LSAT Tips for Logic Games
We’ll leave you with a couple of simple tips for handling the LSAT Logic Games section. These are LSAT tips you should practice with each game section you take.
This is the final article in a series of articles presenting LSAT Tips for Logic Games. The series includes the following articles:
- LSAT Analytical Reasoning: an introduction
- LSAT Logic Games Types
- LSAT Tips for Logic Games
Time Pressure
How do you deal with time pressure? Some students, even after they finish the TestSherpa program, feel time pressure in the Analytical Reasoning section.
Time pressure is always an issue on every section of the LSAT, but because Analytical Reasoning is the most unusual section you may feel it more acutely while you’re wrestling with each game. Remember that very few students get a perfect score on any of the sections, and even candidates with top scores miss points here or there. If you miss a question or two, chances are most of the other test takers had the same pressure, so you are not losing ground. Besides, the LSAT is graded on a bell curve, so don’t get thrown by a tough game.
Sketching
Sketching is a very important skill in Analytical Reasoning. While you’re studying the examples in the TestSherpa course or sample tests, take the time to actually complete the sketches and games (don’t just jump to the answers and explanations). When you’re in a hurry on test day, you’ll be glad you practiced a lot of different sketches so that they are second nature to you. Nothing is worse than making a sketch and forgetting what you meant in your own shorthand. With plenty of practice that won’t happen.
A sketch is just a simple visualization of the situation. The simpler the sketch the better; however, be as detailed as you need to be to fit the rules in. Do not try to save time by throwing down a sloppy sketch. You’ll lose that time and more trying to make sense of the mess later. Think about a clear, clean, and simple diagram that summarizes the situation visually.
We’ll give you some hints and ideas as to how to approach your sketches, but the important thing is that you choose a sketch shorthand that you understand and you stick with it so it makes sense for you when you’re under pressure on test day.
Go in Your Own Order
One of the best LSAT Tips for Logic Games is that the games are not presented in any particular order. That means that you should feel free to skip to the game you think is the easiest. If you like grouping games, look through the section to see if there is a grouping game you can start with to give you some extra confidence early on in the section. You also don’t have to finish every game in order. You might want to skip one or two hard questions per game and then return to finish them after finishing other games. Sometimes after sitting on the back burner for a moment, a question that seemed hard will seem easier. At the very least, there are easier questions to score points on elsewhere rather than committing five minutes to a single point in a hard question.
Summary Tips
- Analytical Reasoning tests your ability to make deductions in real-life situations — just like you will be doing in law school.
- Do not be intimidated by Analytical Reasoning — it is the most straightforward section on the test and may even become your favorite.
- The section will contain four puzzles with five to eight questions each.
- The introduction of the puzzle tells you what’s involved and what actions to take.
- Your score depends on your ability to understand the rules and combine them to make further deductions.
- Learn common question wording and watch for hypothetical information.
- Sequencing is the most important skill to learn, followed by grouping and then matching.
This concludes our series on LSAT Tips for Logic Games. Now return to our LSAT learning lab to continue your study.