Level 3 Questions

[MikeRov25]

Evening all. I was hoping for some help. I generally do fairly well on most level 1 & 2 questions, maybe only missing two or three at most between the two. I feel that I have a strong foundation, but my problem gets into the more difficult questions, especially with the way they are worded. I know structure does not always have to be linear so that doesn't not trick me up, but it's the way the stim's are phrased that leave me like what did I just read? I try prephrasing but it does not always help. Any thoughts on how to improve this? Much obliged.

[Adam Tyson]

The best advice I have, Mike, is old school, and that's practice, practice, practice. The authors of this test are not often guilty of much original thought and creativity - they tend to use the same patterns over and over again. Arguments are dressed up with different details, but they usually are based on the same old structures and ideas. Innovation is not a major factor in the LSAT. So, more practice leads to greater familiarity and recognition of those repetitive patterns and structures. Over time, you will find that you often experience deja vu, feeling like you have seen a particular question before, and you'll remember how to attack it.

Keep an eye out for common elements, like conditional or causal indicators or the presence of words like "most" and "some". Look for the appearance of new or "rogue" elements in the conclusions, which may signal something important that you will have to deal with in the answer choices. Remember to keep on applying the same strategies that you use on easier questions - prephrasing, sorting losers and contenders, comparing contenders to determine which is best (and that may require you to quickly revisit the stimulus and/or stem to be sure you know what you are supposed to be accomplishing in selecting your answer choice).

I wish I had a better magic wand to wave over those harder questions for you! Keep at it, and good luck, Mike!