#22 - Local, Could Be True

[Dave Killoran]

Complete Question Explanation
(The complete setup for this game can be found here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=15139)

The correct answer choice is (A)

If P is ranked second in climate, then R must be ranked first in climate. This information eliminates answer choices (B) and (D).

Answer choice (C) can be eliminated because R can never be first in friendliness.

Answer choice (E) can be eliminated because T must be ranked first in friendliness. Thus, answer choice (A) is correct.

[kmpaez]

For question 22, why is answer choice E incorrect? From my understanding of the rules, with answer choice A (the correct answer) P is placed as second in friendliness. This forces T into 3rd for friendliness, leaving the only 1st place available for R. However, placing R in 1st place for friendliness would violate the 5th rule.

Thank you.

[Adam Tyson]

I think you may have misread a rule on that game, kmpaez. The fourth rule requires that in Friendliness, T must be ranked higher than (before) P. Not only would P 2nd in that criterion force T to first, it's actually the case that T is ALWAYS first in that criterion! That same rule tells us that Q is 4th and S is 5th in Friendliness, and the 5th rule (with R's climate ranking being higher than his Friendliness ranking) means that R cannot be first in Friendliness nor last in Climate. Since Q and S are fixed in place, and since R cannot go first, and since T has to be before P, T is the only one eligible to be ranked best (first) in Friendliness.

Be sure to double check the scenario, where we are told that the rankings are from first (best) to fifth (worst). A higher ranking means a lower numbered rank, and if you set up 1-5 from left to right, that means to the left of or before.

By the way, if you liked answer E for question 22 because it put T third, that would suggest that you also liked answer E to question 20 (because you would be okay with T going third in both of those categories). If you didn't like it there, you shouldn't like it here either. Check that one again while you're at it.

In the correct answer, with P 2nd in Climate, R has to be first in that row and Q must be last. In Location, S and T are interchangeable at 1 and 5, as in the global setup, and P and R remain interchangeable at 2 and 3 in Friendliness, also in keeping with the global setup. Focus on those two unknown pairs to find the right answer to this Could Be True question, and you'll get it.

Keep pounding!

[KhaliaCWilliams]

Hi!

Why exactly can B not be the answer?


Thank you!

[Jeremy Press]

Hi Khalia,

B cannot be true, because the local condition requires P to be ranked third in friendliness (its friendliness ranking can't be the same as its climate ranking, so can't be second; and its friendliness ranking has to be worse than T's friendliness ranking, so can't be first). Since P has to be ranked third in friendliness, Q has to be ranked first in friendliness (only spots 1 and 2 are available in friendliness, but Q is already ranked second in location so can't be ranked second in another criterion). Since Q has to be ranked first in friendliness, and second in location, it cannot be ranked first or second in climate (since no town's rankings in two different criteria can be the same).

I hope this helps!

Jeremy

[Sydneymkim]

Hi, I'm a little confused with why A is the answer when the first rule says none of the 5 towns receive the same ranking. If P is second in criteria doesn’t that automatically mean that R is to be second in friendliness because if it was also P then it doesn’t follow the first rule (since P would show up second for both criteria and friendliness)?

Thank you!

[Adam Tyson]

That rule just means that no two towns can have the same rank as each other in any of the three criteria, Sydneymkim. In other words, no ties are allowed. It's fine for one town to have the same rank in different criteria! But what's impossible under that rule would be two towns tied in something, like P and R both being ranked 2nd in Friendliness, etc.