Tips From an LSAT Tutor - The Logic Games

During my experience as an LSAT Tutor, I have gotten to teach dozens of students. Some students excel at reading while others quickly grasp the complex logic behind the logical reasoning section, each student has different strengths and weaknesses. Despite this, I have rarely met a student who was naturally gifted in the LSAT logic games. Of the three multiple choice sections, more students find the logic games section the most difficult than the other two combined. From years of experience, the most effective strategy I have found for conquering the LSAT logic games are listed below.

Understanding the LSAT logic games

READING GAMES

While the logical reasoning and reading comprehension sections are difficult, the logic games are unique to the LSAT. Some students have been exposed to logic, both formal and informal, but the logic games are specifically created for the LSAT. This being the case, I recommend that my students begin by fully understanding the logic games uniqueness and approaching the games with a clear mind. There are four games per section, usually ordered from easiest to hardest, that must be completed within 35 minutes. The LSAT only uses correct answers for determining the score, so guessing is recommended if you are stuck.

Approaching the Setup

In my opinion, at least 90 seconds should be spent making a thorough reading of the scenario and rules. The scenario describes the game and is applicable to each question, accordingly, an understanding of the scenario is necessary to understand the game. A student should extract the variables from the scenario and use it as the basis for their diagram. You should have each variable set marked before you the rules are approached. Each rule should be refined through a shorthand, do this for each of the rules. Once all the rules have been identified, the inherent rules which are not blatantly identified must be found. The questions will typically test your knowledge of the deductions, so spend time understanding the rules. Once the inherent rules have been identified and condensed students may now begin answering the questions.

The Questions

For many students who have not taken the initial time to prepare for the game, answering each question can be a challenging endeavor. Every new question presents its own struggle, siphoning off critical seconds. With a complete and accurate initial diagram, most answers should be easily identifiable. A typical LSAT logic games has 4 to 8 questions associated with each scenario, making the time spent diagramming more than justifiable. Taking the steps above provides a strong base for each question, sometimes eliminating all the work for an entire question due to an already solved deduction. If new assumptions present themselves, students should take the time to condense the assumption and add it to the initial setup. If the question stem adds an additional rule that is only applicable to that question, students should produce a miniature diagram that is only associated with that question. Once that question is done, the student should forget about the assumptions as well as the diagram that they have made.

Following these three steps makes the LSAT logic games section much more manageable. These steps are by no means complete, but in essence they capture the necessary steps for acing the logic games section.

Tips From an LSAT Tutor - The Logic Games

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READING GAMES