Logical ReasoningDifficulty: Hard

PT135 S2 Q16 Explanation

The average length of stay

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

TopicsFlaw

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Full official LSAT questions are available through LawHub. This page provides LSAT Lab's explanation, strategy, and review tools without republishing the full official question.

Stimulus

The average length of stay for patients at Edgewater Hospital is four days, compared to six days at University Hospital. Since studies show that recovery rates at the two hospitals are similar for patients with similar illnesses, of stay without affecting quality of care.

What this question is testing

Flaw

Your task

Describe the reasoning error the argument actually commits.

Common trap

Answers that name a real logical flaw the argument doesn't actually make.

Winning move

Articulate the gap in the reasoning yourself, then match it to the choice that describes that 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
16.

The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds

Answer choices

  1. Contradiction20% picked this

    equates the quality of care at a hospital with patients' average

    The argument actually suggests that length of stay at University Hospital is not equivalent to the quality of care. The argument actually asserts that the length of stay at University Hospital could be reduced without affecting quality of care.

  2. Wrong Flaw4% picked this

    treats a condition that will ensure the preservation of quality of care as a condition that is required

    The argument does not rely on conditional reasoning. Instead it is based on a comparison.

  3. Correct54% picked this

    fails to take into account the possibility that patients at Edgewater Hospital tend to be treated for different illnesses

    Why this is right

    This points out a possible difference between the two hospitals that would suggest the comparison between the two for the length of stay may not be appropriate.

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

  4. Too Strong18% picked this

    presumes, without providing justification, that the length of time patients stay in the hospital is never relevant to the

    The argument assumes that length of time patients stay in the hospital is sometimes not relevant to the recovery rates of patients at University Hospital.

  5. Out of Scope4% picked this

    fails to take into account the possibility that patients at University Hospital generally prefer

    The preference of patients at University Hospital is not relevant to the argument.

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