mayor's office issues a directive, all agencies must comply within 48 hours,' and Agency B complied 72 hours after a directive, what follows?
- Agency B complied on time
- Agency B did not comply within the required period (Correct answer)
- The directive may not have applied to Agency B
- Agency B needed an extension approval
Correct answer: Agency B did not comply within the required period
72 hours exceeds the 48-hour requirement, so Agency B did not comply within the required timeframe.
Question 5: A ranking of case priorities is: Critical > Urgent > Routine > Informational. A 'Routine' case arrives. Which statement is logically correct?
- It is processed before Urgent cases
- It is processed before Informational cases (Correct answer)
- It is processed before Critical cases
- It has the lowest priority of all
Correct answer: It is processed before Informational cases
Routine ranks above Informational in the priority list, so Routine cases are processed before Informational ones.
Question 6: A rule states: 'Reports filed after 5 PM are processed the next business day.' A report is filed at 4:58 PM on Friday. When is it processed?
- Friday evening
- Saturday
- Monday (Correct answer)
- The following Friday
Correct answer: Monday
4:58 PM is before the 5 PM cutoff, so it is processed same day — but Friday's business day closes at 5 PM, and it is processed on the next business day, Monday.
Question 7: Argument: 'Every officer who filed a complaint was reassigned. Officer Torres was not reassigned.' What can be deduced about Officer Torres?
- Torres filed a complaint that was dismissed
- Torres did not file a complaint (Correct answer)
- Torres may have filed a complaint
- Torres was already in an assignment change process
Correct answer: Torres did not file a complaint
By contrapositive, if Torres was not reassigned, Torres did not file a complaint.
NYC Logical and Deductive Reasoning 4
A memo states: 'Only department heads may authorize expenditures over $500.' A clerk authorized a $600 purchase.
What must be true?