UPDATE
In October 2023, LSAC announced that in August 2024 (as we predicted!) Logic Games would be removed from the LSAT and replaced by a second scored Logical Reasoning section. More on the change here: The Death of LSAT Logic Games.
What Are Logic Games?
Logic Games (also known as LG) is one of the three scored sections on the LSAT. Each LG section contains four games (which are logic puzzles), and each game contains 5 to 8 questions. This section is also known more formally as Analytical Reasoning (AR).
How Long Have Logic Games Been On The LSAT?
This section type first appeared on the LSAT in June 1982, so Logic Games have been on the LSAT for over 40 years.
I’ve Heard Logic Games Is Going Away. Is That True?
It looks that way. Due to a series of factors but most importantly the Binno vs LSAC lawsuit, LSAC (makers of the LSAT) agreed to look into ways to alternatively test analytical reasoning skills. This agreement, signed in 2019, allows LSAC four years to research possible changes. And since that point they have done so, including a live in-exam test of new Analytical Reasoning-style questions in June 2022, and a special Analytical Reasoning Field Test in December 2022. These moves have supported the idea that LSAC will change the LG section as we currently know it.
But Wait, If The Agreement Was Signed In 2019 And They Have 4 years, Are Logic Games Being Removed In 2023?
No. They had 4 years to research new ways to test these skills. Right now there is no indication they will pull the section this year, and plenty of evidence that they won’t make a change this year.
First, any change to the LSAT will be preceded by plenty of notification from LSAC, likely at least 6 months. They will also release preparation materials showing what the new section would look like. Neither of those things have happened yet. Second, it’s unlikely LSAC would make a major change in the middle of a testing year, because that could undermine the integrity of test results for that cycle. So, they are more likely to make a change at the start of the cycle. When does a cycle run? July 1st through June 30th, yearly.
When Will Logic Games Be Removed Then?
The likely date is the middle of 2024. We know they won’t make a change until the start of a cycle, and the start of the new cycle in July 2023 is too soon at this point for them to give the proper notice. So, we will probably be looking at August 2024 for the change to occur. Or they might offer a special transitional LSAT in July 2024 (there is some precedence for this idea).
So Can I Ignore Logic Games After mid-2024? Please Tell Me Yes.
Well, not yet. The testing and research they’ve done has actually been in the same vein as the current Logic Games section, with the notable difference that items tested were either:
- Simplified versions of current Logic Games.
- More word-based problems in a Formal Logic style.
So, depending on how the final form of the new section appears, we might not get as far away from the current LG as many people had hoped. In any event, if you are taking the LSAT in 2023 or the first half of 2024, right now you need to keep preparing for Logic Games—they will be on your test!
Want more info on the transition? Listen to our podcasts on the topic:
1. Are Logic Games Disappearing from the LSAT?
2. State of the LSAT Union: 2022 Recap and 2023 Preview (listen in around the 43 minute mark)
Thanks and if you have any questions, please post them below!
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