LSAT 21, Logical Reasoning I, Q4, LSATHacks

LR Question 4 Explanation, by LSATHacks

QUESTION TEXT: The highest-ranking detectives in the city’s police department are…

QUESTION TYPE: Paradox

PARADOX: The high-ranking detectives are the most skilled, yet their success rate isn’t any better than average detectives.

ANALYSIS: None of the wrong answers are at all relevant to success rates. On paradox questions, keep focused on what you’re trying to explain.

___________

1. That’s nice. But we’re trying to explain the success rates of other detectives: those who are skilled and high ranking, but have average success rates.
2. The length of time worked isn’t necessarily relevant to the success rate. We still don’t know why the highest ranking detectives only have average success rates.
3. This doesn’t even distinguish between high ranking detectives and other detectives. Useless.
4. CORRECT. High-ranking detectives get harder cases. That could explain why their success rate isn’t any higher than the rates of lower-ranking detectives.
5. This doesn’t say much about their success rates. It just tells us about their backgrounds.

Recap: The question begins with “The highest-ranking detectives in the city’s police department are”. It is a Paradox question. Learn more about LSAT Paradox questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.

Hi, I'm Graeme Blake

Founder of LSAThacks; I scored a 177 on the LSAT.

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