Analytical Ability Reviewer - Part 17

Practice 20 Analytical Ability questions for the Civil Service Exam (CSE), each with the correct answer and an explanation.

20 questions80% passing markFree

Part 17 of our Analytical Ability reviewer has 20 practice questions in the style of the Civil Service Exam. Answer them in order, read the explanation after each one, and check your score against the 80% passing mark at the end. Questions and choices are reshuffled every time you retake the part.

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Sample questions from Part 17

Here are a few questions from this part. Take the full test to answer all 20 and get your score.

Sample question 1

Premise 1: If the applicant submits a barangay clearance, then the permit is released.
Premise 2: It is known that the permit is released.

Which conclusion is logically correct?

  • The applicant submits a barangay clearance.
  • It cannot be determined whether the applicant submits a barangay clearance.
  • The applicant does not submit a barangay clearance.
  • Neither the applicant submits a barangay clearance nor the permit is released.
Answer: It cannot be determined whether the applicant submits a barangay clearance.
Knowing the consequent (the permit is released) does not prove the antecedent. Affirming the consequent is a fallacy: the permit is released may happen for other reasons. So the only valid answer is that it cannot be determined whether the applicant submits a barangay clearance.

Sample question 2

Statement: If the barangay has a health center, then it has a midwife.

Which statement is the contrapositive of the statement above?

  • If it has a midwife, then the barangay has a health center.
  • If the barangay has no health center, then it has no midwife.
  • If the barangay has a health center, then it has no midwife.
  • If it has no midwife, then the barangay has no health center.
Answer: If it has no midwife, then the barangay has no health center.
The contrapositive of “If A, then B” is “If not B, then not A.” and it always has the same truth value as the original. The converse (If B, then A) and the inverse (If not A, then not B) are not equivalent.

Sample question 3

1. All applicants for promotion are career service employees.
2. Some persons with CSE eligibility are employees with pending cases.
3. Some applicants for promotion are employees with pending cases.

Which conclusion must be true?

  • Some career service employees are persons with CSE eligibility.
  • Some employees with pending cases are not persons with CSE eligibility.
  • Some career service employees are employees with pending cases.
  • Some employees with pending cases are not applicants for promotion.
Answer: Some career service employees are employees with pending cases.
Test every possible arrangement of the groups (Venn-diagram cases) that fits the premises. The answer is true in all of them (2816 cases checked by enumeration). Each of the others can fail: “Some career service employees are persons with CSE eligibility.” is false in a case where the only kinds of members that exist are: [not career service employees, persons with CSE eligibility, not applicants for promotion, employees with pending cases] [career service employees, not persons with CSE eligibility, applicants for promotion, employees with pending cases]. “Some employees with pending cases are not persons with CSE eligibility.” is false in a case where the only kinds of members that exist are: [career service employees, persons with CSE eligibility, applicants for promotion, employees with pending cases]. “Some employees with pending cases are not applicants for promotion.” is false in a case where the only kinds of members that exist are: [career service employees, persons with CSE eligibility, applicants for promotion, employees with pending cases].

Sample question 4

Statement: Unless the water level reaches the danger mark, the alarm does not sound.

Which statement means the same as the statement above?

  • If the water level reaches the danger mark, then the alarm sounds.
  • If the water level does not reach the danger mark, then the alarm does not sound.
  • If the alarm does not sound, then the water level does not reach the danger mark.
  • If the water level reaches the danger mark, then the alarm does not sound.
Answer: If the water level does not reach the danger mark, then the alarm does not sound.
“Unless A, B” means “If not A, then B.” Here: If the water level does not reach the danger mark, then the alarm does not sound. The other options reverse or change the condition and are not equivalent.

Sample question 5

A barangay clearance is necessary in order to get a business permit. Rey has a barangay clearance.

Which conclusion is logically correct?

  • Rey will surely get the business permit.
  • Rey will not get the business permit.
  • It cannot be concluded that Rey will get a business permit.
  • Rey needs no other requirement for the permit.
Answer: It cannot be concluded that Rey will get a business permit.
A necessary condition is not always enough. Having the clearance does not guarantee the permit because other requirements may be needed.

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