Q18

[MariaT618]

Can someone explain the right answer choice for this question?

[Laura Damone]

Sure thing! This is a Determines Positions question. The strategy here is to Identify the "slippery" (i.e., the least restricted) elements in the diagram and try to find an answer that pins those down.

It's helpful to know the big inference of the game: I must visit Sydney. You can still get the right answer to 18 if you don't know this going in, but it definitely helps. We know I goes in S because G can't, meaning that we need 2 out of the 3 remaining elements: F, H and I. Since we can't have F and H together, we'll have one or the other, plus I.

If you made this inference, one "slippery" element you'll want to pin down is the F/H option in S.

Once you've ID'd the slippery element/s, you work wrong to right. I'd defer on A because knowing that Fan goes twice doesn't reveal where Fan goes. I would test B because G going twice means it goes in M and T (since it can't go in S). Rule 3 tells us that G in M sends H to T, that fills group T. Rule 1 tells us we need two I's so groups S and M get I's. That leaves the last slot in S for F.

Since every position is determined, that's the right answer, and we can stop there.

Hope this helps!