Q15

[at9037]

What would be the best way to approach this question? Is it plugging in the answer choices and checking or is there a better way?

[ohthatpatrick]

In Ordering games,
if an "if" question gives you a new rule (as opposed to something like "Paul is 3rd"), you want to start by writing that rule on your page and looking at the master rules to see if any of them attach.

Q15 gives us S - P

From rule 4, we know that we will have to go with
L - S - P.

It doesn't seem like our V - R - H rule connects.

H can't be last, so I guess P has to be.
__ __ __ __ __ P

According to rule 3, we'll have (PV) or (PS).
Since P is 6, it looks like V - R - H will prevent us from having (PV).
So we must have (PS).
So S must be 5.
__ __ __ __ S P

With what's left, we have V - R - H and L, who can go anywhere.
(L, V - R - H) S P

(A) Sure, L can be in any spot from Mon to Thurs.
(B) S is Fri.
(C) V can only go as late as Tues.
(D) H can only go Wed or Thurs.
(E) P is Sat.


There's nothing wrong with using plug and chug when needed. On this question, though, it seems like there was a lot that could be deduced from the new rule they gave us.

A middle ground I often use, if I wasn't able to deduce anything but don't want to just go into the answer choices blind, is to just force myself to write a complete scenario.

You know you have to accommodate S - P, so just write ANY legal scenario that does so.
(Bonus points if , as you're finishing off your scenario, you notice any elements who are interchangeable)