Inference Skills Flashcards
7 cards from real LNAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Inference Skills flashcards as text
A court finds that a defendant is liable only if she owed a duty of care and breached it. She owed a duty but did not breach it. What follows?
Answer: She is not liable because both conditions are not met
Liability requires both conditions; without breach, the conjunctive test fails even if duty exists.
A politician says: 'Everyone who opposes this bill hates our country.' A critic responds that this is a false dichotomy. The critic is correct if:
Answer: It is possible to oppose the bill without hating the country
A false dichotomy presents two options as exhaustive when other possibilities exist; opposition motivated by policy disagreement refutes the claim.
A survey shows 80% of judges who attended elite law schools rule in favor of corporations more often. A reformer concludes elite schools bias judges. Which inference is better supported?
Answer: There is a correlation that warrants further investigation but does not prove bias
Correlational survey data warrants investigation but cannot alone establish the mechanism or prove causal bias.
Passage: 'If the defendant knew the goods were stolen, she is guilty of handling stolen property. She claims she did not know.' What can be inferred about her guilt?
Answer: Her guilt depends on whether her claim of ignorance is believed
The defendant's guilt turns on the factual question of whether she actually knew, which her claim alone does not resolve.
A scientist argues: 'This drug worked in 90% of trials, so it will work for this patient.' The weakest part of this inference is:
Answer: Population-level statistics may not predict outcomes for a specific individual
Statistical averages describe groups; applying them to individuals commits the ecological fallacy.
A company policy states: 'Employees may take personal days only with advance notice.' An employee takes a personal day after calling in that morning. Which inference is most accurate?
Answer: The employee may have violated the policy because morning notice may not qualify as 'advance'
'Advance notice' typically implies prior notice, making same-day notification potentially non-compliant.
Passage: 'Most accidents on this road occur between 5 and 7 pm.' A driver infers the road is safest at 2 pm. This inference is:
Answer: Reasonable but possibly flawed if other peak times exist or traffic volume differs
The passage only identifies one high-risk period; 2 pm may be safer than 5–7 pm but could still carry risks not mentioned.