As people continue to prep for the LSAT, Logic Games weigh heavily on the mind. And a principal concern among most test takers is this: how can you tell when to draw out templates in your setup?More specifically, I was asked this question, "How can I quickly and easily identify when I should and should not template? I know that if I have a variable or variable set that can only go in one of two places, that can be a great hint, but it seems … [Read more...]
Certainty vs. Uncertainty in Logic Games
We focus a tremendous amount of time and attention in our courses and books emphasizing the importance of inference making in Games; determining the truths of the relationships between variable sets. In making inferences, what we’re really focused on is establishing notions of what I’ll refer to here as positive and negative certainty. That is, determining what must occur in an absolute (consistent) sense, and what cannot occur in an absolute … [Read more...]
Logic Game Types and Frequency of Appearance
Anyone preparing for the LSAT is well aware of the unique difficulty presented by the Logic Games section. What is occasionally overlooked is that certain concepts are far more critical to success than others. That is, specific game types and ideas routinely appear and regularly serve as the basis for the entire section. Other outlier notions are tested so infrequently that they deserve far less attention.Basic Game Types & Frequency of … [Read more...]
LSAT Podcast Episode 45: How to Get Faster at Logic Games
In the PodCast’s 45th episode, Jon and Dave tackle one of the most common concerns students face: how to increase speed in the Logic Games section. This initial discussion focuses on proper study and review habits, outlining the fundamentals of pacing and how to improve it as well as timing advice to ensure you’re moving as fast as possible by test day. There are also some updates on the coronavirus’ impact on upcoming administrations, and news … [Read more...]
LSAT Podcast Episode 37: The November 2019 LSAT Logic Games Section
With a last look at the November 2019 LSAT, Dave and Jon review the latest Logic Games section, analyzing the four games and their questions. Listen in as they provide advice on how to best approach each game and its setup, and give thoughts on the section as a whole and how it affected the test’s scoring scale. … [Read more...]
LSAT Podcast Episode 30: Are Logic Games Disappearing from the LSAT?
Episode 30 brings breaking news about the future of the LSAT’s most notorious feature, Logic Games! Specifically, Dave and Jon decrypt a just-published press release co-signed by LSAC that raises speculation (to put it mildly) that within the next four years the test will no longer contain a Logic Games section. They cover possible interpretations of the article’s wording, potential confirmation of the change from an inside source, and content … [Read more...]
Killer LG: The Hardest LSAT Logic Games of All Time
Why Review the Hardest Games? The Logic Games section is inevitable. For many, it’s the toughest section of the test. If Logic Games are generally difficult, why then would we choose to write about the hardest games ever to appear? The short answer is that there are tremendous benefits to be gained by reviewing these games. If you understand how to recognize them and deal with them, you’ll perform better in this section. In our In Person, Live … [Read more...]
What’s the Most You’ve Ever Lost on a Coin Toss? Tracking 50/50 Elements in Logic Games
For some students, the mere thought of a logic game is as terrifying as the anthropomorphic creeping death presented by Anton Chigurh in the Coen Brothers’ classic film, No Country For Old Men. Javier Bardem brings Cormac McCarthy’s world-class literary villain to life. In my mind, the best scene of the whole movie involves a coin toss.Despite how it can sometimes feel, a logic game is never quite as scary as that particular coin toss. The … [Read more...]
A Comprehensive List of Rarely Tested Logic Games (Outliers and Oddballs)
A tutoring student of mine asked me recently if I could put together a list of Circular, Mapping, and Pattern games that have appeared over the years, hoping to ensure that if the next test continues recent trends of LG weirdness he'll be ready.So while it's always a reasonably safe bet that you won't see any games like the ones noted below, savvy test-takers are ready for any eventuality. To that end, you'd be wise to review a few games from … [Read more...]
Last Minute Logic Games Tips
Students frequently ask questions over on our Free LSAT Forum. It's a great resource for you to connect with fellow test-takers and with LSAT experts on all things LSAT and Law School Admissions. A common struggle students have and express there is the Logic Games section. In this particular post, a test-taker struggling with Logic Games about a week away from the test asks for last minute tips to help get them through the section. While we … [Read more...]
How to Approach a Nested Conditionals Statement
If you come across a Nested Conditional statement, you cannot completely ignore it unless, of course, you don't care about that one extra point. Oh, and by the way, you just came across a Nested Conditional statement. See how easy that was? In today's LSAT Forum Post of the Day, LSAT expert Nikki Siclunov offers some tips to a student on handling such complex conditionals.Here's a quick preview. But be sure to check out the full … [Read more...]
How to Recognize Limited Solution Set Games
A struggle among LSAT test-takers is knowing when to diagram, as part of your initial setup, the limited solution sets possible in a logic game with a highly restrictive rule set. If this is something you also struggle with, let's go over it. Learn When to Invest Time Diagramming the limited solutions at the start of a game can empower you. It enables you to dominate the game with extra speed and accuracy. But only if the possible … [Read more...]
Assumption Question: Supporter and Defender
Have you ever wondered why Defender Assumptions are often connected to stimuli that have no obvious errors? Well, one of our students was wondering just that, and decided to ask us about it in our LSAT Forum.PowerScore instructor Clay Cooper first weighed in with an excellent explanation of how Defenders work, and then LSAT Logical Reasoning Bible author Dave Killoran followed up with a discussion of whether you should know if you will be … [Read more...]
Grouping Games, Conditional Linkage, and the Double-Not Arrow
A commonly-tested occurrence in Grouping Games (and even occasionally in Logical Reasoning) is a set of conditional rules that can be linked to one another through shared variables, forming chains and producing a series of inferences. The ability to create and manipulate these linkages is critical, as is the ability to avoid mistakes!In this LSAT Forum Post of the Day, PowerScore VP of Development Jon Denning walks a student through the … [Read more...]