PI Cognitive Assessment Practice 2 — Questions and Answers

Question 1: If all roses are flowers and some flowers fade quickly, which statement must be true?

All roses fade quickly
No roses fade quickly
Some roses may fade quickly (Correct answer)
All flowers are roses

Correct answer: Some roses may fade quickly

Since all roses are flowers and some flowers fade quickly, it's possible that some roses are among those that fade quickly, but not certain. The only valid conclusion is 'some roses may fade quickly.'

This is a syllogism with a universal affirmative and a particular affirmative. 'All roses are flowers' means roses are a subset of flowers. 'Some flowers fade quickly' means there exists an overlap between flowers and things that fade quickly. However, we don't know if that overlap includes any roses specifically. We cannot conclude all roses fade quickly or that none do. The only logically valid statement is that some roses may (possibly) fade quickly.

Question 2: What number comes next in the series: 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, ___?

42
49 (Correct answer)
45
64

Correct answer: 49

These are perfect squares of consecutive integers: 2²=4, 3²=9, 4²=16, 5²=25, 6²=36, 7²=49.

The sequence is consecutive perfect squares starting from 2²: 4(2²), 9(3²), 16(4²), 25(5²), 36(6²). The next integer is 7, and 7² = 49. Alternatively, the differences between terms are 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 — increasing by 2 each time, confirming a quadratic sequence.

Question 3: A recipe requires 3 cups of flour for every 2 cups of sugar. If you use 12 cups of flour, how many cups of sugar do you need?

6
8 (Correct answer)
9
10

Correct answer: 8

The ratio is 3:2 (flour:sugar). 12 cups of flour is 4 times the base amount (12÷3=4). So sugar = 2×4 = 8 cups.

Using the ratio 3:2, set up the proportion: 3/2 = 12/x. Cross-multiply: 3x = 24, so x = 8. Alternatively, find the scaling factor: 12 ÷ 3 = 4. Apply to sugar: 2 × 4 = 8 cups. Verification: 12:8 simplifies to 3:2 ✓.

Question 4: Which word does NOT belong with the others? HAMMER, SAW, SCREWDRIVER, PENCIL

Hammer
Saw
Screwdriver
Pencil (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Pencil

Hammer, saw, and screwdriver are all construction/carpentry tools. A pencil is a writing instrument, not a construction tool.

This is a classification problem testing your ability to identify category membership. Hammer, saw, and screwdriver are all hand tools used in construction, carpentry, and repair work. A pencil, while sometimes used on a construction site for marking, is primarily a writing/drawing instrument and belongs to a fundamentally different category of implements (stationery). The odd one out is pencil.

Question 5: In a figure series, each shape has one more side than the previous shape. If the third shape is a pentagon (5 sides), what was the first shape?

Triangle (Correct answer)
Square
Circle
Hexagon

Correct answer: Triangle

Working backwards: pentagon (5 sides) is the 3rd. 2nd shape: 5-1=4 sides (square). 1st shape: 4-1=3 sides (triangle).

The rule states each shape has one more side than the previous. Working backwards from the 3rd shape (pentagon, 5 sides): the 2nd shape had 5-1=4 sides (square), and the 1st shape had 4-1=3 sides (triangle). Working forward to verify: triangle (3) → square (4) → pentagon (5) ✓. Each shape adds exactly one side.

Question 6: If 40% of a class of 50 students passed the exam, how many students failed?

20
25
30 (Correct answer)
35

Correct answer: 30

Students who passed: 40% × 50 = 20. Students who failed: 50 - 20 = 30.

40% passed, so 60% failed. Direct calculation: 60% × 50 = 0.60 × 50 = 30 students failed. Alternatively: students who passed = 40% × 50 = 20, so students who failed = 50 - 20 = 30. Both methods confirm 30 students failed the exam.

PI Cognitive Assessment Practice 2

If all roses are flowers and some flowers fade quickly, which statement must be true?