Question

A, B and C are three students from Don School and P, Q and R are three students from Elite School. Q is brighter than R but duller than the Don School student who is brighter than A. The same Don School student is duller than P but is brighter than C.
Who is the dullest amongst the three students from Elite School?

• A. P
• B. Q
• C. R
• D. Cannot be decided

Hint:

Work out the order among just P, Q and R using the two direct comparisons that link them.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Instead of building the full six person ranking, it is faster to isolate only the clues that connect the three Elite School students.

1. First pin down the unnamed Don School student. Since A, B and C are the Don School trio and nobody can be brighter than themselves, the description brighter than A and brighter than C both point to B by elimination.
2. Substituting B into the clues gives two facts linking Elite School students to B: P is brighter than B, and B is brighter than Q.
3. Chain these two facts together. P is brighter than B, and B is brighter than Q, so P must be brighter than Q as well.
4. Add the direct clue that Q is brighter than R.
5. The three Elite School students now slot into a single line: P first, Q second, R third.
6. Scan the options. P sits at the top of this mini ranking, so it cannot be the dullest. Q sits in the middle, brighter than R, so it is not the dullest either. The order P, Q, R is fully fixed by the clues, so there is no ambiguity, ruling out cannot be decided.
7. That leaves R, sitting at the very bottom of the P, Q, R chain, as the dullest of the three Elite School students. R is confirmed as the answer.