Nursing schools cannot attract a greater number of able applicants than they currently do unless the problems of low ...

Khashi June 19, 2013

Sufficient necessary question # 11 video explanation

Hi, I wanted to mention that I find the video explanation for this question somehow not understandable. Now I'm not sure if its me not understanding the explanation or there is a typo on answer choice E or that the instructor explains it wrong. The reason I'm saying this is that the last sentence in answer choice E mentions that "the current high quality of health care will not be maintained if the problems of low wages AND high stress working conditions in the nursing profession are not solved". In the video explanation the instructor at first goes on to explain the answer by mentioning the AND in the answer choice but somehow circumvents it and ends up explaining it with OR ! The reason I can't get this is that if we draw the logical chain that the answer choice gives us, it automatically refutes answer choice E( /PLWS & /PHSS - > /HQHC ) because we know from the passage that /PLWS and /HQHc - > HQHC. So what I'm saying is that this would mean that we are just negating in a seance. Please advise, That's you

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Khashi June 19, 2013

I noticed I have three typos when I move towards the last part of my last message, their correct form would be:
1) /PLWS &/PHSS - > HQHC
2) in a sense
3) Thank you

Thanks

Khashi June 19, 2013

Thank you*

Naz June 19, 2013

Alright, so I think the confusion comes from the principle in answer choice (E) using the word "and," and the principle in the stimulus using the word "or." Remember that "or" means either one or both. So therefore, "or" encompasses "and." You're right that it is not necessary to use "and" to explain why answer choice (E) is correct, but you can use "and" because "or" means either variable is sufficient.

So the principle in answer choice (E) is "If the problems of low wages and high-stress working conditions are not solved, then the high quality of health care will not be maintained." not PLWS & not PHSS - > not HQHC.

The contrapositive of the first principle rule in the passage is "if the problems of low wages or high-stress working conditions are not solved, then nursing schools cannot attract a greater number of able applicants." not PLWS or not PHSS - > not NAGA

So let's break down what that means. If either the problem of low wages is not solved or the problem of high-stress working conditions is not solved, then nursing schools cannot attract a greater number of able applicants. So if both of them occur, then it still follows that nursing schools cannot attract a greater number of able applicants.

We know from the second principle rule in the passage that is nursing schools cannot attract a greater number of able applicants that the profession will have to lower its entrance standards or there will be an acute shortage of nurses. not NAGA - > LES or ASN

We know if entrance standards are lowered or an acute shortage of nurses occurs, then the high quality of health care will not be maintained. LES or ASN - > not HQHC.

Therefore, if we use the transitive property: not PLWS or not PHSS (which we have discussed is essentially the same as not PLWS & not PHSS) - > not NAGA - > LES or ASN - > not HQHC. So (E) can be properly inferred from the passage.

I hope that helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Khashi June 21, 2013

Wow !! Thank you so much for your thorough and detailed explanation. It was very helpful, thank you so much again.

Thank you

niki-dowlatshahi September 24, 2018

is there a faster and more concise way to 'scan' the answer choices knowing that we are looking for "contrapositive" answer choice which E obviously is and then just diagram that. Just from scanning the wording of the questions A thru E, I chose E because it was worded in that Psycho-LSAT kind of way where the answer lies in the contradiction of the premise - hence "look for contrapositive" answer choices.

Mehran September 24, 2018

@niki-dowlatshahi the problem with this strategy is the situation where the correct answer choice is not testing the contrapositive.

niki-dowlatshahi September 25, 2018

okay but I just want to be honest and tell you, I diagram - minimally and then i scan the question and answer choices fast - cross out bad choices which is usually 3 and then I'm down to 2, which I usually just use the info i have to make the best choice. honestly - this diagramming to death technique is depressing and its mind numbing
7Sage is teaching these kids how to play this test like its a video game
its nowhere near as cerebral as your methodology. You method is perfect for the bar exam the way I see it.