Deductive Reasoning Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. If a file is encrypted, a password is required. If a password is required, access is restricted. A particular file is encrypted. What must follow?
Access to the file is restricted.
The file cannot be accessed under any circumstances.
The password itself is encrypted.
Every restricted file is encrypted.
2. Consider: “If the alarm is armed, the indicator is lit. The indicator is lit. Therefore, the alarm is armed.” Which error occurs?
Denying the antecedent
Affirming the consequent
Applying modus tollens
Applying modus ponens
3. If the train is delayed, the meeting starts late. The train is not delayed. Therefore, the meeting will not start late. Why is this deduction invalid?
It treats the conclusion as one of the premises.
It assumes that a delayed train never affects a meeting.
It denies the antecedent; another cause could still make the meeting start late.
It reverses the meaning of “delayed.”
4. If a document is approved, it has a signature. This document has no signature. What must follow?
The document was rejected for lacking a signature.
The document will never be approved.
Only approved documents can have signatures.
The document is not approved.
5. What is the logical negation of “All interns submitted the form”?
No interns submitted the form.
Most interns did not submit the form.
At least one intern submitted the form.
At least one intern did not submit the form.
6. A reliable inventory states: “The missing report is on the desk or in the cabinet.” The report is not on the desk. What follows?
The report may be outside both locations.
The original inventory statement must be false.
The report is in the cabinet.
The report was moved from the desk to the cabinet.
7. Which statement about a valid argument containing a false premise is correct?
Its validity depends on whether most premises are true.
It automatically becomes invalid because validity requires true premises.
Its conclusion must be true despite the false premise.
It may still be valid and may have a false conclusion.
8. Which statement best distinguishes deductive validity from truth?
Validity means every premise is factually correct.
Truth and validity are interchangeable properties of conclusions.
Validity means true premises cannot lead to a false conclusion through that argument form.
An argument is valid whenever its conclusion happens to be true.
9. If the server is offline, the status light is red. The server is offline. What must follow?
The status light is the reason the server went offline.
The status light could be any color because the rule gives only a possibility.
The status light is red.
Anything with a red status light must be offline.
10. Some musicians are painters. No painters are cyclists. Which conclusion must follow?
Some musicians are not cyclists.
Some cyclists are not musicians.
All musicians who are not painters are cyclists.
No musicians are cyclists.
11. To show that a proposed deductive argument form is invalid, what would a counterexample need to provide?
A case where all premises are true but the conclusion is false
A case where both a premise and the conclusion are false
A case where all premises and the conclusion are true
A case where the conclusion is true but one premise is false
12. What makes an argument deductively valid?
Most people find its conclusion persuasive.
Its conclusion is more likely than not, given its premises.
Every premise and the conclusion are factually true.
It is impossible for all its premises to be true while its conclusion is false.
13. Every square is a rectangle. Which description correctly states the relationship?
Being a rectangle is sufficient but not necessary for being a square.
Being a square is sufficient for being a rectangle, and being a rectangle is necessary for being a square.
Being a square is necessary but not sufficient for being a rectangle.
Being a square and being a rectangle are equivalent conditions.
14. All poets are writers. No writers are robots. Which conclusion must be true?
No poets are robots.
All writers are poets.
Some robots are poets.
No robots are capable of writing.
15. All amber tokens are wooden. Some wooden tokens are round. What can be deduced about amber tokens and round tokens?
All amber tokens are round.
No definite relationship between amber tokens and round tokens follows.
Some amber tokens are round.
No amber tokens are round.
16. Which statement is logically equivalent to “If P, then Q”?
If Q, then P.
If not Q, then not P.
If not P, then not Q.
P if and only if Q.