Although the LSAT hasn’t undergone a major change since the June 2007 introduction of the comparative reading passage, the creators of the test often make subtler changes that can have a significant effect on what to expect in future exams. In this week’s post, I’ll detail some trends I’ve observed from recent tests and indicate what they mean for those law school students preparing for the October and December exams.
1. An old logic game is seeing a rebirth: The most significant change that I have observed in the logic games is the reintroduction of a game type that, until last June, had only shown up once in almost 20 years. Many June 2014 test takers got tripped up by the Summit Company game, the final game in the exam’s logic games section. This game is an example of a very rare game type often referred to as a “transposition game.” The most recent game similar to this was the first game of the June 2007 exam.
Although it is impossible to verify, my colleagues and I have heard from clients who took the June 2015 test that some experimental games sections included a game similar to the “Summit Company” game, which suggests that there may be more such games in the future. If you’re preparing for the October or December exam, make sure to review these two games very carefully.
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Other than the potential reintroduction of this game type, the trend in the logic games has been to stick primarily with the most common game types. Games that ask you to put characters in order continue to be the most common games, followed by those that ask you to put characters into two or three different groups.
Less common game types, such as schedule games — those that ask you to put things into a schedule of days and morning and afternoon — have become less prevalent than in earlier tests.
One final trend is that the logic games, regardless of type, are tending to provide less information in the setup and rules. This has two effects. First, it means that there are fewer deductions to make as you are diagraming the game. Second, it means that answering the questions themselves often takes more time. If you’re preparing for October or December, expect to spend a bit less time diagraming the games and a bit more time answering the questions.
2. Some flawed logical reasoning arguments are becoming less common: The biggest trend that in the logical reasoning section is a reduction in the use of certain flaw types. Both equivocation flaws, where an argument uses two different definitions of the same term, and ad hominem flaws, where an argument attacks the person making the argument as opposed to the argument itself, appear to have fallen out of favor.
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The increased frequency of questions that test one’s ability to identify the conclusion of the argument is another major trend that encompasses many different question types. Within this trend, the LSAT appears to test more heavily the distinction between an argument that refutes a conclusion itself and an argument that refutes the reasoning behind a conclusion.
For example, compare the following two outlines of arguments:
— Many people think A. But they’re wrong. Here’s why.
— Many people think A for the following reasons. But their reasoning is not convincing. Here’s why.
The first argument is an example of refuting the conclusion, while the second refutes the reasoning behind the conclusion. Note that in the second example, one cannot determine whether the person making the argument agrees or disagrees with the conclusion that many people make.
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This distinction shows up primarily in conclusion and role questions, but also occasionally shows up in flaw, strengthen and weaken questions. Be sure to look out for this distinction as you prepare for the October and December exams.
For those taking the October exam, now is the time to ramp up your preparation and take up to three tests per week. Are you planning on taking the LSAT soon? Let me know in an, email or tweet me @stratusprep.
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LSAT Trends to Know While Preparing for Upcoming Tests originally appeared on usnews.com
