#6 - Global, Must Be True

[Dave Killoran]

Complete Question Explanation
(The complete setup for this game can be found here: lsat/viewtopic.php?t=17097)

The correct answer choice is (D)

This is a “5 if” question, and because each answer choice presents a new scenario, this question can be quite time-consuming. Because this question is clearly intended to take longer to complete, and because this is the last question in the game, the best approach is to change course and consider the answers in reverse order, from (E) to (A). Given that this question is supposed to take more time than average to complete, and that each answer requires the test taker to consider a new scenario that will require a separate diagram, it is unlikely that the test makers will place the correct answer first or second. Thus, the chances are that the correct answer will be (C), (D), or (E), so start with answer choice (E) to maximize your efficiency.

Answer choice (E): When Y and Z are added to class 2, X can be added to class 1 or class 3, and so this answer choice is incorrect.

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

Answer choice (C): If V and W are added to class 1, then Z can be added to class 2 or 3, and so this answer choice is incorrect.

Answer choice (B): If V and W are added to class 1, then T can be added to class 2 or 3, and so this answer choice is incorrect.

Answer choice (A): If T and X are added to class 2, then V can be added to class 1, 2, or 3, and so this answer choice is incorrect.

[Sara Gold]

Good afternoon,
I am reviewing my answers to the LSAT for September 1995 and was wondering how to best approach correcting some of the answers for the questions since no explanations are provided.

#6. I understand why the answer is right, its just getting there that seems the most difficult.

Basically, what efficient strategies can I use to better solve the problem? It felt right to me when I was doing it but there was definitely something I was doing wrong since I only got 2/6.

Thank you so much!

[David Boyle]

Hello Sara,

As for the problem as a whole: they don't give you too much helpful information. You know that v hates z, and also that y hates s and w (so that y can't be in group 3), and that if t is in 1, then v can't be there (because of z). However, you may not know too much besides that. So, people may just have to struggle with individual problems without having too many brilliant inferences to help them.

The correct choice for question 6 should probably be one of the three center ones, mentioning group 1, since group 2 is not as restricted (no one's initially assigned there). And then, either C or D may be more likely to be correct, since z and w are both haters. So work through C and D and decide which is better. (Also, answer C removes a hater, w, and puts it away safely in group 1. So, D may be the most "volatile" answer, and indeed, it's correct.)

Hope this helps,
David

[Sara Gold]

Thank you David, it does help!

[gettingbetteralways]

Hi everyone,

I'm interested in the point from the original poster about starting with E since this question is meant to take a long time. Is there any evidence that this is still true for the exam today?

Thank you

[Robert Carroll]

getting,

It's always difficult to make generalizations with little data. "5 If" questions are quite rare - I tried a quick search and it looks like there are about 10 out there in the history of the test. For 80% of those questions, the answer was (C), (D), or (E). That does mean the later answers are a little overrepresented, so the advice seems to apply to those few cases where you see a 5 If question. I want to note, though, that you don't have to JUST brute force these questions - the approach of starting with answer choice (E) can be avoided if you can sort the answers in a better way. For instance, if you notice that, in all the minidiagrams you've done so far, a particular answer seem to come out true, you might start by testing whether THAT one has to be true. Another way to try to make yourself start with more promising answers is to look for answers whose sufficient conditions seem very "powerful" - sufficient conditions that seem restrictive enough to lead to consequences. Because you're looking for a true conditional in these questions, you're looking for an answer where its sufficient condition is enough to force its necessary condition to be true. The stronger the sufficient condition, the more chance it forces its necessary condition to happen. So answers with particularly restrictive sufficient conditions are often good places to start.

Robert Carroll

[ikim10]

I was thrown off because I couldn't see why (D) was the correct choice.

Why is the below not a valid solution?

1 - R, V, X
2 - T, Z, Y
3 - W, S

I understand that because S is in class 3, Y must be in class 1 or 2. But what is stopping W from being in the class 3 with S?

[ikim10]

I was thrown off because I couldn't see why (D) was the correct choice.

Why is the below not a valid solution?

1 - R, V, X
2 - T, Z, Y
3 - W, S

I understand that because S is in class 3, Y must be in class 1 or 2. But what is stopping W from being in the class 3 with S?

NVM, I realized I misread the problem.