Logic games are often aspiring law applicants\u2019 point of weakness. After all, logic games are probably unlike anything you\u2019ve seen before (unless you majored in philosophy). While you\u2019ve been reading and writing for your courses from a young age, you haven\u2019t been seating party guests around a table in various combinations or rearranging red, green, and yellow cars in endless patterns. Given the lack of familiarity most students have with logic games, you\u2019ll want to focus on the following LSAT Logic Games tips to ensure you fully understand the concepts behind the questions.
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The Logic Games section is different from other sections on the LSAT because every word given in the game is important. In contrast, the Reading Comprehension section will present a lot of information in a passage \u2013 some of which may be relevant to the questions and some of which may not be. It\u2019s your job to be able to decipher what\u2019s important. For the games, you absolutely need to review the rules and ensure you understand them. If you miss just one, you\u2019ll likely get several questions incorrect.
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The text may state the rules, but those rules, if not rewritten in shorthand, can be difficult to understand. Turn variables into initials and get used to mapping out relationships using the \u201cgreater than,\u201d \u201cless than,\u201d and \u201cequal to\u201d signs.
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If you\u2019ve ever tried to do a math problem without writing any numbers down, you know how difficult it is to keep track of your calculations and still arrive at the right answer. Logic games are no different. Drawing a quick sketch to map out the rules you\u2019re given, as well as sketches for some (or all) of the questions, will allow you to make inferences faster.
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The base of your diagram is important and will enable you to answer the questions given. Be on the lookout for common bases and foundations like days of the week and numbers.
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While LSAC provides much more space now for diagramming in test booklets than they have in the past, you should still try to make your diagrams small and concise to avoid running out of room.
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Linear, grouping, and sequencing games are most common on the LSAT. Be able to recognize the type you\u2019re working with \u2013 it will help you diagram more efficiently.
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Solving a game under timed conditions will not help your studies if you can only complete one of the questions in the full set while timed. Get familiar with the question types at your own pace, get a sense for how games work and how quickly you\u2019ll need to move, and then turn the timer on.
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If you\u2019re not fully confident that you can solve a logic game under timed conditions, don\u2019t walk away from it. Print out multiple clean copies of the same game and continue to work on those questions until you\u2019ve completely understood it. Not only should you be able to understand that game, you should be able to solve others of the same game type.
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If a rule tells you that Arnold beat Jane and Karl in the race, all you know is that Arnold was both ahead of Jane and ahead of Karl. You do not know the order of Jane and Karl relative to each other \u2013 the fact that Jane\u2019s name is before Karl\u2019s in the rule doesn\u2019t tell you anything about her placement in the race.
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