This is the only question that most students find truly difficult on this game. Fewer than half got it right. Everyone hates rule substitution questions.
There is a way to do rule substitution questions quickly however. It’s very difficult for the test makers come up with a new rule that has the same effect. Usually their only option is to describe the effects of the rule in another way. Let’s see how to do that. Here’s the main diagram again:
Now, let’s look at the full effects of placing Fiesta before Jets and Lovebird.
- Fiesta is before J – H and L – G.
- Kangaroos is the only variable that can come before Fiesta.
I can think of two ways of phrasing this:
- Every variable except Kangaroos has to come after F.
- Only Kangaroos can come before F.
Answer A uses my second variation. A is CORRECT.
I think B and D are fairly obviously wrong. They both force something to happen that normally doesn’t have to happen. Ordinarily, Kangaroos can come after Lovebird, so B is wrong. And normally, Kangaroos can come before Fiesta, so D is wrong.
C and E are trickier to eliminate. C is the most popular wrong answer. It places Fiesta first or second. It’s true that Fiesta normally has to go in one of those positions. But that’s not all that’s true about Fiesta.
We also need the rule to force Fiesta to be before Lovebird, and answer C doesn’t do that. The rule in answer C allows this scenario:
Fiesta is second, but Lovebird is before F!
E is the second most popular answer. It says that Fiesta or Kangaroos must be first.
E is also something that has to be true normally, but we’re not looking for something that must be true. We’re looking for something that replaces the rule. This scenario is possible if we replace the rule in question with answer E:
Kangaroos is first, but Fiesta is last! That violates the normal rules.
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RIss says
How does C allow for the scenario you displayed with L before F? When I put F in 2, I am forced to put J,H,L,G in the spots after because of main diagram, in which J.H,L,G are all after F. This puts K in 1. LFGJKH seems to be an incorrect order to me because L must be after F by the given rules.
TutorRosalie (LSATHacks) says
If you substitute in Rule C, there is nothing that forces L to go after F. No other rules poses such a restriction. I think your confusion rests in your last line, “LFGJKH seems to be an incorrect order to me because L must be after F by the given rules” – that is the rules we are trying to replace. So in this scenario, we would exchange this rule for the Rule in C, which would then allow for the LFGJKH order.
Lyndsie says
What’s confusing about this question is both answer choices A and C say the same thing to me.
Because it’s true that the rule means Either K or F go first or second, therefore only K can be released before F and vise versa. When you say that answer choice C is not all that the rule means, I feel the same about answer choice A.
Maybe something is just not clicking.
Virginia says
The explanations for this game are awesome — thank you so much!
Ashley says
“We’re not looking for something that must be true. We’re looking for something that replaces the rule. ” – but the correct answer is a statement that must be true, correct? (MBT + imposes same conditions, as opposed to some of the wrong answers that are ONLY MBT, but don’t impose all the same conditions.)
FounderGraeme Blake says
You’re right. I meant not to look merely for something that has to be true – that’s how a lot of people approach answers for some reason. They evaluate based on “is this true?” rather than whatever the question was asking for.