As an LSAT tutor, I know that the Logic Games section of the LSAT test is the most intimidating for many students. Officially called Analytical Reasoning, this section consists of four different “games” that give you a set of rules and ask questions based on them. With 35 minutes to complete the section, the timing breaks down to 8.75 minutes per game. There are 22-24 questions on this section of the LSAT test. I’ve previously written posts on The Logic Games Section as Mental Sport and How to Increase Your Speed on the Logic Games.
This post will break down the different types of games you might encounter on the LSAT test.
One of the most important parts of preparing for the LSAT test is knowing what to expect. This will allow you to stay calm (as much as possible) on test day and not let anything take you by surprise. For the logic games, this means knowing what types of games you might see. Here are the most common:
1) Sequencing or Ordering Logic Games
These are the most common games. They involve ordering people by how they finished in a race (Mary finished before Jimmy, but after Tom; Alex finished before the third place person, but not first; etc.), height, age, or any other sequence.
2) Grouping Logic Games
Grouping games on the LSAT test are exactly what they sound like: they ask you to determine which groups items are in. This could mean determining which teachers are at which schools, which performers performed at which venue, etc. Sometimes there are several attributes being grouped. For example, you could have a problem that talks about at music store and says that it carries records and cds in different genres: jazz, opera, rap, pop, and country, some of which are on sale and some of which are not. You would have to determine which are the records on sale, records not on sale, cds on sale, and cds not on sale.
3) Matching Logic Games
Matching games on the LSAT test are similar to grouping games, except in this case each person or thing has only one match. For example, it could say that there are five people, each of whom has a different vacation spot, and you need to determine who likes to vacation where.
4) Combination or Hybrid Logic Games
Last but certainly not least, you can have combination games on the LSAT test. Sometimes you need to match and sequence, for example. These are often the most challenging games.
Once you know the types of games you might see, it is important to develop strategies for each. Have a system for how you are going to set up a sequence game, a grouping game, etc. If there is one type of game that is particularly hard for you, develop a strategy as to whether or not to do that last or first. Remember, you do not have to do the games in order. Last but not least, stay calm and keep moving!
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