Logical Reasoning

PT14 · S4 · Q17 On completing both the course

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

  • Save & drill this skill — build targeted practice sets from questions like this one

  • Video walkthroughs — watch every question solved step by step

  • 81 official LSATs — as questions, timed sections & full-length tests

Start practicing free

On completing both the course in experimental design and the developmental psychology course, Angela will have earned a degree in psychology.

Facts

conditionals (will, must)

Comp exp design Angela earns and comp devel psych → degree in Psych

Taking devel psych → comp exp design

exp design: not offered until next term

Angela earn psych degree: at least two terms from now

Evaluate

The stimulus is weirdly an argument, so it feels like the conclusion already steals an inference we could have made. We might need to consider what assumptions were made in drawing that conclusion, as they would essentially constitute a must be true.

We know that if Angela gets the combo of Design and Psych, she'll get her degree, but she has to finish Design before she can take Psych.

And since Design isn't offered until next term, the soonest she could earn her degree (with the combo of Design and Psych) would be two terms from now: taking Design next term and then taking Psych the term after that.

However, it never said that she has to take Psych and Design in order to get her degree. That's one combo that would work, but this argument seems to be assuming that it's a required combo.

Goal

Maybe the answer will say .

Otherwise, just look for any idea we can prove from the given information.

17.

If the statements above are all true, which one of the following must also be true?

  1. The developmental psychology course Angela

    Unsupported Quality (two terms)

    There's no need to think that Psych takes two terms. The stimulus is just saying she must complete Design before Psych, so even if they each take one term, it would still be at least two terms before Angela could complete them both.

    2% picked this

  2. The course in experimental design

    Unsupported Comparison

    Nothing in the stimulus speaks at all about the difficulty of any class, so we have no ammunition for proving that one course is easier than another.

    1% picked this

  3. There are no prerequisites for

    Too Strong (no prereq's)

    It wouldn't interfere with any of this argument if there were a prerequisite to Design. The stimulus says it will take at least 2 terms. So if there were a prereq to Design, that would still stay within the realm of what the stimulus says.

    7% picked this

  4. Anyone who earns a degree

    Too Strong (anyone)

    It never says that a course in Design is required to get a degree. The first sentence presents the combo of Design and Psych as sufficient, not required.

    19% picked this

  5. Correct

    Once Angela completes the developmental

    Why this is right

    This answer is basically restating the first sentence. The first sentence said that the combo of Design and Psych would be enough to get her a degree, and we know that in order to take Psych, you have to have already completed Design. So naturally once she completes Psych, she will have already completed Psych and Design, thereby triggering the rule in the first sentence. We had Psych → Design and Psych + Design → Degree So it's fair to say Psych → Degree

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

    72% picked this

Continue the review in LSAT Lab

Save this question, watch the video walkthrough, and drill similar questions in your LSAT Lab account.

Save and practice this skill
LSAT Lab

Turn this review into a targeted study plan.

Save this question, drill more like it, watch the video walkthrough, and track your progress in your LSAT Lab account.

Start practicing free