Parallel Reasoning Drill Pack
8 original LSAT-style questions. Work at your own pace. Answer key on the last page.
All lifeguards are strong swimmers. Maria is a lifeguard. Therefore, Maria is a strong swimmer.
Which of the following is most similar in its reasoning?
- A. All lifeguards are strong swimmers. Maria is a strong swimmer. Therefore, Maria is a lifeguard.
- B. All poodles are dogs. Fifi is a poodle. Therefore, Fifi is a dog.
- C. Maria is a lifeguard. Maria is a strong swimmer. Therefore, all lifeguards are strong swimmers.
- D. Some lifeguards are strong swimmers. Maria is a lifeguard. Therefore, Maria is a strong swimmer.
- E. No lifeguards are weak swimmers. Maria is not a lifeguard. Therefore, Maria is a weak swimmer.
Answer: ______
The movie was either a comedy or a drama. It was not a comedy. So it was a drama.
Which of the following exhibits the same pattern of reasoning?
- A. The movie was a comedy or a drama. It was a comedy. So it was not a drama.
- B. The package arrived Tuesday or Wednesday. It did not arrive Tuesday. So it arrived Wednesday.
- C. If it rains, the game is canceled. It rained. So the game is canceled.
- D. The movie was not a comedy, so it must have been a drama or a documentary.
- E. Either the movie was good or it was bad. It was good.
Answer: ______
Most successful startups have a technical founder. This startup has a technical founder. So it will probably succeed.
Which of the following follows the same flawed pattern?
- A. Most birds can fly. This animal can fly. So it is probably a bird.
- B. All startups need funding. This startup has funding. So it will succeed.
- C. Technical founders work hard. This founder works hard. So the startup will succeed.
- D. Most successful startups have funding. This startup will succeed. So it probably has funding.
- E. Startups with technical founders usually succeed. This startup has one. So it will probably succeed.
Answer: ______
All successful marathons require months of training. Jan ran a successful marathon. Therefore, Jan trained for months.
Which of the following exhibits the same pattern of reasoning?
- A. All great novels take years to write. This novel is great, so it took years to write.
- B. Most marathons require training. Jan trained, so she ran a marathon.
- C. Jan trained for months, so she must have run a successful marathon.
- D. Marathons are hard. Jan is tough, so she ran one.
- E. Some marathons require no training. Jan ran one anyway.
Answer: ______
No reptiles are warm-blooded. Some pets are reptiles. Therefore, some pets are not warm-blooded.
Which of the following follows the same pattern?
- A. No fish are mammals. Some swimmers are fish. Therefore, some swimmers are not mammals.
- B. All reptiles are cold-blooded. Some pets are cold-blooded. Therefore, some pets are reptiles.
- C. No reptiles are warm-blooded. All pets are warm-blooded. Therefore, no pets are reptiles.
- D. Some reptiles are pets. Reptiles are cold-blooded. Therefore, all pets are cold-blooded.
- E. Warm-blooded animals are mammals. Reptiles are not mammals. Therefore, reptiles are cold-blooded.
Answer: ______
All birds have feathers. A robin is a bird. Therefore, a robin has feathers.
Which of the following uses the same pattern?
- A. All cars have wheels. My car has wheels. Therefore, my car is a car.
- B. All oaks are trees. This oak is an oak. Therefore, this oak is a tree.
- C. Robins have feathers. All birds have feathers. Therefore, robins are birds.
- D. Some birds have feathers. A robin is a bird. Therefore, a robin has feathers.
- E. No birds lack feathers. A robin lacks feathers. Therefore, a robin is not a bird.
Answer: ______
If the alarm had sounded, the guards would have come. The guards did not come. So the alarm did not sound.
Which of the following follows the same pattern?
- A. If the alarm sounded, the guards came. The guards came. So the alarm sounded.
- B. If the pipes froze, they would have burst. The pipes did not burst. So they did not freeze.
- C. The guards came because the alarm sounded.
- D. Either the alarm sounded or it did not. It did not.
- E. If the alarm had sounded, the guards would have come. The alarm sounded. So the guards came.
Answer: ______
No successful diet requires starvation. This diet requires starvation. Therefore, this diet is not successful.
Which of the following exhibits the same pattern?
- A. No safe car lacks airbags. This car lacks airbags. Therefore, this car is not safe.
- B. All successful diets require discipline. This diet requires discipline. Therefore, this diet is successful.
- C. Some diets require starvation. This diet is a diet. Therefore, this diet requires starvation.
- D. No successful diet requires starvation. Some diets are successful. Therefore, some diets require starvation.
- E. This diet requires starvation. Starvation is unhealthy. Therefore, this diet is unhealthy.
Answer: ______
Answer Key
- 1. B — Both are textbook syllogisms: All A are B, X is A, so X is B. A reverses it, C generalizes from one case, D weakens a premise.
- 2. B — Both are disjunctive syllogisms: A or B, not A, therefore B. A affirms instead of denying; C is a conditional.
- 3. A — Both confuse "most A are B" with "most B are A." Having the trait of successful things does not make success likely. The others change the structure.
- 4. A — Both are: All X are Y. This is X. Therefore this is Y. The other choices change the structure (most, reversed, some).
- 5. A — Same form: No A are B. Some C are A. Therefore some C are not B. Only A matches all three moves.
- 6. B — Same three steps: all A are B, X is A, X is B. A reverses the second premise; C argues backward.
- 7. B — Both are modus tollens: if P then Q, not Q, therefore not P. A affirms the consequent, a classic error.
- 8. A — Same form: No A are B, X is B, therefore X is not A. B affirms the consequent; the rest change the logic.
Keep going: Parallel Reasoning sample questions · How to answer parallel reasoning questions