Logic games on the LSAT account for about 23% of your total LSAT score.
It’s safe to say that they’re a large portion of the exam. Gabriel Kuris, founder of Top Law Coach and a contributor at US News, recently offered a few tips on how to effectively set up the LSAT logic games.
IDENTIFY THE GAME TYPE
The first step when it comes to logic games, according to Kuris, is to identify which type of game it is. There are three major types including: sequencing games, selection games, and matching games.
Sequencing involves putting variables in order.
“Sometimes the order is numerical, with rules determining each variable’s possible placement from first to last,” Kuris writes. “Other times it is relative, with rules determining which variables can come before or after one another.”
Selection games, according to Kuris, ask the test taker to “put variables into groups, like dividing campers among bunks or figuring out who is coming to a party.”
Matching games require test takers to “match different sets of variables to one another, like determining which riders ride which horses on which days.”
DRAW A DIAGRAM
After identifying which game type you’re working with, Kuris recommends drawing a diagram.
“Use scrap paper to make a master diagram of everything you know to be true about the overall game,” she writes. “Each type of game has a different setup, but they generally involve a series of slots, which are like underscores and designate a space for each variable. The slots might be ordered in a sequencing game or grouped together in a selection game.”
LIST VARIABLES AND RULES, THEN DEDUCT
Once you’ve drawn a diagram, you’ll want to list the variables and rules.
“Use capital or lower-case letters to represent each variable. It can help to write how many variables are in each set, so you don’t accidentally leave any out,” Kuris writes. “Whenever possible, try to integrate rules right into your master diagram. So, if David doesn’t have math on Tuesdays, for example, put a crossed-out D under Tuesday’s slot.”
With your diagram and rules, you should be able to deduct possibilities.
“For example, if you know that Alvin goes before Belinda in a sequence, you know that Belinda cannot possibly be first in the sequence and that Alvin cannot possibly be last,” Kuris writes. “Again, aim to integrate that information directly into your master diagram.”
Check out the rest of Kuris’ guide at US News.
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