Advanced Linear vs. Grouping/Linear Combination Games

[Kp13]

Hi,

I am not sure why, but I find it hard to sometimes distinguish between Advanced Linear and Grouping/Linear combination games. For example, today I did the Dec 1994 practice test. During the test, I worked Game# 3 as an advanced linear game, but then realized when I looked it up afterwards that it is classified as a Grouping/Linear combination game.

I would appreciate it if you could give me some advice on how to best tell them apart.

[Dave Killoran]

Hi KP,

Good question, and funny you should ask about it because I'm currently expanding our discussion of this concept in our courses. Most Linear/Grouping Combination games are built on Advanced Linear-type setups, and thus they appear very similar. So, getting them confused isn't at all unreasonable, and most of the time you could still be somewhat successful. There are really two types of Linear/Grouping combo games, so let's look at each briefly:

• Unbalanced: Overfunded
  
  In simple terms, this means there are more variables than spaces. Thus, the December 1994 game you mention is a perfect example of one of these types of games. The key is that you have an Advanced Linear setup, but you have more variables than available spaces (8 variables for 6 spaces in this game). When that happens, you know you are ultimately choosing a group of six, and you have to focus on that aspect (and that's where the Grouping comes in, of course).
  
  
  Balanced
  
  A good example of this type of game is Game #3 from the October 2013 LSAT. Here, there are 5 movies and 5 spaces, so the game is Balanced. The Linear element comes from the movie times, but there is also a strong Grouping element based on the movie screens. This Grouping aspect plays a role in the questions, when some movies are grouped together and then you immediately have to focus on the remaining movies and how they can be grouped before you then determine how they work linearly. Questions #15 and #18 are perfect examples of that idea at work.
  
  The key to identifying a game like this is the realize that while a Linear element is in play, the other part, which would look like the second (or third, or fourth, etc) row that creates the Advanced Linear portion, isn't actually Linear in nature but is instead about Groups. In the October 2013 LSAT game, the base is the show times 7-8-9 (so, that's clearly linear), and what's stacked above that are what is shown on each movie screen (which isn't linear--it is instead based on grouping). Hard, but once you've seen it a few times it gets easier to recognize it quickly.

Please let me know if that helps get you started. Thanks!