What can you expect to find in the Logical Reasoning section?
Critical thinking is a skill expected and built upon in law school. One measure of your ability to display critical thinking is the logical reasoning section of the LSAT.
This section of the LSAT will test your ability to evaluate and understand arguments and will make up 50% of the whole LSAT, so your performance in its two sections is crucial in the outcome of your test.
The good news is that it is possible to learn how to approach these problems with strategies that lead to the right answers. This section can be frustrating and is very challenging for many students, but it is by no means impossible.
The main point of the Logical Reasoning subtest is to evaluate how well you can examine arguments. While the exam splits into two halves, the format will always follow the same formula. You will be presented with either a list of statements or a paragraph arguing about a specific point, for which you will have to answer a bundle of accompanying questions. Throughout each of these question varieties, you will be expected to demonstrate how well you can assess arguments of all varieties, as well as consider ideas on a logical and evaluative level.
The arguments presented are not lengthy legal arguments – instead, they’re written in everyday language and pulled from newspapers, school papers and magazines. Each passage mirrors legal reasoning but isn’t presented in legal terms.
Because of this, you aren’t expected to know legal vocabulary or lengthy Latin phrases. However, in order to succeed, you will have to have a basic understanding of arguments and their terms (like debate, refute, premise, assumption and conclusion) to perform well on this portion of the test.
You should familiarize yourself with the different question types (assumption, strengthen, weaken, argument, inference etc.) and pinpoint your weaknesses. Practice your weakest question types until you feel comfortable with them, and your score will improve.
What is the structure of the Logical Reasoning section?
Logical Reasoning questions are based on short passages of argumentative text, typically about one brief paragraph in length (50-70 words). Text subjects are general and do not require knowledge of the law or any other academic discipline. Each passage of text is associated with a single multiple-choice question, and all questions have five answer options.
Logical Reasoning text passages are followed by a one-sentence question, and these questions always concern the argument presented in the passage.
A few examples of questions you might see in this section are:
• Which one of the following is the overall conclusion drawn in the argument?
• Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the statement above?
• Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the argument?
The first twelve questions in this section tend to be simpler and more straight-forward. In the beginning of the test, you should trust your first instinct, go with the choice you think is best and answer questions quickly. More difficult questions are given in the latter half so you will have to adjust your time according.
Once you are faced with more difficult questions, you should take your time and start by eliminating obviously wrong answers first. If you are not sure about the correct answer, eliminating wrong answers improves your odds of guessing the correct answer.
Logical Reasoning Questions
The kinds of questions you will find on the Logical Reasoning section include the following:
1. Parallels
Known mainly as Parallel Reasoning, this question category seeks to discover how well you can pick up on similarities between statements. Upon reading through the information in the passages, you will then have to answer questions about the central argument of the selection—if any of the choices between statements align closely with the central argument, to be specific.
This question category is not quite as easy as it sounds. Paraphrasing can be a difficult thing to compare, and it can be difficult to immediately pick the most appropriate answer. If one particular piece of information leaves you stumped, you can try rereading it again and parsing it out into your own words. Pay close attention to what the information is trying to communicate, as well as its organization.
2. Finding the Main Idea
This particular question variety is very similar in concept and objective to what you may have come across on other tests earlier on in your academic career.
Questions focusing on the main idea of the work will require you to identify the central theme the author is presenting within the passage. This type of question can still take multiple forms. For instance, you could be expected to identify how the author feels about the topic they have written about, what point they are trying to make and why they could have written this particular work, and/or precisely what the central theme of the work is.
While this kind of question may seem clear and simple to answer, be cautious and pay close attention to every question and read through them as carefully as possible before choosing your answer. Questions of this variety will be written so that there will be several “obvious” answers that you will have to choose between. The trick will ultimately be to match answer choices to the themes and ideas of the passage to see which is the best fit.
3. Arguments
Because logic plays so heavily into the formation of an argument, you naturally will have to answer questions about how arguments are structured within the test passages. The passage provided will be the only context you will have for these questions. It will then be on you to pick an option that best illustrates the presentation of the argument, as well as the argument’s strength and effectiveness.
Again, you will want to read as carefully as possible to answer these questions correctly. Approach each passage with the argument-based questions in mind, evaluating their organization. Think about how its statements interact with one another, and whether all of them contribute to the main assertion or not.
4. Argument Effectiveness
This question category and the Argument category described above go hand in hand. However, the formatting for this particular category will be different. Rather than reading through and assessing an argument, you will be asked to complete an argument based on whether it would bolster or harm the main point.
Wording is crucial for this particular question variety. Be sure to look out for whether you have to hurt or help an argument. There will often be many choices that could fit the question and its objective. However, it will be up to you to determine which answer best and most accurately fits what is being asked. You will want to pick an answer that either makes the argument as effective as it can possibly be or weakens its purpose as completely as it can.
Examine the argument prior to answering so you understand what it is trying to say. By doing this, you will be able to fully understand how to either dismantle or reinforce the point being made.
5. Detecting Logical Flaws
For this question category, you will be provided with a passage and expected to read through it in order to examine it for any and all flaws. Noticeable flaws may come in the form of underdeveloped arguments, for instance. Regardless of how the flaw takes form, it will be up to you to not only discern the flaws within an argument, but how exactly the flaws you’ve detected hurt the argument.
You should pick your answer based on whichever option best explains the flaws of the argument, so be sure to pay close attention to both your choices and the structure of the passage.
6. Inferences
When you read the passages for this question category, you should focus predominantly on themes being presented through each sentence. The passages themselves will follow a specific argument and be left incomplete. Your job will be to pose the most logical and best possible conclusion by choosing an answer from a list of five options. As you answer these questions, be sure to think about how to best tie up the paragraph rather than how to summarize the points being made. There is a distinct difference between the two, and a conclusion is not always a summary of the main points.
You may run into questions where every option is correct, and if so, don’t be alarmed. One of your five options will be that each option is a logical conclusion to draw.
7. Assumptions
Assumption and inference questions are a bit similar in concept. The key difference is rather than picking out a way to conclude the paragraph, you will be reading between the lines to figure out the more subtle aspects of the paragraph—or, in other words, the invisible glue that holds the statement together. The information being given to you may not necessarily be 100 percent accurate, but this is not the main intention of the section. Do not let factual accuracy get in the way of choosing the best possible answer. Your job will to be to decide what subtle pieces of information can be gleaned from the passage and how they lend to the argument itself.
Generally, you will have to pick from a list of statements based on whichever one backs up or aligns with the passage the best—or the very opposite, namely which out of a list of statements does not fit in with the text.
How you can approach the Logical Reasoning Section and some strategies for success.
The Logical Reasoning section is the section most students find frustrating, but the right strategies will spare you from such a situation.
Although it is true that the LSAT doesn’t repeat questions word-for-word from one exam to the next, the logical reasoning that underlies many of the games remains very similar. The best way to prepare for this section is to look at questions on past tests to understand and learn the patterns. You will have to have a basic understanding of arguments and their terms (like debate, refute, premise, assumption, and conclusion) to perform well on this portion of the test.
If you don’t know these terms and understand how to pick them out in an argument, you should make sure that you take the time before the test to maximize your understanding of the terms that you will find in the passages and questions.
The following tips and strategies should also help you succeed when answering the questions in the logical reasoning section.
1. Practice, practice, practice
More than any other section of the LSAT, in order to familiarize yourself with how Logical Reasoning questions are asked and answered you should take practice tests. This will help you to know the section’s format, allow you to figure out how questions will be worded and, know what to look for when you take the test.
By taking practice tests, you should also be able to come up with an easy and efficient way of telling what you’re required to do just from a glance over the question’s wording. This will also allow you to save time as you work through the exam, which is important considering the time limit placed upon you.
2. Read each question carefully and more than once.
Read through the prompt more than once because it will give you a better understanding of the information. Take notes on the prompt itself and highlight phrases that seem relevant to the questions. You will probably find it best to do one quick read and one slow read.
3. Pay close attention to the test answers as well.
Just as the wording is a key element to your understanding of each question, the test will be written in such a way that there will often be two answers that will seem equally as likely to be the best response. When it comes to this particular answering situation, keep in mind the objective of the question, and weigh both possible answers based on which fits the question’s context the most closely. Just because an answer is fitting doesn’t mean it is automatically right.
4. Look for keywords.
Keywords can give you excellent hints and lead to relevant information. Unfortunately, many words can act as keywords in a logical reasoning question. Still, you need to separate keywords from filler.
To begin, look for words that lead to a phrase or statement. These are words like "few," "sometimes," "many," "except," and "this." These words will usually lead to the introduction of relevant information. From there, you'll want to circle words that contribute to the argument. So, be on the lookout for pertinent details like locations, names, items, living things, and numbers.
Once you've found the keywords within the argument, move on to the questions and answers. You want to do the same thing. Circle any keywords you find within questions and answers. This allows you to draw quick connections between the prompt, the questions, and the solutions.
Look out for subtle changes in vocabulary. Words like every, many, and none, can drastically change a text's meaning.
5. Quickly identify an argument’s premises and conclusion.
A premise is a statement or proposition that leads to a conclusion. A conclusion is a judgement or decision. So basically, a premise is the statement or argument made that directly leads to a conclusion. Both of these can be identified by identifying key words in the text.
Be on the lookout for:
• Words that indicate premises (“Because”, “since”, and “for”)
• Words that indicate conclusion (“Therefore”, “thus”, “as a result”) and,
• Words that indicate conflict (“Although”, “While”, “However”)
6. Learn how to identify bad LSAT arguments.
Many questions on the Logical Reasoning section present an argument that you are required to evaluate. Some questions will ask you to strengthen or weaken the argument. Sometimes you will be given a bad argument and it will be up to you to decide why the argument is not valid. Other questions might ask you to identify an argument’s pattern of reasoning. All in all, most questions will ask you to identify or fix a flaw or mistake in the argument. You must identify these mistakes and choose the answer that best reflects it.
To perform well on this section, you must become familiar with the LSAT’s reasoning structures and how the LSAT describes the logical flaws it wants you to identify in each argument.
7. Try and identify the conclusion of each statement first.
To correctly answer a logical reasoning question, you need to know what conclusions the argument is drawing. While the conclusions can sometimes be found at the end of an argument, more often than not they're hidden within. Skim through the prompt once, then slow down and look for words that point to the conclusion.
Some of these words include "therefore, "consequently" and "however." These words are typically presented before the argument is about to make a significant conclusion. From there, you'll want to circle the statement that concludes.
Finding the conclusion is crucial because it helps you answer the questions faster. You'll be able to reference one short statement instead of needing to read through the prompt four or five times. You should also do the same thing when a question introduces new information. Make a note of what that information is and where it connects to the original conclusion from the argument.
8. Find the wrong answers first.
The logical reasoning section consists of multiple-choice questions. It's great that you don't need to write out answers, but the trade-off is that you're being presented with a handful of wrong answers. Furthermore, some of the answers are going to be similar and only differentiated by a few words, making getting the right answer harder than you'd think.
Therefore, you want to get rid of any wrong answers first. A few of the solutions will be noticeably wrong, so cross them out and move on. Then, read the remaining answers carefully and more than once. You want to make sure you fully understand what the answer is suggesting before eliminating it.
9. Then, identify the best answer.
The answer choices on the logical reasoning section are rarely black and white. Often, you must choose the best answer among several imperfect choices. Make sure the answer you choose is the best one. Unfortunately, some logical reasoning questions have multiple right answers. For this reason, you need to select the solution that makes the most sense. Your answer shouldn't have noticeable flaws or make any assumptions without facts.
With practice, you can learn some of the tricks the LSAT uses to deflect you away from the right answer or lure you toward a wrong answer. Zeroing in on the argument’s conclusion, correctly identifying its method of reasoning and approaching it strategically based on its question type will help keep you from being led astray.
Beware of decision paralysis. If you can’t find the right answer or feel stuck between competing choices, take a guess, flag the question and move on. You can always come back for a fresh look.
10. Don’t be afraid to skip a question if it seems too difficult.
Make sure to answer all the easier questions first and leave more time-consuming problems until the end to maximize the number of points you earn.
11. You should always guess.
At the end, even if you have no idea which answer is correct, always guess because there is no penalty for wrong answers, and you have a 20% chance of choosing the right answer and scoring additional points.
12. Understand some formal logic basics.
You don't need to be an expert in formal logic for the best results on the logical reasoning section but having a basic foundation in some simple concepts really helps. One of these concepts is the contrapositive. This concept means that if you have a conditional statement that is true, flip and take the inverse and that will also be true. For example, if you play the piano, then you are a musician.
Flip and negate that statement and you get if you are not a musician, then you do not play the piano. If one is true, the other must be also! Be careful to do both (flip and negate) or you end up with something like if you don't play the piano, then you are not a musician. And that is not true.
13. Know Your Task
The logical reasoning section will include different types of question which have been described in the previous section above. Each one has its own strategy to solve. Start by reading the call of the question. There are words in the call that can help you identify what type of question it is. When you know that, you can have the right strategy in mind as you read the question stem. You won't be distracted or miss important facts this way.
Focus on the Five Most Common Logical Principles Tested on the LSAT
There are 26 logical principles that have been tested on the LSAT, but to perform reasonably well on the LSAT, you do not necessarily have to learn and master each one. The majority of the questions on the LSAT that will test these logical principles will likely be based on the following five principles:
i. Missing Assumption: An argument that excludes an important premise or makes an unwarranted assumption.
ii. Conditional Reasoning: An argument that uses “if/then” statements or involves the use of “sufficient” and “necessary” conditions. For example: “If P, then Q.”
The LSAT will frequently attempt to convert these statements, i.e., it will convert the “then” part of the statement into the “if” part of the statement.
iii. Overbreadth or Over-generalization: An argument that expresses an overly broad conclusion that either is based on a single example or is not warranted by the evidence. Overbreadth or over-generalization occurs whenever the evidence presented in the premises is too narrow to justify the conclusion. In other words, the conclusion is too broad or too general given the evidence presented.
iv. Correlation vs. Cause-and-Effect: An argument that supposes that, because two things occur in conjunction with one another, one is the cause of the other. In other words, it is an argument that identifies something as the cause of an event, but that it hasn’t been shown that that something is, in fact, the cause.
v. Negative Proof Fallacy: An argument that assumes something is false because it has not been proven to be true, or because there is an absence of evidence supporting it. In other words, a lack of evidence is used to disprove something, or the argument rejects the possibility that what has not been proven may nevertheless be true.
Comments