Logic Breakdown

Passage Summary: Even though Ted is a bit of a slacker who makes his coworkers pick up the slack, his boss decides to keep him because his rare skills are too valuable to lose.

Conclusion: Tatiana should not request that Ted be replaced despite his performance issues.

Reasoning: Ted provides unique and irreplaceable contributions to the workplace that outweigh the fact that he works short hours and increases the workload for his colleagues.

Analysis: This is a 'Principle' question where we need to find a rule that bridges the gap between Ted's annoying behavior and Tatiana's decision to keep him. The argument acknowledges a significant downside—the burden on other employees—but decides the upside of 'irreplaceable contributions' is more important. We need a principle that explicitly prioritizes the value of unique, high-level output over standard expectations of fairness and hours worked. Look for a rule that justifies keeping an employee based on their net value to the organization rather than their adherence to typical performance standards.

Passage Stimulus

Passage Redacted

Unlock Full Passage

9.

Which one of the following principles, if valid, would most help to justify Tatiana's decision?

Correct Answer
A
A sets a necessary condition for requesting replacement—knowing that all of the employee’s work can be performed equally well by someone else. Given Ted’s unique, possibly irreplaceable contributions, Tatiana does not have that knowledge, so the condition is unmet and her decision not to request replacement is justified.
Upgrade Your Prep

Ready to go beyond free explanations?

LSAT Perfection is the #1 modern LSAT prep platform, trusted by thousands of students for comprehensive test strategies, advanced drilling, and full analytics on every PrepTest.

Detailed explanations for 59 PrepTests
Advanced drillset builder
Personalized analytics
Built-in Wrong Answer Journal
Explore Perfection Plus for full LSAT prep