Decision Making

DM1 DM2

Every year Madrigal School has a school I walk my dogs daily.

photograph taken. Eight teachers sit at
the front in a row. Barker and Dainty have to walk alone.

Mr None sits fifth from the left with Mrs Boxer goes for an afternoon walk.
O’Rourke and Mr Percival on either side.
Dainty is the only dog who has two walks
Mr Rowley sits as far away from Mrs each day.
O’Rourke as possible.
Rex always has his morning walk with
Mr Stephen sits next to Mr Percival. another dog.

Miss Zenzer does not sit beside Mrs Which one of the following MUST
O’Rourke or Miss Trollope. be true?
� A Boxer is Rex’s companion.
Mr Warlock sits three seats away from Mr � B Boxer has more than two walks a
None. day.
� C I have at least five dogs.
Mrs
O’Rourke � D Each day I have to make a minimum
of six walks with my dogs.

DM3
In a prize draw two boys (Alec and
Which one of the following statements Daniel) and three girls (Betty, Carole
MUST be true? and Edna) each picked a prize (Pram
� A Miss Zenzer sits at the far left of the and doll set, Roller blades, Chemistry
row. set, Teddy bear, and Jigsaw puzzle).
� B Mr Stephen sits next to Mrs
O’Rourke. The Pram and doll set was not picked out
� C Mr Warlock sits next to Mr Percival. by a girl.
� D Miss Trollope sits at the far right of
the row. Edna and Carole were disappointed when
the Roller blades were picked by one of the
others.
 PRACTICE QUESTIONS

The Chemistry set did not go to either DM5

Edna or Betty. Four people H, I, J, K are a Doctor, a
Manager, a Teacher and a Lecturer, not
Daniel was quite amused when he picked necessarily in that order. They each own
the giant Teddy bear. a different type of vehicle.

What gift did Edna pick? H is a Doctor.

� A Chemistry set
� B Jigsaw puzzle J owns a sports car.
� C Pram and doll set
� D Teddy bear K owns an electric car.

The person who owns a motor bike is not

DM4 a Teacher.
W, X, Y and Z are playing football in the
garden. One of them breaks a window The Manager polishes her scooter every
by mistake. weekend.

W says, ‘It was X’. Which one of the following MUST be

true?
X says, ‘It was Y’. � A K is a Teacher
� B J is a Teacher
Y says, ‘It was not me’. � C I is a Manager
� D K is a Manager
Z says, ‘It was not me’.

Which one MUST be lying?

� A W is lying
� B X is lying
� C Y is lying
� D Z is lying
Decision Making

DM6 DM8
Should we focus more on rehabilitating Should the maximum speed limit on
offenders rather than punishing them motorways be reduced from 70 mph to
for the crimes they commit? 60 mph to improve road safety?

Select the strongest argument from the Select the strongest argument from the
statements below. statements below.
� A Yes, crimes are often committed by � A Yes, reducing the speed limit will cut
people with serious personal issues. harmful fuel emissions.
� B Yes, focusing on the cause of crime � B No, the accident rate at the lower
will ultimately lead to a reduction in limit is no different to the one at the
crime. higher speed limit.
� C No, it doesn’t matter what causes � C No, it is difficult to stop drivers
the crime, a crime is still a crime. ignoring the present speed limit; a
� D No, victims of crime need to see that new speed limit would be ignored in
justice has been done. the same way.
� D No, the real problem is slow drivers,
it would be better to have a minimum
DM7 speed limit.
Should the Government make wearing
a uniform compulsory in all schools? DM9
Should the number of university
Select the strongest argument from the student places on arts/humanities
statements below. courses be drastically cut?
� A Yes, school uniform prevents
students from being judged by the Select the strongest argument from the
clothes they wear. statements below.
� B Yes, compulsory school uniform � A Yes, as they are not academically
prepares pupils for the world of work. rigorous.
� C No, enforcing school uniform would � B Yes, because the country does not
add to a Head Teacher’s workload. need people with arts backgrounds.
� D No, school uniforms are expensive � C No, because otherwise all the arts
for parents to purchase. lecturers would be without work.
� D No, because many students benefit
from the transferable skills they
teach.
 PRACTICE QUESTIONS

DM10 DM11
The town’s new Academy for Girls The diagram shows the status and
specialises in sport. occupation of a number of people.
Each shape shows a different status or
All pupils at the academy are required to occupation.
take three sports.

R A
M

G P

Key males
Key gymnastics boxing
in work
swimming line-dancing
total population
tennis athletics
in education

married
Which letter shown above represents
pupils participating in boxing, athletics
and swimming? What does the letter ‘A’ represent in the
� A Letter G diagram above?
� B Letter M � A Unmarried women who are in
� C Letter P education.
� D Letter R � B Unmarried men who are in work.
� C Married men who are education.
� D Married men who are neither in work
nor in education.
Decision Making

DM12 DM13
The water sports centre offers three Twelve couples attended the tea
different activities. The table below dance, but they did not all join in every
shows the activities taken on one dance.
particular day.
Four couples danced the quickstep; they
Number of
took no further part in the dance.
Activity
customers

Windsurfing only 5 Three couples danced the foxtrot and the

Water-skiing only 11
waltz but not the quickstep or samba.
Canoeing only 4
The five couples who danced the samba
Windsurfing and Canoeing 12 also danced the foxtrot and the waltz.
Canoeing and water-skiing 8

Windsurfing and water-skiing 7 Which of the following represents the

All three activities 13
group of twelve couples?

There were 60 customers that day. How � A

many did canoeing?
� A 4
� B 33
� C 37
� D 39
� B

� C

� D
 PRACTICE QUESTIONS

DM14 Which one of the following represents

The diagram gives information about the activities taking place at the youth
the numbers of people who had club that night?
holidays in certain countries.
8 4 4
France 4 Spain
8 6 � A
2 9
1 3 6

Greece
9

8 4 12

Which one of the following statements � B

is true? 6
� A More people went to France than 9

went to Spain.
� B More than half of the people who
went to Spain also went to Greece.
� C 8 people went to exactly two 5 4 4
countries. � C
� D 20 people went to only one country. 5
6

DM15
One night at a youth club 8 people
played snooker. 8 9
� D 4

12 people (of which 4 also played snooker) 4

6
played table tennis.

9 people played darts (none of these

played either snooker or table tennis).

6 people played no game; they just talked.

Decision Making

DM16 DM17
There are 48 people in a room. They are Martin’s journey home from work
asked what they enjoy doing in their involves taking the bus to the station,
spare time. catching the six o’clock train and then
a short walk to his house. If the bus is
29 of the people say they enjoy reading. late, he has to catch a later train.

9 of the people say they enjoy watching On 10 days out of the past 50, the bus
television. has not reached the station in time for him
to catch the six o’clock train. Similarly on
Which of the following MUST be true? 10 days out of the past 50, the six o’clock
� A Between 10 and 19 (inclusive) train has arrived late at Martin’s home
people neither like reading nor like station.
watching television.
� B There are exactly 20 people who Is it more likely than not that Martin will
like reading but do not like watching get home on time tomorrow?
television. � A Yes, the buses and the trains
� C There are more people who do not each meet the requirements of
like reading than who do not like the timetable 40 out of 50 times
watching television. respectively, so he should get home
� D There are 38 people who like either on time tomorrow.
reading or watching television. � B Yes, if the bus is late, the train may
be too, so he would get home on
time.
� C No, on 20 occasions over the 50
days either the train or bus has been
late, so it is unlikely he will get home
on time.
� D No, every day is different so
predictions are no more than
guesses and wholly unreliable.
 PRACTICE QUESTIONS

DM18 DM19
Father Christmas has a sack of wrapped Three students, Sarah, Simon and Paul
presents from which visiting children test the same coin for bias.
can randomly select a gift. At the start,
there are 15 presents of a harmonica The table gives information about their
and 15 of a drum in Father Christmas’s results.
sack. By lunchtime, 5 harmonicas and 4
drums have been chosen. Sarah Simon Paul

Throws 50 100 160

Has the chance of a harmonica being
Heads 37 73 88
randomly selected now increased when
the next child collects a present?
� A Yes, it was 1/2 and is now 10/21. Sarah and Simon pool their results to give
� B Yes, it was 1/2 and is now 11/21. their estimate of the probability that when
� C No, it was 1/2 and is now 11/21. the coin is thrown once it lands Heads.
� D No, it was 1/2 and is now 10/21. Paul uses his results to give his estimate.

Will Sarah and Simon’s estimate be

better than Paul’s estimate?
� A Yes, because it comes from two
different tests.
� B Yes, because their separate
estimates are very close to each
other.
� C No, because Paul had more throws
in total.
� D No, because Paul’s estimate will be
nearer one half.