New Logic Game Rules

[dkersh]

In my LSAT course, my instructor, Jeremy, stated that there will probably be a rule on the LSAT that will be new or different. I’m really good at Logic Games, but when I encounter a new rule, or a rule that is phrased in a different way that I’m used to, I lose confidence in myself because I’m not 100% sure I’ve interpreted correctly. This usually causes me to lose time, and, on several occasions, it caused me to not finish the Logic Games section.
I was wondering if you had any suggestions or tips that would help me have confidence in interpreting new rules.

Thanks for your help! (AND JEREMY ROCKS!!!!!)

[Dave Killoran]

Hey Dkersh,

Thanks for the kind words on Jeremy--I know he appreciates them, as do I!

I think what Jeremy was getting at is that you have to be prepared for slightly different wordings and that they often spin variations on old themes. However, the key is right there--"variations." At this point, you should be comfortable with the many primary ways they present rules, so for 99% of the cases you should be fine.

Let's say you encounter something that throws you, or that you are uncertain about in terms of what it means. There are couple of different things that you should or can do in that situation:

1. Relax. It may sound counterintuitive, but you are most likely looking at something you already know, and so there is no reason to go into panic mode.

2. Re-read the rule. The type of game you are attacking (Linear, Grouping, etc) will give you some context to the meaning of the rule, and you want to use those clues to determine the general nature of the rule.

3. Pay close attention to the small words in the rule. We know that a single word can have a significant difference in interpretation (think "if" vs "only if," for one example), so examine each word closely.

4. If you are really uncertain, jump quickly to the first question (usually a List question) and see if anything in that List question gives you assistance in interpreting the rule.

5. If you are really mystified, and see no context clues in the other rules or questions, you may have to jump away from the game and then return later. For some people, just stepping away for a few minutes makes the rule seem less confusing when they return later.


The bottom line is that you've done what you needed to prepare, so have confidence in yourself! You're going to be trusting yourself during the entire test to make good judgments, so there's no reason to suddenly doubt yourself during the rules. Plus, you may not see anything confusing at all (which is what I'm hoping for you!).

By the way, if you haven't already, in the Online Student Center, go to the Lesson 12 Supplements and listen to the Test Mentality II lesson there. It's short, but it may put you in a better frame of mind tomorrow

Please let me know if that helps. Thanks and good luck tomorrow!

[dkersh]

Thanks for the response and the kind words Dave!

I'll definitely keep your suggestions in mind as I take the test tomorrow. Hopefully, I won't have any surprises, but if I do, I'll remember to stay calm, remember what I've been taught, and proceed with confidence!