Lsat Analytical Reasoning

For each question, there is only one correct answer. However, there are multiple ways to arrive at the correct answer; some people rely on deductions while others feel more comfortable trying out each answer choice. That means you can practice and learn which methods work best for you.

Suggested Approach for Analytical Reasoning

You may find it helpful to answer questions about a passage that seem less difficult first, and then turn to questions that seem more difficult. Whether or not you take this approach, it is best to finish one passage before starting on another, because much time can be lost in returning to a passage and reestablishing familiarity with its relationships.

On the other hand, if you are having great difficulty on one particular set of questions and are spending too much time on them, it may be to your advantage to skip that set of questions and go on to the next passage, returning to the difficult set of questions after you have finished the other questions in the section.

Do not assume that because the conditions for a set of questions look long or complicated, the questions based on those conditions will be especially difficult.

Read the passage carefully

Careful reading and analysis are necessary to figure out exactly what the relationships are in an Analytical Reasoning passage. Some relationships are fixed (for example, P and R must always work on the same project). Other relationships are variable (for example, Q must be assigned to either team 1 or team 3). Some relationships that are not stated explicitly in the conditions can be deduced from those that are stated (for example, if one condition about paintings in a display specifies that Painting K must be to the left of Painting Y, and another specifies that Painting W must be to the left of Painting K, then it can be deduced that Painting W must be to the left of Painting Y).

In reading the conditions, do not make unjustified assumptions. All the information needed to answer each question is provided in the passage and the question itself. For instance, in a set of questions establishing relationships of height and weight among the members of a team, do not assume that a person who is taller than another person must weigh more than that person. As another example, suppose a set involves ordering and a question in the set asks what must be true if both X and Y must be earlier than Z; in this case, do not assume that X must be earlier than Y merely because X is mentioned before Y.

The conditions are designed to be as clear as possible. Do not interpret the conditions as if they were intended to trick you. For example, if a question asks how many people could be eligible to serve on a committee, consider only those people named in the passage. When in doubt, read the conditions in their most obvious sense. Remember, however, that the language in the conditions is intended to be read for precise meaning. It is essential to pay particular attention to words that describe or limit relationships, such as “only,” “exactly,” “never,” “always,” “must be,” “cannot be,” and the like.

Through this kind of careful reading, you can develop a clear picture of the structure of the relationships involved, including the kinds of relationships permitted and the range of possible outcomes allowed or required by the conditions.

Keep in mind that the questions are independent of one another

Each question should be considered separately from the other questions in its set. No information, except what is given in the original conditions, should be carried over from one question to another. For example, if Question 1 adds the supposition “if P is sitting at table 2 . ” this supposition should NOT be carried over to any other question in the set.

In most cases a question will simply ask for conclusions to be drawn using the conditions as they were originally given. A few questions may, however, add to the original conditions or temporarily suspend or replace one of the original conditions. These changes apply only to that individual question.

LSAT Analytical Reasoning (Logic Games): Strategies from a 180 Scorer

High-yield tips to help you improve your LSAT Analytical Reasoning score, plus practice questions

Table of Contents

Part 1: Introduction to the LSAT Analytical Reasoning Section

Part 2: LSAT Analytical Reasoning Section Structure

Part 3: Logic Game Types

Part 4: Logic Game Question Types

Part 5: Tips for Approaching the LSAT Analytical Reasoning Section

Part 6: Study Tips for the LSAT Analytical Reasoning Section

Part 7: Practice Logic Game

Part 8: Frequently Asked Questions

Part 1: Introduction to the LSAT Analytical Reasoning Section

Through its Logical Reasoning, Reading Comprehension, Writing, and Analytical Reasoning sections, the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is designed to test the skill required of fledgling lawyers during their first year of law school. Much of the thinking you’ll do in law school and as a lawyer will involve understanding defined rules and their application to a set of facts and the possibilities within those restrictions. The LSAT Analytical Reasoning Section is designed to test your ability to do just that.

For example, an LSAT Analytical Reasoning Section game may tell you that there are workers being scheduled to come into the office Monday through Friday. Then, the game will provide the scheduling conflicts determining the schedule, and finally, it will ask you questions based on building a schedule in accordance to the rules.

The LSAT Analytical Reasoning Section consists of problem sets commonly referred to as Logic Games. Each Logic Game includes a scenario, conditions, and a set of questions. The questions in the section are designed to evaluate your ability to understand the rules and how they relate to a set of effects, as well as several deductive reasoning skills the test categorizes as:

“Comprehending the basic structure of a set of relationships by determining a complete solution to the problem posed, reasoning with conditional (“if-then”) statements, inferring what could be true or must be true from given facts and rules, inferring what could be true or must be true from given facts and rules together with new information presented in hypotheticals, and recognizing when two statements are logically equivalent in context.”

For each question, there is only one correct answer. However, there are multiple ways to arrive at the correct answer; some people rely on deductions while others feel more comfortable trying out each answer choice. That means you can practice and learn which methods work best for you.

Since the LSAT Analytical Reasoning Section evaluates a specific set of patterns and rules, you can build familiarity with the section through study and practice. In other words, once you learn a basic set of rules and patterns, you’ll gain confidence and skill when it comes to answering Logic Games questions. Furthermore—contrary to what you might think—no formal logic training is necessary to complete this section. This guide will share some helpful approaches to get you started on the path towards your best LSAT Analytical Reasoning Section score.

Click on the following links for high-yield strategies to use on each of the LSAT sections: