2017 UMAT PREPARATION COURSE SECTION 1: LOGICAL REASONING

 Puzzle Question
Lawrence recently bought a calculator, shown below, to assist him in his Mathematics homework for
school. Before Lawrence was able to use it, Lawrence’s 3 year old brother, Damien, found the
calculator and swapped the positions of two of its numerical keys.

Not noticing this, Lawrence used his calculator and performed the following calculations:
(i) 128 − 69 = 89
(ii) 292 + 568 × 3 = 1399
(iii) 5 × 4 × 3 × 2 × 1 = 120
(iv) √4 × 9 = 18

After quickly checking his work, Lawrence noticed that some of his calculations above were
incorrect. However, assuming that the solutions of the above calculations were accurate, he was
able to determine which pair of keys from the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 had been swapped.

Exercise 8.1
Which of the following must be one of the digits in the pair of swapped keys?
(A) 2
(B) 3
(C) 6
(D) 9

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2017 UMAT PREPARATION COURSE SECTION 1: LOGICAL REASONING

 Puzzle Question
In a new game, a board consists of icy squares (white) and boulders (grey) shown in Figure 1
below. The aim of the game is to reach the start (square S) to the finish (square F) by sliding across
the board. Since the ice is slippery, you may slide across only in one direction until you collide with
a boulder at which point you stop. This counts as one move and the square at which you stop is
called a “stop square”. From this point, you are free to slide in another direction and continue to
slide until you reach the finish.
To illustrate this, consider the moves numbered in Figure 2. We start at square S and slide to the
right 2 squares, reaching a boulder (move 1). We then choose to slide up 2 squares, reaching
another boulder (move 2). Finally, we slide to the right 4 squares, reaching the finish (move 3).

F F
3
2

1
S S

Figure 1 Figure 2
Consider the game board shown below in Figure 3.

B D

Figure 3

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2017 UMAT PREPARATION COURSE SECTION 1: LOGICAL REASONING

Exercise 8.2
Which of the squares in Figure 3, labelled A, B, C or D, cannot be a “stop square”?
(A) A
(B) B
(C) C
(D) D

Exercise 8.3
What is the minimum number of moves required to go from square S to square F in the game
board shown in Figure 3?
(A) 6
(B) 7
(C) 8
(D) 10

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2017 UMAT PREPARATION COURSE SECTION 1: LOGICAL REASONING

 Puzzle Question

An electronic 3x3 board contains nine 1x1 squares which can be lit up by switches A, B or C. The
board operates according to the following rules:
 Each switch operates four particular 1x1 squares on the board
 All 1x1 squares must be operated by at least one switch
 When only one switch is turned on, all four squares operated by that switch will be lit up
 Considering the four 1x1 squares belonging a particular switch, two of the squares are only
operated by that switch
 The other two 1x1 squares are operated by that switch and one other switch
 For squares operated by two switches, when both of its respective switches are turned on,
the square will not be lit up
 No square on the board can be operated by all 3 switches

Figure 1 below shows the configuration of the board when all switches are turned off. The 1x1
squares are labelled 1 to 9.

1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

Figure 1

Exercise 8.4
If all switches are turned on, how many squares will be lit up?
(A) 3
(B) 4
(C) 5
(D) 6

Figure 2 below shows particular configurations of the board when (i) both switch A and C are turned
on, (ii) only switch B is turned on and (iii) both switch A and B are turned on. White squares
represent squares which are lit up.

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2017 UMAT PREPARATION COURSE SECTION 1: LOGICAL REASONING

(i)
1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

(ii) 1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

(iii) 1 2 3

4 5 6

7 8 9

Figure 2

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2017 UMAT PREPARATION COURSE SECTION 1: LOGICAL REASONING

Exercise 8.5
Which 1x1 square is operated only by switch A?
(A) 3
(B) 4
(C) 7
(D) 9

Exercise 8.6
Which 1x1 square is operated by both switch B and C?
(A) 1
(B) 5
(C) 6
(D) 8

Exercise 8.7
Which of the following is the correct configuration for the situation in which only switch C is
turned on?
(A) (B)

1 2 3 1 2 3

4 5 6 4 5 6

7 8 9 7 8 9

(C) (D)

1 2 3 1 2 3

4 5 6 4 5 6

7 8 9 7 8 9

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