Improving inference making, speed and approach

[anlowe02]

Logic Games (I am only up to pure sequencing, basic linear and advanced linear games):

When I move to the questions, I end up making a separate diagram for each question, sometimes multiple diagrams per question (diagramming multiple answer choices), and I feel like this is an incorrect and wasteful approach. I get most or all questions right, but it takes me 11-15 minutes, jeez, 18 minutes even!

If I repeat individual games over and over again until "i could teach them to a friend," will this alone improve my approach and ability to make inferences, and stop my bad habits (i.e. making an initial diagram, plotting the *obvious* inferences and then moving straight into the questions)? Are there any other recommendations you can give about how to approach the logic games questions? *Should* I be doing individual diagrams for each question in a logic game--or--as I improve in inference making by repeating the games 5-10 times each, will I just find that I don't *need* to make so many diagrams to solve every question?

I need to improve the inferences that I make and the speed with which I make them. I also think I need to approach the questions "inferences FIRST" instead of "new diagram FIRST," if that makes sense? Do you have annnyyy tips on how to do this? Is there a kind of pre phrasing I should be doing?

Also, I am really interested in the logic games bible workbook, because I really want to have drills that isolate and hammer in different aspects of attacking the games. I am having trouble on making correct initial set-ups of advanced linear games. Is this workbook the best powerscore resource to help with the specific problems I am having? Do you recommend any other resources?

Thank you so much!

[Ron Gore]

Hey there, An!

Your post is jam-packed with questions, so let me take them one at a time.

If I repeat individual games over and over again until "i could teach them to a friend," will this alone improve my approach and ability to make inferences, and stop my bad habits (i.e. making an initial diagram, plotting the *obvious* inferences and then moving straight into the questions)?

Unfortunately, no. It's not the case that practice makes perfect. Only proper practice will increase your performance. So, simply doing the same things over and over again is not the ticket. However, with as much willingness to do hard work as you seem to have, there definitely are ways to improve.

Are there any other recommendations you can give about how to approach the logic games questions? *Should* I be doing individual diagrams for each question in a logic game--or--as I improve in inference making by repeating the games 5-10 times each, will I just find that I don't *need* to make so many diagrams to solve every question?

As you know from the course materials, there are different types of questions, such as local, global, suspension, except, etc. Your approach is dependent on the type of question you're facing. A global question should not require additional diagramming, unless there is an inference that you didn't get at the initial diagramming phase. For local and suspension questions, I recommend diagramming off to the side of the question, but only so much of the diagram as is necessary to answer the question. There is no need to completely redraw your diagram in all its glory for every question.

I also think I need to approach the questions "inferences FIRST" instead of "new diagram FIRST," if that makes sense?

Bingo! The focus is always on considering what inferences might be available before you begin some brute force attack on the question. Again, the way to attack a particular question is question specific.

I am having trouble on making correct initial set-ups of advanced linear games. Is this workbook the best powerscore resource to help with the specific problems I am having? Do you recommend any other resources?

From the questions you've asked, I recommend our Logic Games Setup Encyclopediae, which have complete game setups and detailed analyses of the rules and inferences for each game. Going through these setup and question explanations will let you inside Dave's mind to see exactly how he would attack each game and each question. There is no better resource for that kind of information.

The link I provided was to Volume 3 of our our series, but we also have two earlier volumes. So, you have access to Dave's approach to every question of every game from PT1 all the way through PT60. While we don't have volumes that cover the later tests, we do have those explanations available in our download store. It's the same type of material, just not all bound together in a volume.

Hope that helps!

Ron