Law School Admission Test for federal honors / N/A Special Agent Entrance Examination (SAEE) — Logic-Based Reasoning Syllabus

What is a valid 'inference' in logical reasoning?

A conclusion that must be true given the stated information; it does not go beyond what the premises guarantee.

What does it mean to 'overreach' when drawing an inference?

Concluding something stronger than the evidence supports (e.g., using 'all' when the text only supports 'some,' or predicting the future from present facts).

In an inference (must-be-true) question, how should extreme-language answer choices be treated?

Be skeptical of words like 'all,' 'never,' 'only,' 'always'; they require very strong support and are often wrong unless the text explicitly establishes them.

What is a conditional (if-then) statement, and its two parts?

A statement of the form 'If A, then B,' where A is the sufficient condition (trigger) and B is the necessary condition (result).

What is the 'contrapositive' of 'If A, then B,' and is it logically equivalent?

The contrapositive is 'If not B, then not A.' Yes, it is logically equivalent and always true when the original is true.

Why are the 'converse' and 'inverse' of a conditional NOT valid inferences?

The converse ('If B, then A') and inverse ('If not A, then not B') do not follow from the original; assuming them is a common fallacy (illicit conversion).

How do you diagram 'A only if B'?

A → B (B is the necessary condition). 'Only if' introduces the necessary condition.

How do you diagram 'No A are B'?

A → not B (and equivalently B → not A).

How do you diagram 'A unless B'?

Treat 'unless' as 'if not': not B → A (equivalently, if A is false then B must be true).

What is the logical rule for chaining conditionals (hypothetical syllogism)?

If A → B and B → C, then A → C. Necessary conditions can be linked to reach a forced outcome.

In a logic game, what is a 'forced outcome' (a deduction)?

A placement or result that must be true because the combination of rules leaves no other possibility.

When two rules share a common variable, what should you do?

Combine them to form a chain or larger deduction, since linked rules often force placements or eliminate options.

In an ordering/sequencing game, how is the constraint 'A is before B' represented?

A ... B (A occupies an earlier position than B; they need not be adjacent unless stated).

What does the constraint 'A and B are not in the same group' force?

A and B must be split across different groups; placing one determines a restriction on the other.

What is the elimination strategy for 'cannot be true' / 'must be false' questions?

Find the choice that violates a rule or a deduction in every scenario; the correct answer is impossible under the conditions, while the others are possible.

How do hypotheticals help eliminate impossible options?

Constructing one valid arrangement (a single working scenario) proves a 'could be true' choice and lets you eliminate 'must be false' claims that the scenario contradicts.

What does 'translating a fact pattern into logical structure' involve?

Converting prose conditions into symbols/diagrams (variables, arrows, sequences, groups) so relationships and deductions become explicit and manageable.

When reasoning under incomplete information, what type of conclusion is justified?

Only conclusions guaranteed by what is given; where information is missing, the correct answer accommodates all possibilities rather than assuming the unstated.

What is a 'floater' (free variable) in a logic game, and why note it?

A variable not bound by any rule; it can occupy any open slot, so flagging it speeds up checking which scenarios are possible.

In proportional reasoning, how do you compare two rates given as percentages of different totals?

Convert to actual counts (percentage x base); a larger percentage of a smaller base can yield a smaller absolute number, so compare the computed quantities, not the percentages alone.

If a quantity increases by 20% then decreases by 20%, is it back to the original? Why?

No. Successive percentage changes compound on different bases: 100 → 120 → 96. The net result is a 4% decrease.

How do you sequence events from situational evidence such as 'X happened after Y but before Z'?

Build a single timeline ordering: Y → X → Z, then place additional clues relative to fixed anchors to resolve the full order.

What is a sound pacing strategy for a timed logic section?

Allocate roughly equal time per item, set a per-question time cap, do easier items first, mark and skip time-sinks, and return only if time remains.

What should you do when stuck on a single hard logic question during a timed section?

Guess (after eliminating what you can), flag it, and move on; never let one item consume time that could earn points on several others.

What is the 'process of elimination' (POE) discipline?

Systematically crossing off each clearly wrong choice rather than searching only for the right one, narrowing to the best remaining answer and confirming it.

Why is process of elimination especially valuable when you cannot pre-phrase the answer?

Even without knowing the exact answer, eliminating choices that are out of scope, too extreme, or rule-violating can isolate the correct one.

What are 'unscored experimental items,' and how should you treat them?

Pretest questions mixed in that do not count toward your score but are indistinguishable from scored ones; treat every item as if it counts and never waste time trying to spot them.

List three habits that reduce careless errors under time pressure.

Read the exact question stem (e.g., 'must be false' vs 'must be true'), track negations/conditionals carefully, and double-check the answer against the stated rules before moving on.

What is the difference between a 'could be true' and a 'must be true' question?

'Could be true' asks for an option possible in at least one valid scenario; 'must be true' asks for an option that holds in every valid scenario.

What is the most common trap in 'except' questions (e.g., 'all of the following weaken EXCEPT')?

Forgetting the reversal: four choices do the stated action (e.g., weaken) and the correct answer is the one that does NOT (it strengthens or is irrelevant).