The LSAT is a dreaded exam that can make or break your law school application. As I mentioned in last week’s blog, thorough preparation and a complete understanding of the test is only way to ensure that an applicant maximizes his or her score.
When I studied for the LSAT, I did every available practice exam three times in order to master the identification of the patterns in the different question types on the exams — part of the reason I scored a 179.
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In anticipation of the upcoming LSAT, I will discuss common pitfalls for each of the three scored section types in a three-part series. Last week covered reading comprehension. This week’s installment will examine the analytical reasoning section.
The analytical reasoning section of the LSAT, commonly known as the logic games section, evaluates your ability to understand and apply a set of rules and parameters. Below are three common and entirely avoidable mistakes in approach to answering these questions.
1. Incorrectly identifying a question: If you misidentify the type of game, you will not create the diagram that enables you to represent each rule and its implications. You therefore need to make sure you can quickly and consistently identify each question’s game type.
By doing so, you will use the correct approach to represent the information and to answer the questions. To identify game types, I instruct my students to read the game’s setup paragraph and rules very carefully, and then skim the questions and answers to search for any additional clues about how exactly to draw their diagrams. Be sure to assess the game type first, then deploy your line of attack.
[Learn more about mastering the logical reasoning section.]
2. Being inconsistent in how you solve questions: If you are not consistent in your representation of rules, then you run the risk of confusing yourself. Whichever symbols or shorthand you decide to use, stick with those throughout your preparation and during the exam itself.
For example, one of the most common rule types in the logic games is the “if-then” rule. At Stratus Prep, we recommend that students use arrows to represent “if-then” rules, but students who have studied formal logic often prefer to use a horseshoe symbol, which most logic textbooks use.
It doesn’t matter whether you use a horseshoe or an arrow as long as you use the symbol to represent every single “if-then” rule and no other type of rule. There is already enough complication in the logic games, so don’t add to the complication by creating ambiguity or confusion on your own.
3. Testing answers unnecessarily: Testing answer choices — that is, trying to prove something true or false by inputting answer choices — should only be a last resort. It’s best to try and avoid it completely, yet many test-takers use this as their go-to strategy.
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Instead of testing, try first to make deductions from any information the question provides as well as the game’s setup and rules. Looking at prior work from other questions in order to eliminate choices can also help evaluate answer choices much more quickly than testing each answer choice individually.
If you still have two or more answer choices, think strategically about which answer choice to test. Choose one that will be easy and remember that you should never have to test them all. The best answer is usually restrictive is some way.
Following these three tips will help you overcome popular stumbling blocks to a higher LSAT score. Next week I will conclude my LSAT breakdown with a look at mistakes in the logical reasoning section.
More from U.S. News
Avoid 3 LSAT Reading Comprehension Pitfalls
Focus on Scoring Your Best on the LSAT
Understand How Law Schools Evaluate LSAT Scores
Dodge 3 Traps in the LSAT Analytical Reasoning Section originally appeared on usnews.com
