Setup and Rule Diagrams

[mattm]

Hello

I was confused on the setup for this game and the inferences

I don't feel like I got a very good grasp of this particular game...Im not sure if it was a bit more of a difficult game or just not my day

Thanks

[Emily Haney-Caron]

Hi Matt M,

If you tell me how you approached set up and what inferences you made, I'll be able to tailor my answer more directly to your experience and hopefully help make the game clearer.

Thanks!

[mattm]

the reason I was broad is I made several bad assumptions upon review.

First, I thought all planes were being used...when the key word is "available" not that they are necessarily used

Also thought the max to each plane was 2 people ( a pilot and a co pilot ) but no where in rules does it say that.

I also made the mistake of using some people twice...

If you want to expand on these or make further points feel free to do so

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hey Matt,

The issue with this game is the high level of uncertainty inherent in the setup. Close reading is key: as you noticed later, the word "available" implies that we don't need to use all four planes. And indeed, thanks to the third rule, we know that no plane flies without a qualified pilot aboard:

Plane flying Pilot

Given that there are only 3 pilots aboard planes that are (already) flying, we can deduce that at most 3 planes must be flying. Furthermore, nowhere in this game do they suggest that the planes land and then take off again, and so we cannot possibly have a situation in which someone flies twice. So, each variable must be used exactly once.

The only inference we can make stems from the combination of the last two rules. Since Anna (a pilot) flies only in plane 1 or 4, whereas Dave (a co-pilot) flies in either plane 2 or 3, we can infer that a qualified pilot - other than Anna - is needed in plane 2 or 3. So, either Bob or Cindy (or both) must be flying with Dave in plane 2 or 3.

Again, this game is only tough if you didn't read the scenario carefully

Hope this helps! Let me know.

[Arindom]

Hi,

Could someone post the answer key for this game?

Thanks!

- Arindom

[Stephanie Oswalt]

Dear Arindom,

The answers are as follows: 20, B; 21, C; 22, D; 23, B; 24, C

For the future, you might find our self-study free test scoring useful. You can find and register for that system at the bottom of the page here: http://students.powerscore.com/self-study/index.cfm

In addition, if you are answering these questions from a PowerScore publication or Official LSAC publication, the answer keys are typically found in that publication. If you need help finding the answer keys, please let us know! Hope this helps!

Thanks!

Stephanie

[Arindom]

Thanks, Stephanie!

- Arindom

[yrivers]

Hi,

This game and explanations make sense. One question: how do we know that the pilots are NOT repeated? I couldn't move forward w/solving the problems, because I didn't know if ABC could only fly once or multiple times.

If it's not stated, should we assume they only fly once...?

Yaesul

[Robert Carroll]

Yaesul,

Two things:

First, the rules say that A, B, C, D, E, and F "are all aboard planes that are flying in the show". The perspective from which we're looking, then, is that the planes are already in the air and all these people are all aboard those planes. This is why no one can be reused - we're evaluating the situation where the planes are already flying.

Second, I agree with Dave's earlier comment:

Resurrection works for me!

This game is an interesting one, and a game that they've used the basic setup for elsewhere. From LSAC's perspective, they'd argue that the phrase "that are flying in the show" in the first two rules, and the lack of linear rules or limitations, is supposed to indicate that this isn't set up in an ordered fashion but as a single event where everyone flies in only one plane. Still, it's a tricky point, and I see where you can think that maybe someone could fly in one plane, land, then hop in another plane and fly again. The one problem is that there are then so many possible solutions and outcomes, that every question would have to be extremely lengthy in order to limit the situation. But that's a pretty abstract point to process under time pressure.

My hope would be that in its current iteration, the makers of the LSAT would add in a phrase or two that clarifies their thinking. They are human however (what!?), so they can and do make mistakes at times.

Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!

I think that LSAC has learned since 1991 not to confuse students like this. However, the rules do posit a perspective where everyone is already aboard, so it's moot in this case.

Robert Carroll

[DAthenour]

Hi there,

I was wondering if you could help clarify the best route to setting up this game and making sketches on the local "if" questions. I drew out two sets of four lines __ __ __ __
__ __ __ __ and tried to allocate the co-pilots and the pilots, but it is confusing given the fact that (max) only three planes fly and that multiple pilots/co-pilots could fly on single planes. Is there a better way to set this game up to account for that uncertainty?

Thanks for your help!