Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Easy

PT127 S2 Q18 Explanation

Some credit card companies

A free, expert breakdown of this official LSAT Logical Reasoning question.

TopicsPrinciple-Conform

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Stimulus

Some credit card companies allow cardholders to skip payments for up to six months under certain circumstances, but it is almost never in a cardholder's interest to do so. Finance charges accumulate during the skipped-payment period, is much greater in the long run.

What this question is testing

Principle-Conform

Your task

Break the argument into its conclusion and evidence, then do exactly what the question stem asks with that structure.

Common trap

Answers that sound relevant to the topic but don't connect to the argument's actual reasoning.

Winning move

Predict what a right answer must do, then test each choice against the conclusion-evidence gap.

Reading along? Open the full official question in LawHub — we show a fragment here and keep the reasoning in our own words.

The question
18.

Which one of the following arguments illustrates a principle most similar to the principle underlying

Answer choices

  1. Wrong Trigger / Wrong Outcome4% picked this

    Although insecticides are effective in ridding the environment of insect pests, they often kill beneficial insects at the same time. Since these beneficial insects

    This argument compares a benefit with a drawback, but the benefit is not short-term, while the disadvantage is not long-term. Furthermore, the conclusion is too strong. Rather than challenging whether it is wise to use insecticides, this goes further by recommending that some other way to combat insect pests be found.

  2. Wrong Trigger1% picked this

    Increasing the base salary of new employees is good for a company. Although the company's payroll will increase, it will be easier for

    This fails to include information that indicates that the benefit will outweigh the drawback. Furthermore, this lacks any sense that a long-term benefit outweighs a short-term drawback.

  3. Correct90% picked this

    It is unwise to use highway maintenance funds for construction of new roads. There is some immediate benefit from new roads, but if these

    Why this is right

    This argument relies on a similar principle as the argument in the stimulus. The long-term disadvantage of using highway maintenance funds for new construction outweighs the short-term advantage.

    Skill tested: Principle-Conform · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

  4. Wrong Outcome3% picked this

    It is better to invest in a used piece of equipment than to purchase a new one. Although used equipment requires more repairs and

    This conclusion compares two options and asserts that one is better than another, while the argument in the stimulus compares the long-term disadvantage with the short-term gain and concludes that the action resulting in both is unwise.

  5. Wrong Trigger3% picked this

    Sports cars are impractical for most drivers. While there is undoubtedly a certain thrill associated with driving these cars, their small size makes them

    This fails to include information about whether the benefit or the drawback is more significant.

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