Critical Reasoning

At Legal Services, LLC last year, the average annual salary for attorneys was $75,000, while the average salary for paralegals was $50,000. The average annual salary for all Legal Services, LLC employees was $45,000.

If the information above is correct, which one of the following conclusions can properly be drawn on the basis of it?

A. There were twice as many attorneys at Legal Services, LLC as there were paralegals last year.
B. There were more paralegals than attorneys at Legal Services, LLC last year.
C. There were two attorneys and three paralegals at Legal Services, LLC last year.
D. There was at least one Legal Services, LLC employee who earned less than the average paralegal earned last year.
E. At least one paralegal made less than $50,000 last year.

Source: Another forum
Category: Draw the conclusion
Level: 600-700/ Medium Hard (IMO)
OA after discussion

What is important here is how we reach the conclusion. So let's discuss....

I'm also presenting this diagrammatically for the convenience of the forum members.
Now let us try to draw the conclusion.

charu_mahajan wrote:At Legal Services, LLC last year, the average annual salary for attorneys was $75,000, while the average salary for paralegals was $50,000. The average annual salary for all Legal Services, LLC employees was $45,000.

If the information above is correct, which one of the following conclusions can properly be drawn on the basis of it?

A. There were twice as many attorneys at Legal Services, LLC as there were paralegals last year.
B. There were more paralegals than attorneys at Legal Services, LLC last year.
C. There were two attorneys and three paralegals at Legal Services, LLC last year.
D. There was at least one Legal Services, LLC employee who earned less than the average paralegal earned last year.
E. At least one paralegal made less than $50,000 last year.

The correct inference is WHAT MUST BE TRUE.
Apply the NEGATION TEST.
When the correct answer choice is NEGATED, the passage will be CONTRADICTED.

Answer choice D, negated:
NOT ONE Legal Services employee earned less than the average paralegal earned last year.
If NOT ONE employee earned less than $50,000, then it is not possible that the average salary for all the employees was $45,000, contradicting what is stated in the passage.
Since the negation of D contradicts the passage, D is WHAT MUST BE TRUE.

The correct answer is D.

Yes certainly the correct answer is D. no doubt.

Good Numbers and Percentages question.