LSAT 148 | Section 1 | Logical Reasoning: Q15

LR Question 15 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: Sanchez: The sixteen new computers that the school…

QUESTION TYPE: Point at Issue

ARGUMENTS: Sanchez says the school didn’t spend too much, because the computers weren’t as expensive as people assume.

Merriweather points out that the school bought computers that were too powerful, and therefore too expensive.

ANALYSIS: It helps to put actual numbers to this. Imagine this situation:

• The school bought 16 computers.
• They were powerful workstations that cost $25,000 for each workstation.
• People assumed the workstations cost $40,000 each. Since the computers were $15,000 cheaper, Sanchez thinks money wasn’t wasted.
• Merriweather’s point is that the school should have bought $500 chromebooks.

So, Merriweather and Sanchez agree on the number of computers the school should have bought. They disagree about how powerful the computers should have been, and therefore whether the school wasted money.

___________

1. Merriweather didn’t dispute the need for 16 computers. They just said the computers were more powerful than they needed to be.
2. Close, but not quite. Merriweather said the computers were too elaborate. So it sounds like they thought it was good to buy computers, but that the individual computers should each have been less powerful.
3. CORRECT. This matches. Sanchez thinks the school was justified. Merriweather thinks the computers were more powerful than they needed to be: the school should have bought cheaper computers.
4. A $25,000 computer is worth $25,000. So you’re not paying “more than it’s worth” by paying that price. But, you might be spending more than you should on a computer.
5. Actually, neither person mentions whether the school has received harsh criticism.

Recap: The question begins with “Sanchez: The sixteen new computers that the”. It is a Point at Issue question. To practice more Point at Issue questions, have a look at the LSAT Questions by Type page.