LSAT (Law School Admission Test)Analytical ReasoningMedium
A committee of exactly three members must be chosen from a group of seven candidates: three women—F, G, H—and four men—J, K, L, M. The selection must conform to the following conditions: 1. The committee must include at least one woman and at least one man. 2. If G is selected, then K cannot be selected. 3. If H is selected, then L must be selected. 4. K and M cannot both be selected. If J is selected for the committee, which of the following pairs of candidates CANNOT also be selected?
- AF and L
- BG and K
- CH and M
- DF and G
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. G and K
If J is selected, we need two more members. If G and K are also selected, then the committee is G, J, K. Rule 2 states that if G is selected, K cannot be selected. This directly violates rule 2, so G and K cannot both be selected with J.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. F and L can be selected with J (F, L, J). This forms a valid committee (1W, 2M).
- C. H and M can be selected with J (H, M, J). This forms a valid committee (1W, 2M). If H is selected, L must be selected (Rule 3), which is not violated here since L is not in the committee.
- D. F and G can be selected with J (F, G, J). This forms a valid committee (2W, 1M).
Contradictory Pair Deduction
Identifying a pair of items that cannot be simultaneously included in a group, given an additional condition and all rules.
- Involves checking if the selection of a specific pair violates any rule.
- Often relies on direct 'cannot be together' or conditional exclusion rules.
- Systematic evaluation of each option is necessary.
Memory trick: Two's a crowd, if rules say no!