#7 - Local, Must Be True

[Dave Killoran]

This game is also discussed in our Podcast: LSAT Podcast Episode 70: The May 2020 LSAT-Flex Logic Games Section

Complete Question Explanation
(The complete setup for this game can be found here: https://forum.powerscore.com/lsat/viewtopic.php?t=33050)

The correct answer choice is (D).

The question stem indicates that M must play in the third game, then asks about who L must play against. As we know from the four templates, M can only play in the third game under Template #1 or #2. In each case, L plays against J in the first game, and thus answer choice (D) is the correct answer.

Alternatively, when M plays in the third game, then the F G/H block must occupy the second game. Since J and L cannot play in the third game due to the second rule, they must both play in the first fame, yielding the same answer.


Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice.

[TootyFrooty]

How do you verify that you have all the templates down? I reviewed this game, but I had not created any templates. WHen creating templates how do you know you've extinguished everything ? because lets say you only ended up making half the templates, then you could miss this answer! Some games require A LOT of templates, like more than 4. So I ask

[Adam Tyson]

Any attempt to do templates starts with recognizing that there is some aspect of the game that can only happen in a few ways, like a block that can only go in one of two groups, or a variable that can only go in one of three places in an order, or a numeric restriction that can only be satisfied two different ways.

From there, you build the templates by setting up each of those limited options and then, in each case, asking yourself what else MUST be true. Don't play around with everything that COULD occur, not at first anyway. Start with the things the rules require you to do.

From there, sometimes you may see that within a given template there are two possible further directions, and you might want to split that template into two sub-templates. But don't go chasing multiple sub-templates for every template, because that can be a big waste of time. For example, you may see that the game can have either a 5-1 distribution or else a 4-2 distribution, so you set both of those up. But then you see that in the 4-2 distribution there are two different ways to place a block of variables, so you split that one in two for a total of three templates (the 5-1 and two variations of the 4-2.)

Starting with something that is very restricted ensures that you won't miss a template. You may not get every inference within every template, but all the possible outcomes will be contained within what you set up.

[TootyFrooty]

Any attempt to do templates starts with recognizing that there is some aspect of the game that can only happen in a few ways, like a block that can only go in one of two groups, or a variable that can only go in one of three places in an order, or a numeric restriction that can only be satisfied two different ways.

From there, you build the templates by setting up each of those limited options and then, in each case, asking yourself what else MUST be true. Don't play around with everything that COULD occur, not at first anyway. Start with the things the rules require you to do.

From there, sometimes you may see that within a given template there are two possible further directions, and you might want to split that template into two sub-templates. But don't go chasing multiple sub-templates for every template, because that can be a big waste of time. For example, you may see that the game can have either a 5-1 distribution or else a 4-2 distribution, so you set both of those up. But then you see that in the 4-2 distribution there are two different ways to place a block of variables, so you split that one in two for a total of three templates (the 5-1 and two variations of the 4-2.)

Starting with something that is very restricted ensures that you won't miss a template. You may not get every inference within every template, but all the possible outcomes will be contained within what you set up.

Thanks a lot this is helpful. One last question, is there ever a scenario where one should skip templates? or should we always strive to get these basic templates down?

[Hanin Abu Amara]

There are a lot of instances in which templates are not the way to go. The hardest part is getting a sense for when it is appropriate to go ahead and make a template.

This takes some practice but if you can’t see a clear way to split the game or if a split looks like it won’t yield any inference I would go ahead and skip.