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- What colour is used for each picture?

- What medium is used for each picture?

The Initial Setup

For matching games like this, a grid or a list that places the entities on one line and their properties underneath will generally be most helpful.

The Rules

1) By telling us that exactly one picture will be blue and one will be yellow, we know that the remaining two must be red. Next to the “color” line of the list, you may wish to write “B,Y,R,R” to represent this.

2) Here we learn that two tree pictures share the same medium but have different colors. It might be helpful to not this directly on the sketch, perhaps by placing an equal sign between the two Ts on the medium line and a separation or unequal sign between them on the color line.

3) Basically, this says that if the blue picture is done in paint, the yellow picture must be done in crayon, and vice versa. This doesn’t result in any great deduction at this level, but will be critical when we move on to the questions.

4) and 5) These are the most concrete rules, the kind that can go directly into your sketch. As in the previous game, you could have jumped to these two first to get off to a good, concrete start. Place C in the “medium” line under dog, and an R in the “colour” line under one of the trees.

Key Deduction

Combining rules 2 and 5, we now know that the other tree picture must be either blue or yellow, since one tree is red and the two trees can’t be the same color.

The Big Picture

- Sometimes a key deduction breaks open an entire game, while other times a deduction is somewhat helpful, but not a major factor. In this case, focus on the rules that don’t play a big part in the setup (rule 3 and half of rule 2). Lacking major deductions, these are the kinds of rules that the questions will hinge on.

- As the name implies, matching games involve matching up various characteristics about a group of entities. Resolve right now to 1) learn how to recognize the “matching” game, and 2) decide which, if any, form of sketch (such as a grid or a list) you’re most comfortable using to keep track of matching information.

The Questions

13. (C) This is a classic acceptability question. If your outline is set up properly, it is just a matter of glancing at each choice and testing it against your outline. (A) can be

Remember:

In acceptability questions, try to focus on a rule, and then scan the choices to find the ones that don’t conform. This saves time.

14. (C) We know that all four pictures can’t be done in crayon because the blue and the yellow pictures must be in different media. What about three pictures in crayon? Sure, that’s possible: the dog is always crayon and since the two tree pictures must be in the same medium, let’s make those two crayon as well. The house must therefore be done in paint. Does this new info correspond to any of the choices? No, so we must press on. Let’s now consider the color aspect. We already know that one tree will be red and that the other tree must be blue or yellow. Since the latter is in crayon, we know that the other picture done in blue or yellow must be painted ,which in this case is the house. Since the second red is all that is left, we can mark the dog as red and the answer as (C). The house and one of the trees will be the blue and yellow pictures, although we don’t know which is which. The other four choices, therefore, could be true, but need not be.

Remember:

Whenever you figure out any new piece of information, and the question asks, “What must be true,” it’s worth taking a few seconds to scan the choices looking for your deduction. Sometimes you’re rewarded with a quick and easy point.

15. (A) If the dog is blue, the second tree will be yellow, according to our key deduction. This leaves red for the house. Now rule 3 comes into play: The blue dog and the yellow tree must be done in different media, and since the dog is always done in crayon, the yellow tree (and the red tree, for that matter, thanks to rule 2) must be done in paint. The only information were missing is whether the red house is in paint or crayon.

The question asks us for what must be false, and (A) fits the bill. At best, the house is crayon and there’s an equal number of paint and crayon Pictures, but in this situation there taut be more crayon pictures than painted ones. (B), (C), and (D) all could be true, while (E) is a statement that must be true.

Remember:

- When testing whether a choice must be fake, attempt to make it true. If you can make it true, in even one case, then cross it off. However, if you fail to find a way to make it true, then you’ve found the answer.

16. (D) By making the house yellow, our key deduction tells us that the second tree must be blue, which makes the dog red. So far, we know nothing about the media of the house or the trees. As with question 15, we’re asked to find the choice that cannot be true or, in other words, that must be false. Once again, test to see if you can make each choice true. This time it’s (D) that’s impossible, as the red dog must be done in crayon (A) and (B) could be true, as the trees could be done in paint or crayon. Likewise, (C) and (E) could true if the house was done in crayon and the trees in paint.

17. (E) The first if-clause tells us, essentially that the second tree will be blue. The second hypothetical is a roundabout way of telling us that there will be three pictures done in paint and one in crayon-rid we know which one that is: the dog. So the trees and the house must be done in paint. The blue picture, in this case a painted tree, must be done in a different medium from the yellow picture, so the yellow picture must be the crayon dog, once again leaving the house as the second red picture. This supports correct choice (E).

(A) and (D) bite the dust because the dog is done in yellow crayon. The house, on the other hand, must be done in red paint, killing both (B) and (C).

Remember:

- Don’t be intimidated by question stems that contain a lot of information. The more you get to work with, the more you can figure out. Here, everything’s determined, which means there’s not a question in the world you can’t answer.

- When the question stem contains more than one if-clause, you don’t have to take them in order, if one is more concrete than the other, begin with that one first.

18. (B) Although it is possible to try out each of the choices in turn, it is really best to try to think out which of the rules can be used to derive the answer. We are asked to figure out how to force the dog to be blue or yellow. We know from our key deduction that one of the trees must be blue or yellow. So the easiest way to force the dog to be blue or yellow would be to make the house red. However, we’re not so lucky to find this easy solution in the choices.

So let’s search the choices for the one that brings about the desired result. Exactly three crayon pictures? The house could still be the other blue/yellow picture, instead of the dog. What about three paint pictures? Since the dog is in crayon, this means that the house and both trees must be paint. Could the house still be the other blue/yellow picture? No; this would violate rule 3, because both blue and yellow pictures would be done in paint. So (B), in fact, does force the dog to be done in blue or yellow. (C), (D), and (E) all result in situations in which the house and one tree could make up the blue/yellow pictures.

Remember:

- Questions that ask you to employ backwards reasoning may be time consuming, because if the solution doesn’t hit you intuitively, you’re left trying out each choice. Such questions may therefore be prime candidates to skip and return to later if time permits.

- Logic Game answers are objectively correct. When you find the correct answer, have the