Matching Game Questions

Let’s take a look at a full LSAT Matching game. Even though you’ve seen the game setup and sketches in the previous article, take the time to do the sketch again on your own to make sure you have a firm grasp on the principles involved in matching game questions. 

This is the third article in a series of articles about LSAT Matching Games. The series includes:

• LSAT Matching Games: an introduction
• LSAT Matching Sketches
• Matching Game Questions

Matching Game Questions

Here is the game in its entirety. Take a 5-8 minutes to consider the questions and form your own sketch based on what you’ve learned.

Three advertising agencies – A-Plus, Brenner Designs and Coverdale, Inc. – are making proposals for three different types of marketing campaigns to the same client. Each agency will present only one type of campaign during each presentation – Targeted, Universal and Vertical. Each company will be given an opportunity to present at 8 AM, 9 AM and 10 AM and may propose the same campaign more than once, but only one campaign per time slot. The following is known about the agencies and their campaigns:
     Brenner does not present a Universal campaign in any of their presentations.
     Coverdale presents a Vertical campaign in at least on of their three presentations, but not at 9 AM
     A-Plus presents the same campaign at 9 AM and at 10 AM
     Coverdale does not present a Universal campaign at 8 AM
     No agency presents the same campaign in the same time slot

1. Which one of the following must be true?
(A) A-Plus presents the Universal campaign at 8 AM.
(B) Brenner presents the Targeted campaign at 8 AM.
(C) Coverdale presents the Universal campaign at 9AM.
(D) A-Plus presents the Vertical campaign at 10 AM.
(E) Coverdale presents the Targeted campaign at 10 AM.

2. If A-Plus presents the Universal campaign at 10 AM, then which one of the following must be true of Brenner?
(A) They present Targeted in the 8 AM time slot.
(B) They present Vertical in the 8 AM time slot.
(C) They present Targeted in the 9AM time slot.
(D) They present Vertical in the 9 AM time slot.
(E) They present Vertical in the 10 AM time slot.

3. If Brenner presents the Vertical campaign in the 9 AM time slot, which one of the following must be false?
(A) A-Plus presents Targeted at 9 AM.
(B) A-Plus presents Vertical at 10 AM.
(C) Coverdale presents Vertical at 8 AM.
(D) Brenner presents Targeted at 10 AM.
(E) Brenner presents Vertical at 10 AM.

4. If Coverdale presents the same campaign at 8 AM and 9 AM, then all of the following must be true EXCEPT:
(A) A-Plus presents Universal in all three time slots.
(B) Brenner presents Vertical in exactly two time slots.
(C) Brenner presents Targeted at 9 AM.
(D) Coverdale presents Targeted at 8 AM.
(E) Coverdale presents Vertical at 10 AM.

5. Which one of the following must be true?
(A) If A-Plus presents Vertical at 9 AM, then Coverdale presents Vertical at 10 AM.
(B) If Coverdale presents Targeted at 8 AM, then Coverdale presents Universal at 9 AM.
(C) If Brenner presents Vertical at 10 AM, then A-Plus presents Targeted at 9 AM.
(D) If Brenner presents Targeted at 9 AM, then Coverdale presents Vertical at 8 AM.
(E) If Coverdale presents Vertical at 10 AM, then Brenner presents Targeted at 8 AM.

6. If Coverdale presents Targeted only at 9 AM, then which one of the following must be true?
(A) A- Plus presents Universal in as many time slots as they present Vertical.
(B) Brenner presents Targeted in as many time slots as they present Vertical.
(C) Coverdale presents Targeted in as many time slots as they present Universal.
(D) A- Plus presents Targeted in as many time slots as they present Vertical.
(E) Brenner presents Universal in as many time slots as they present Vertical.

Matching Game Questions Analysis

First off, remember to strategize the question order. There’s no law that says you have to answer them in the order presented, or even answer them at all. If a question looks like it will take a long time, you might leave it for last or skip it. For example, questions 2, 3 and 4 are conditional questions. You plug in the conditional, make your deduction and then scan for the answer. That seems a lot easier than question 5 which requires you to plug in and make deductions about the five different conditionals found in the answer choices. Save question 5 for last.

Question 1 looks like a deduction question that we should have already seen in our sketch. Do it first, because even if you missed the deduction in your sketch, you’ll figure it out here and it will help you with the rest of the questions.

1. Which one of the following must be true?
(A) A-Plus presents the Universal campaign at 8 AM.
(B) Brenner presents the Targeted campaign at 8 AM.
(C) Coverdale presents the Universal campaign at 9AM.
(D) A-Plus presents the Vertical campaign at 10 AM.
(E) Coverdale presents the Targeted campaign at 10 AM.

Of course, we already made the deduction that A-Plus must present Universal at 8 AM. So scan the answers for that and select it. No need to read the other answers, there can only be one right answer. The wrong answers in this case are “could-be-trues,” not “must-be-trues.”

2. If A-Plus presents the Universal campaign at 10 AM, then which one of the following must be true of Brenner?
(A) They present Targeted in the 8 AM time slot.
(B) They present Vertical in the 8 AM time slot.
(C) They present Targeted in the 9AM time slot.
(D) They present Vertical in the 9 AM time slot.
(E) They present Vertical in the 10 AM time slot.

First, plug the hypothetical about A-Plus into your sketch. That means that A-Plus must present Universal in every time slot. That means Universal is taken for the 9 AM session and Coverdale has to present Targeted. That only leaves Vertical for Brenner at 9 AM. Since the question is asking about Brenner, scan to see if the answer is Vertical at 9 AM. Bingo, the answer is (D).

3. If Brenner presents the Vertical campaign in the 9 AM time slot, which one of the following must be false?
(A) A-Plus presents Targeted at 9 AM.
(B) A-Plus presents Vertical at 10 AM.
(C) Coverdale presents Vertical at 8 AM.
(D) Brenner presents Targeted at 10 AM.
(E) Brenner presents Vertical at 10 AM.

This is tricky because the question starts with the answer to the last question – Brenner presents Vertical at 9 AM. But don’t be fooled into thinking that this means the rest of the sketch is the same as question 2 (that would be the fallacy of “affirming the consequent”). Instead, plug in the new hypothetical and see what happens.

It’s also tricky because it is a “must be false” question. That means the wrong answers could be true.

If Brenner presents Vertical at 9 AM, A-Plus and Coverdale have to choose between Targeted and Universal at 9 AM. The only deduction that flows out of that is that A-Plus will have to present either Targeted or Universal at 10 AM. Another way of looking at it is, if A-Plus cannot present Vertical at 9 AM (because Brenner is), then they cannot present Vertical at 10 AM, because they have to present the same campaign at 10 AM that they present at 9 AM.

Answer (B) must be false.

4. If Coverdale presents the same campaign at 8 AM and 9 AM, then all of the following must be true EXCEPT:
(A) A-Plus presents Universal in all three time slots.
(B) Brenner presents Vertical in exactly two time slots.
(C) Brenner presents Targeted at 9 AM.
(D) Coverdale presents Targeted at 8 AM.
(E) Coverdale presents Vertical at 10 AM.

If Coverdale presents the same campaign at 8 AM and 9 AM, that campaign has to be Targeted. Since Coverdale didn’t present Vertical at 8 AM, they have to present Vertical at 10 AM. If Targeted is taken at 8 AM and 9 AM, Brenner is left with Vertical at 8 AM and 9 AM. That leaves A-Plus with Universal at 9 AM, and thus at 10 AM. Since Coverdale has Vertical at 10 AM, Brenner has to present Targeted at 10 AM and A-Plus has Universal at 10 AM. You now know all there is to know.

This is a “must be true EXCEPT,” question, so rule out any of the true answers that match your sketch. The answer is (C).

5. Which one of the following must be true?
(A) If A-Plus presents Vertical at 9 AM, then Coverdale presents Vertical at 10 AM.
(B) If Coverdale presents Targeted at 8 AM, then Coverdale presents Universal at 9 AM.
(C) If Brenner presents Vertical at 10 AM, then A-Plus presents Targeted at 9 AM.
(D) If Brenner presents Targeted at 9 AM, then Coverdale presents Vertical at 8 AM.
(E) If Coverdale presents Vertical at 10 AM, then Brenner presents Targeted at 8 AM.

This is the definitely the hardest question of the game. If you were going to skip one, skip this one. The only way to approach a question like this is to plug in each hypothetical and rule out the wrong answers – may time consuming.

(A) can be ruled out right away because A-Plus presents the same campaign at 9 AM and at 10 AM.

(B) This could be true, but isn’t a “must be true” answer. We don’t know anything about Coverdale’s 9 AM time slot based solely on their 8 AM.

(C) likewise is possible but not a “must be true.”

(D) has to be true since if Brenner presents Targeted at 9 AM, Coverdale is only left with Universal at 9 AM. Thus, A-Plus must present Vertical at 9 AM and also at 10 AM. With Vertical taken at 10 AM, Coverdale can’t present it at 10 AM and must present it at 8 AM.

(E) since (D) is correct, you should have skipped (E)… but again, this is a possibility, not a “must.”

6. If Coverdale presents Targeted only at 9 AM, then which one of the following must be true?
(A) A- Plus presents Universal in as many time slots as they present Vertical.
(B) Brenner presents Targeted in as many time slots as they present Vertical.
(C) Coverdale presents Targeted in as many time slots as they present Universal.
(D) A- Plus presents Targeted in as many time slots as they present Vertical.
(E) Brenner presents Universal in as many time slots as they present Vertical.

Did you pay careful attention to the word “only”? If Coverdale only presents Targeted at 9 AM, then that leaves them with Vertical at 8 AM, forcing Brenner to present Targeted at 8 AM and Vertical at 9 AM. That leaves Universal for A-Plus at 9 AM and 10 AM. Brenner then has Targeted at 10 AM and Coverdale has Vertical at 10 AM. You know it all now.

(D) is correct.

Matching Game Questions Summary Tips

• Matching is a common game type, but not as common as sequencing or grouping.
• Learn to quickly differentiate between sequencing, grouping and matching games so you can pick which games are easier for you to start with.
• There are two types of matching games. Simple or two-dimensional matching involves assigning one attribute (which color per block, which campaign per time slot). More complex multi-dimensional matching involves assigning multiple attributes to entities (e.g., color and size).
• Typical rules deal with description of items or entities or variable assignments.
• As always, be on the lookout for hypotheticals. Don’t be intimidated if a question seems to change everything around or uses thick language. Whenever the LSAT gives you more information—no matter how poorly written—It’s to your advantage.

Now return to our LSAT prep course page to read another lesson series.