#15 - Global, Could Be True, List

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation
(The complete setup for this game can be found here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=6505)

The correct answer choice is (A)

The question stem asks for an answer that could provide a single viable solution for the representatives in Zone 3 (and not for a list of every representative that could conceivably work in Zone 3).

Answer choice (A) is the correct answer. In Template #2, K and M could be the only two representatives working in Zone 3 (P, Q, S, and U would work in Zone 1, and T would work in Zone 2).

Answer choice (B) is incorrect because the only template where T works in Zone 3 is Template #3, and in that template M must also work in Zone 3.

Answer choice (C) is incorrect because no scenario exists where only P and Q work in Zone 3. In Template #1—the only template with P and Q working in Zone 3—at the minimum K or M must also work in Zone 3.

Answer choice (D) is incorrect because by placing both T and U in Zone 3, no representative remains to fulfill the requirements of the second rule.

Answer choice (E) is incorrect because by placing both P and U in Zone 3, only T would remain to fulfill the requirements of the first two rules. Because one representative cannot simultaneously work in two zones, this answer choice is therefore incorrect.

[Mmjd12]

I struggle with understanding whether the question stem is asking for a "complete and accurate list" of a single viable solution, or whether it is asking for a "complete and accurate list" of every rep that could conceivably work in Zone 3.

How do you tell the difference?

[Luke Haqq]

Hi Mmjd12!

This question is asking for what could on its own be a solution. It asks for which of the answer choices could be "a complete and accurate list," meaning that the other variables must be in other zones.

So, for example, answer choice (B) wouldn't work--K and T couldn't be the only ones in zone 3. There are only a few possible numerical distributions in terms of the total number of people in each zone (the options are 3-1-3, 2-2-3, or 4-1-2). Answer choice (B) would indicate that we're dealing with the 4-1-2 distribution (4 employees in zone 1, 1 in zone 2, and 2 in zone 3). That wouldn't work, however, with K and T as the only ones in zone 3--this would mean that U is in zone 2, but S must also work with U--in which case it wouldn't fit in the 4-1-2 distribution. If K and T were the only ones in zone 3, that would require a violation of the final rule, that there are more employees in zone 3 than in zone 2.

[Mmjd12]

Thanks so much Luke. I figured it out for this particular question. But generally speaking, how do you tell the difference for these types of questions? I find it the language in the question stem can be understood both ways.

[Jeff Wren]

Hi Mmjd12,

If the question simply asks for "a complete and accurate list" of variables that could go to a certain group, as in this question, then it means one complete and accurate solution for that group.

If the question is asking for a list of all the variables who could go to a certain group (or in a certain space), the questions will ask for "a complete and accurate list of variables, anyone of which could go...."

One example of this appears question 3 in Game 1 of the Oct . 1997 LSAT. (If you have the PowerScore LSAT Course lesson book, this game appears as Game 1 of Lesson 3.) The third question asks for a complete and accurate list of the variables, "any one of which could be first." Here, the question is asking for all of the variables that could ever go in the first space (not at the same time, but just separately in different solutions).