Page 3-28, game #5 Logic Games

[lexigibbs]

I am having trouble with a general question about the logic games. Once I make my diagram which I have become decent at doing, I move onto question 1 which is usually fairly easy since the diagram has just been drawn. I have been running into problems once I move onto further questions that begin to include new information. I am confused if I am supposed to add the information into my initial diagram and i am confused if for example question 3 introduces new information do I use that new information for further questions or once the question is over so is that information? Another question I have is whether or not the initial rules stay the same for each question. For example on page 3-28, game #5 questions 14-18 all of these questions introduce new information which is having me hit a brick wall because I am having trouble processing whether or not to add this information into the initial diagram, whether or not the information in the given questions is still in effect for the question following it and if the initial rules are still in effect even if one of the questions alters the rule. If it does alter the rule I do not understand what to do with the information that is being altered and changed.

I hope you can help I am desperate !!

Lexi

[Shannon Parker]

Hey Lexi,

Don't worry, this is going to be a simple fix and then you'll be on your way to crushing logic games in no time.

The first step is to make a great initial diagram, illustrating all of the rules. It sounds like you are already doing this but just to recap, you want to make sure that you cover all of your "not rules" and your blocks, as well as any variables that absolutely have to go into one or two specific slots. Once you have made your initial diagram you do not touch it again. Those rules carry over throughout all of the questions pertaining to that game, unless a specific question tells you to suppose that a specific rule does not exist.

Then you move on to the questions. Some questions are global and you do not have to add any new rules, and you can answer them off of your main diagram. The more difficult questions will give you new rules, or propose a hypothetical such as, "if E goes first, then which of the following cannot be true?" These specific rules, or hypotheticals apply only to that question and are not to be applied to future questions. You should never add or erase anything to your initial diagram, it wastes time and can get very confusing. Instead you should draw a small diagram next to the specific question to which it applies. Then when you have answered the question simply move on.

I said that the specific rules only apply to the questions in which they are asked, and this is true, however, you never want to erase any work you have done on any of these questions as LSAT authors have a trick that they like to use to see which test takers are paying attention. Frequently authors will ask a question in the hypothetical form i used above, "if E goes first, then which of the following cannot be true?" and it will be answered by the work that you did for a previous question.

I hope this clears up any concern over how to use the diagrams for the games. Let us know if you have any more questions.

~Shannon