Two Simple Rules for Approaching Rogue LSAT Logic Games
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It’s your LSAT test day. Things are going smoothly. You’ve dominated the first and second logic games. You flip confidently to the third one and begin reading. Your stomach turns. This doesn’t look familiar at all! You have no idea what diagram to use! Rule number three looks like you’ll need the Rosetta Stone to crack it. If someone could take a picture of your face right now, you better believe you’d be an internet meme in no time flat. Thank goodness no cell phones are allowed.
Hopefully, this situation won’t happen to you, but the reality is that the LSAT sometimes goes rogue, especially in the Logic Games section. If you do find yourself in these uncomfortable shoes, here are two simple rules to help yourself out of a bind:
- Focus on what you know.
Look for recognizable elements of game types that you’ve learned, both in the setup and the rules. To get yourself on the track, start by asking yourself: Do I see aspects of a grouping game here? An ordering game? Both?
Avoid the pitfall of spending too long trying to invent a new diagram that’s perfect for this game. This isn’t algebra class, and nobody’s grading you on the work you show. Take a diagram that seems to fit at least some aspects of the game, and adapt it to make it work. This may mean that you end up using two diagrams to solve a game (like a number line and an open grouping board). Or maybe you’ll do something kind of “weird” to your board to make it work, like turning it sideways, adding some extra arrows, or boxing or starring something. Whatever you do, it’s likely to be a little easier going if you start from familiar territory, like a game diagram that you already know how to do.
- When in doubt, ALWAYS write it down.
One of the great secrets to my LSAT success is healthy paranoia. Whenever an inference or piece of information pops up, I’m terrified that I’ll forget it. To solve that, I write it down immediately.
That’s especially important when it comes to the rules in rogue logic games. Your diagram may be a little shaky, so you’re going to need every piece of information you can get. Too often, I see students encounter rules that they’re not sure how to diagram and say “I’m just going to remember that one.” Are you? Are you? Let’s be real, maybe for ten seconds. Our brains are fickle on the LSAT.
So what do you do if you don’t have a good way to notate a weird rule? Literally, just write it down. Use a little bit of shorthand or abbreviation to make it faster. You don’t have to arrows, boxes, or lines in order to write down a rule effectively. But writing it down gives it the same status as all of the other rules—you’ve processed it, and you’ve got it near your board for an easy reference, rather than off to the side where you might forget about it.
Of course, these simple rules are only going to get you somewhere if you’ve got a pretty strong base knowledge of Logic Games. In order to be able to “focus on what you know,” you need to have quick recognition of the features of standard Logic Games. That’s something you can easily study up on with flashcards, drills, and thorough review of the diagramming process for the games you practice with. By the same token, the “write it down” strategy for tough rules should really be a method of last resort. A seasoned LSAT student will have a solid notation for most rules, and will only occasionally run into one that warps his or her mind. So keep calm and study on, LSAT friends. ?
Don’t forget that you can attend the first session of any of our online or in-person LSAT courses absolutely free. We’re not kidding! Check out our upcoming courses here.
Allison Bell is a Manhattan Prep Instructor who lives in the Washington, DC metro area. Allison first encountered the LSAT while getting her Bachelor of Arts in English and History at Duke University. In college, she scored a 178 and very nearly applied to law school. In the end, she followed her true passion, teaching. Allison currently has the pleasure of being an eighth grade English teacher in Northern Virginia. As an LSAT teacher, she has the opportunity to blend her love for teaching with her passion for logical argument. Check out Allison’s upcoming LSAT Complete Courses here.