Decision Making

Syllogisms: Drawing Conclusions

• There are copy and paste questions: These statements copy what the text says, or directly contradict them (quickly identify and move on)

• Not enough information: Have an element of truth but they go against the statement (the answer to these with be no)

• Inference: Will ask about information not in the text, but is true or false based on the information given

• Hypothetical: Inferences, but there are information outside the text that needs to be considered.

Strategies

• Words play restrictions to the statement (only, must, at least)

• Negative sentences

• Focus on relationships and see how they link

• Focus on qualifier words (likely does not mean MUST)

• Watch out for distractions

• Watch out for reverse statements: Just becuase they are true in one direction, does not mean they are true if you reverse it.

  • A drink on the US market without FDA approval cannot be an energy drink (TRUE)

  • A drink on the US market with FDA approval is an energy drink (FALSE)

• For speed: Learn to recognise easy statements, such as copy/paste and extra information.

Other strategies: Roughly spend 80 seconds on each question

• For venn diagram questions first check if the easy statements are correct, before moving on to the harder questions.

• During the run throughs complete the strongest argument questions first.

• Syllogisms spend 100 seconds as they are slightly harder but are worth 2 marks, but do not sacrifice your time spending more than 100 seconds as you could have answered simpler questions.

Questions Stuck:

For these questions, be very careful on the knowledge you assume.

For this question it is a hypothetical question, but I thought it was inference, that we were not given enough information, like green colour is not mentioned, so it has to be false. However, this question says ‘if’ so asking us weather it will be true or false