From the beginning, students often see the logical reasoning section as the most intuitive section of the exam. If this is how you feel, or felt, when you first begin studying for the LSAT then good for you.

The logical reasoning (LR) section of the LSAT comprises approximately half of the available points on the exam. Therefore, it is also the most important aspect of the exam from a numerical standpoint. In case you haven’t seen the LSAT yet, it comprises of 5 separate 35 minute sections and a 35 minute writing sample. The test is divided into two with a break coming after the 3^rd 35 minute session. Of the 5 sections, four of them are graded and that raw point total is used to comprise the 120-180 LSAT score.

Of the four graded sections, two are logical reasoning, one is reading comprehension, and one is analytical reasoning (logic games). The ungraded section can be any of the three.

LR questions have the same basic elements. There is evidence, conclusions, keywords, adverbs, and the like restated again and again. If you train your eye to see and understand their context, your LR section score will reflect this skill. Then there are often keywords which help you foresee where the argument is going and also the connotation of the speaker making the argument. Consider the following examples:

Mike went to state, BUT he got a LSAT of 170.

Mike went to state BECAUSE he got a LSAT of 170.

Ask yourself how these two statements differ based on one word? How does my opinion of “state” in the examples differ? Do I consider “state” a higher quality school in the first sentence or the second? These questions are all answered by identifying keywords that the writer uses to make their arguments.

The top 10% LSAT test-takers, regardless of how they prepare, have the ability to identify the structures of the argument almost immediately upon reading it. This is a skill that can be developed with dedication. Also, a test-taker scoring in the top 10% almost always can eliminate incorrect answer choices based on the characteristics of the answer choices themselves. Stated another way, wrong answer choices in the LR section specifically are often wrong for the same reasons. Yes, you read that correctly. The LSAT is systematic in how it is written. You may be thinking “Why is it important to know why an answer is wrong, I only care about which choice is the credited response?!”

The reason is simple; when you can systematically eliminate common wrong answer choices the test itself becomes exponentially quicker and easier. And if you have ever taken an LSAT, you can attest to time being a factor. The quicker you are the better.

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Everyone does it differently, but at the end of the day, everyone still has to take it. That it is the LSAT. Seeing as it’s still relatively fresh in my mind, I thought it’d be something fun to discuss, especially for the prospective monkeys out there looking to go to Law School. The test itself has a total of 5 sections of Scantron Style answers to be filled in and a writing section.

The Scantron portion of the LSAT breaks down into three distinct areas:

1. 2 Sections of Logical Reasoning

2. 1 Section of Reading Comprehension

3. 1 Section of Logic Games

The final section, the experimental section, will be one of those three topics and will usually occur in the first, second or third section of the exam. Everyone has a section they personally find to be easy as all hell and one that they find to be the devil incarnate. Me, I loved the games and hated reading comprehension. I know others that took the test and were absolutely miserable with the games yet loved the logical reasoning. That said, lets deconstruct the LSAT.

Logic Games: Why Playing Tetris Actually Pays Off

I love playing Tetris. In fact, I still do play a lot of Tetris. That game is also the reason why I found Logic Games to be the easiest section on the LSAT. Logic Games are not quite what they sound like. They are not brainteasers or trivia, but sequencing games, much like Tetris. Some games are pretty straight forward and have only one variable and others are a little more interesting with up to 3 variables in a non-linear sequence using multiple groupings. The reason why I find the games to be like Tetris comes down to how you can manage the relationship between the falling pieces and the constantly changing board, much like how you can sort the variables of the game into much more manageable and organizable groups.

For Logic Games, the rules are simple. Take a given set of data and constraints and answer the questions about that set of data and constraints. There are three things to note here. The first is that your explicit data serves as your guidelines for what pairs work and don’t work. The second is that the questions will either ask you to solve for factual data (everything is defined by the constraints) or theoretical data (Say constraint X is in position Y). The final thing is that you can always find a way to group or order your data.

Logical Reasoning: Test Logic Trumps All

Logical Reasoning, while I disliked this area, was an immense challenge for me. LSAT logic is not like normal logic, and being a finance guy, it was definitely foreign to me. LSAT logic isn’t a matter of a basic Yes or No. For the LSAT, Yes or No becomes either Yes and Not Yes or No and Not No. Confusing right? While I don’t know why the LSAT logic is like this, once you understand the construct of logic, it becomes easier to understand how the questions are asked. Like the games, Logical Reasoning focuses on Facts, Theories, and Opinions. Facts are sets of data solely present. Theories are arguments from one person. Opinions are the two person conversation pieces.

The difficulty I had with this section came down to understanding the minutia within each question. I could be asked a question to strengthen the argument but it might fall under one type of subcategory of that question. This would have been the hardest section for me if not for reading comp, but it was difficult and required the most work for me. To prep for this, I was grateful I took a class. I spent hours going over the materials covered after class in order to understand the nuances of Logical Reasoning questions and did as many practice questions as I could get my hands on. I did 3-4 hours a night of Logical Reasoning Homework during the week and 7-8 hours on the weekends. As it reached the end of the course and closer to the LSAT, I did full logical reasoning sections in order to improve my time and ability. It definitely helped me out majorly.

Reading Comprehension

Ralph Wiggum wrote: Me fail English? That’s unpossible.

I don’t know how to describe Reading Comprehension better than this. Ralph Wiggum, the 8-year old classmate to Lisa Simpson, could not speak finer words when he uttered that quote. That’s how Reading Comprehension made me feel. It wasn’t overly difficult, per se, as the logical reasoning questions were the basis for reading comprehension questions. It was just a very time consuming section with materials that I honestly had no clue about. This is the same Reading comprehension that’s on the SAT. This is the same paragraph followed by questions structure we all know. Basically, it’s 4 passages and questions. One of the passages will be 2 different speakers on the same topic and the rest will all be 1 long passage.

Personally, I hated it. To quote Jay Sherman, “It Stinks!”

This May, we continue to explore the section of the LSAT that counts most on test day: Logical Reasoning. Continuing our series from March – we’ll cover some of the section’s toughest content throughout the weeks ahead. Check out more information on the Logical Reasoning make-up, here. And, check back later this month for information on our brand new Logical Reasoning On Demand course.

Strengthen and Weaken questions are some of the most prevalent questions within the Logical Reasoning portion of the LSAT. Though they are related to the other argument-based question types, they, unlike Assumption and Flaw questions, will often make the test taker look beyond what is contained within the passage itself and incorporate other relevant information. The effect this new info has on the argument is exactly what we are looking for.

Test takers are often tripped up by strengthen or weaken questions, as they feel they have to either prove something to be true or disprove it depending upon the question. However, this is not the case at all. To strengthen an argument, one needs merely to make the conclusion more likely. Weakening an argument is merely making it less likely. To illustrate, let us consider an example.

Lee, a known cookie enthusiast, entered Nate’s apartment for a span of roughly 15 minutes on the evening of April 22^nd. Prior to Lee’s arrival, a plate of delicious chocolate chip cookies had been sat out on the bar. Shortly after Lee’s departure, it was noticed that the plate of cookies was strangely empty. Based upon Lee’s timeframe of opportunity, his proximity to the plate, and his love for cookies, Nate concluded that it must have been Lee who emptied the plate.

Now, while I must confess that this train of thought isn’t too far-fetched, it does have quite a few gaping holes in its reasoning. A similar setup is what can be expected with strengthen or weaken questions. A less than perfect argument will be presented, and the test taker must find a piece of information that has an effect upon it. What if information was presented that Lee had been videotaped assaulting those cookies like a rabid badger? That would definitely strengthen Nate’s argument, and likely prove it in the minds of many. But such concrete proof isn’t necessary. What if Lee was observed leaving Nate’s with chocolate chip cookie crumbs on his shirt and a milk mustache? This doesn’t prove Lee’s guilt, but it does make it more likely. For a strengthening question, more likely is all you need.

Now we could also weaken Nate’s conclusion, and we can go about this in many different ways. Let’s say that Lee has a severe allergy to peanuts (starts to swell if he even looks at a legume), and Nate always puts peanuts in his chocolate chip cookies. This would directly question Lee’s ability to have committed the crime. Or, we could discover that Lee’s 15 minute presence coincided with a wild party that packed some 60 people into Nate’s apartment, any of which could have eaten a cookie or two. Alternative possible culprits are now presented, which questions Nate’s conclusion that Lee must have emptied the plate. Just like in a courtroom, the function of the evidence isn’t always to necessarily prove anything, but rather to make a conclusion more or less likely.

The LSAT presents a myriad of challenges for test-takers. Some find reading comprehension difficult to slug through; others find logic games particularly challenging; while other still are stymied by the complexities and variances of logical reasoning questions. But almost universally, what all test-takers agree on, the single biggest challenge of the LSAT: TIME. This month, our team of LSAT experts give you time saving tips for each section of the test in a series we call, “Beat the Clock”. For information on all our LSAT prep programs, please visit kaplanlsat.com.

Imagine being given a list of the 50 states in alphabetical order. Now imagine being told that you have one week, and for each of the 50 states that you set foot in, you will receive $10,000. Where would you start? Where would you go next?

I doubt very seriously that any of you decided to tackle the states in alphabetical order. That opening stretch of Alabama to Alaska to Arizona to Arkansas would chew up most of the week you were given and only get you four states. If you’d started on the East Coast you might have been able to do four states within a couple hours of driving. Even better, you could have started at Four Corners and checked off four states simultaneously. With a start like that you’d be able to pay off the first year… mmm… semester… mmm… you’d definitely be able to pay for the first round of law school books.

Given that so many better options are available, tackling that list alphabetically just because that’s the way it was given to you seems downright dumb. Taking the questions in order on the LSAT just because that’s the way they presented to you may not be taking tens of thousands of dollars out of your pocket, but then again if it means the difference between your dream school and your safety school, it just might be.

Last week Lindsey took a look at how section management pays off with logic games, and next week Justin will get into how section management can help in reading comprehension. That probably makes sense to you. The logic games all look fairly different from each other, and the different subjects of the reading comp passages make them ripe for strategy. But logical reasoning? All the questions about a paragraph long and basically the same, right?

Wrong.

With about twelve different question types there are many different challenges being presented on the logical reasoning section. Beyond that, there are many different levels of challenge within a section, and those levels don’t necessarily correspond with the numbers of the questions. Even veteran LSAT teachers will tell you that some questions are just plain hard. And that super-tough question may show up as #9 or #16 or #22. In fact, questions 15-22 (roughly) are what we call the “danger zone” – where the toughest questions in the section often lie. Almost assuredly, there are easier points to be had at the end of the section. If you’re just going straight through the questions, you may be taking a long flight from New York City to Hawaii rather than hoping on the commuter rail into Connecticut. Hawaii will still be there if you get through all the easier states first.

Now I’m not saying you should read the entire section in order to figure out the optimal order—time is too limited for that to make sense—but I do hope that you’ll recognize that the LSAT rewards test-takers who approach tasks strategically.

Take a good look at how you’re approaching logical reasoning sections, and be more willing to skip tough questions. It’s all about how many you get, not how challenging they were. That’s a strategy that may not give you $10,000 per point, but it will pay off.

This February, we explore the section of the LSAT that counts most on test day: Logical Reasoning. From assumptions to inferences, flaws and more – we’ll cover some of the section’s toughest content throughout the weeks ahead. Check out more information, here.

Our first assignment for this, and for that matter all LSAT logical reasoning questions, is to properly identify the question itself. Identify the question type, then you’ll know how to analyze it. Determining the question type from the onset saves both time, and reduces second guessing. Kaplan, above all others, emphasizes this with keywords that lead the student to quickly identify the question. For inferences, look for “must be true” or “if the above statements are true which one of the following logically follows…”. On test day, the student that determines the question types quickly, has the upper hand in efficiency - getting a jump on the ticking clock. The LSAT bell curve begins being formed within the first 10 seconds of the section.

Also, a quick practical point, the logical reasoning section comprises of approximately half of the points possible on the exam, so it’s obviously in the students best interest to have a solid performance on this section.

So how do you answer inference questions? Find what MUST BE TRUE based on the statements in the stimuli. An inference question tests the ability of the student to draw logical conclusions from the information that is given in the stimulus. A couple key errors my students frequently commit: (1) finding an answer choice that could be true. It may be a valid statement, but it does not answer the question; (2) not taking the provided statements as true (i.e. they disagree with the statements given). The LSAT writers do not care about your subjective viewpoint of the material written. In contrast, they do care about your ability to draw conclusions based on what they write.

A few pointers for practice while preparing to take the LSAT:

- When you see formal logic in the stimuli, write it out! Often times the correct inference to the question will be the contrapositive of the statement itself.

- When all of one group is part of another group, remember that at least part of the second group is comprised of the first group. Ex: If all A are B, then some B are A (get it??)

- Hint, if this concept seems confusing, put it to numbers. If there are 5 A, and 10 B, and the same phrase applies (All A are B), this means that 5 B are A too. This takes some practice, but can be achieved. (i.e. if all of the Egg went into the Cake Batter, then some of the Cake Batter is comprised of Egg)

Most importantly, stay objective and continue to learn. I have students who scores go up considerably on this one concept – inferences – alone. Understanding the inference question on the LSAT can lead to unlocking the mysteries of the LSAT itself!

Remember, stay objective when you read; the LSAT doesn’t test your opinion of the material, it test your ability to answer the questions.