LSAT 5 | Section 3 | Logical Reasoning: Q22

LR Question 22 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Nursing schools cannot attract a greater number of…

QUESTION TYPE: Must be True

ANALYSIS: This question is worth drawing so that you keep everything clear. On an LSAT I would just use letter symbols but here I will use full phrases with arrows to make clear what things refer to.

Low nursing wages persist OR high stress working conditions continue ➞ Nursing schools will be unable to attract more able applicants ➞ the profession will have to lower its standards OR there will be an acute shortage of nurses ➞ Current high quality of health care cannot be maintained.

Lastly, we are told that even if we lower entrance standards there might still be a shortage.

Contrapositive:

High quality of health care maintained ➞ no acute shortage of nurses AND no lowering of standards ➞ nursing schools attracted more able applicants ➞ no more high stress working conditions AND increased wages for nurses.

Once you realize that the entire stimulus is one long sufficient necessary chain the question becomes less difficult.

___________

1. We can’t conclude that. Solving those two problems is a necessary condition for attracting more applicants but it is not a sufficient condition.
2. Not necessarily. It’s also possible that there will simply be an acute shortage of nurses.
3. Just like A these are necessary conditions for maintaining the level of health care. They are not sufficient conditions. (you can see this in the contrapositive Section.)
4. Not necessarily true. Nursing schools might lower their standards instead.
5. CORRECT. Yes. To maintain the current high standards it is necessary to fix those two problems.

Recap: The question begins with “Nursing schools cannot attract a greater number of”. It is a Must be True question. Learn more about LSAT MBT questions in our guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning question types.