Diagramming and Hypotheticals

[Mark83]

Hi there. I tend to use hypotheticals when answering each question. It is time-consuming but helps me visualize the elements of the game better. It becomes problematic however when the base contains 7+ variables. Is there a trick or faster way to place each hypothetical rather than writing out 1-9 for each question? Would reusing the same base a couple of times help? Or do I have to figure out a way to manipulate the information in my mind without drawing a hypothetical? Thanks.

[Daniel Stern]

Hi Mark:

I don't think there is a trick to writing out the hypotheticals more quickly, but I do want to make sure you are using all of the information that the LSAT gives you: if you use everything they've given you, maybe you can eliminate some answers without writing out every hypothetical.

For instance, if the game includes a "Global List" question, then the correct answer gives you one complete valid response to the game. You should be able to use that correct answer choice to more quickly answer some of the other questions. A very straightforward example would be if, after the Global List question, you have a Global question that asks, "Which order of the elements must be false?" If you see an answer that includes the valid order from your List question, you know that answer is wrong.

Additionally, if you've drawn a mini diagram to answer a "Local" question that has added an additional rule -- and as long as the stem did not suspend any of the original rules -- you have diagrammed another valid way to fill in the game.

Thus, when you come to a question where you think you are going to have to draw out hypotheticals for each answer choice, scan the information you already have -- your correct answer to your global list question, and your mini-diagrams that you've already made to answer local questions -- to make sure that you don't already have a diagram that gives you the information you need.

Hope that helps, good luck with your studies!

Dan

[Mark83]

Hi Mark:

I don't think there is a trick to writing out the hypotheticals more quickly, but I do want to make sure you are using all of the information that the LSAT gives you: if you use everything they've given you, maybe you can eliminate some answers without writing out every hypothetical.

For instance, if the game includes a "Global List" question, then the correct answer gives you one complete valid response to the game. You should be able to use that correct answer choice to more quickly answer some of the other questions. A very straightforward example would be if, after the Global List question, you have a Global question that asks, "Which order of the elements must be false?" If you see an answer that includes the valid order from your List question, you know that answer is wrong.

Additionally, if you've drawn a mini diagram to answer a "Local" question that has added an additional rule -- and as long as the stem did not suspend any of the original rules -- you have diagrammed another valid way to fill in the game.

Thus, when you come to a question where you think you are going to have to draw out hypotheticals for each answer choice, scan the information you already have -- your correct answer to your global list question, and your mini-diagrams that you've already made to answer local questions -- to make sure that you don't already have a diagram that gives you the information you need.

Hope that helps, good luck with your studies!

Dan

Thanks, Dan. This is really helpful. I don't draw hypothetical for every possible combination but I'll usually start out with one just to get a visual of how all the pieces fit or could fit in the game. Usually it's only problematic both for space and time when there's something like 8-10 slots to write out.

[Margo]

Hi Mark:

I don't think there is a trick to writing out the hypotheticals more quickly, but I do want to make sure you are using all of the information that the LSAT gives you: if you use everything they've given you, maybe you can eliminate some answers without writing out every hypothetical.

For instance, if the game includes a "Global List" question, then the correct answer gives you one complete valid response to the game. You should be able to use that correct answer choice to more quickly answer some of the other questions. A very straightforward example would be if, after the Global List question, you have a Global question that asks, "Which order of the elements must be false?" If you see an answer that includes the valid order from your List question, you know that answer is wrong.

Additionally, if you've drawn a mini diagram to answer a "Local" question that has added an additional rule -- and as long as the stem did not suspend any of the original rules -- you have diagrammed another valid way to fill in the game.

Thus, when you come to a question where you think you are going to have to draw out hypotheticals for each answer choice, scan the information you already have -- your correct answer to your global list question, and your mini-diagrams that you've already made to answer local questions -- to make sure that you don't already have a diagram that gives you the information you need.

Hope that helps, good luck with your studies!

Dan

Hi!
I have a similar issue to Mark so I'm just adding on here. I find that I'm having trouble getting thru all of the logic games--I normally get thru only 2 and a half out of the four logic games. I think part of this is because I have a hard time visualizing the different scenarios in my head and like to put them on paper--but this takes time. My question is, do you recommend only doing the "mini-diagrams" for the "local" questions? Am I wasting my time by making mini-diagrams for the answer choices in global questions? e.g. If I'm having trouble figuring out what "must be false" in a global question after scanning the information I already have, I sometimes jot down mini-diagrams for the different answer choices to see what doesn't work.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Jonathan Evans]

Hi, Margo,

Absolutely keep putting your work on paper. Trying to ponder things in your head will likely take up more time and can lead to additional errors.

However, be systematic about your diagramming. Get the global information down in your primary diagram. Make deducutions as possible, but don't spin your wheels needlessly. Sometimes when I am having trouble grasping the mechanics of the game, I'll work through a hypothetical scenario as part of my initial work just to see how everything operates. Sometimes this leads me to an deduction or two. Sometimes this leads me nowhere. The bottom line is I'm keeping my pencil moving in an effort to understand the game.

When you're working on a local question, do make your mini diagram. To be more efficient, you can check at certain intervals to see whether you've found the right answer. In other words, if it's a Must Be True question, when you discover something important, like V must be in position 4, you can check the answer choices to see whether you've got it. If it's not there, you can get back to work with your diagram to discover something else.

You might consider prioritizing the local questions before the global questions (except for Global-List, which should always go first). In other words, work through the hypotheticals of the local questions to see what happens in the game. You'll have lots of opportunities to see how variables interact with each other, what the implications of rules are, etc.

When you do the global questions, think first about any big observations you might have made. Were there any big inferences you noticed up front or as you work through the questions? Often these deductions are tested on global questions. If you make the connection between a deduction you made and a global question, you can sometimes go directly to the right answer. Even if you can't get directly to the correct answer, you might be able to use your observations to rule out a couple possibilities so that you have fewer answer choices to consider.

I do encourage you to keep diagramming on global questions, but as discussed above, just try to be strategic about it. Look at the answer choices and see which one you might want to consider first. Which ones do you think are unlikely to be correct? Which ones can you rule out up front? Pick the answer that looks like it's most likely to be correct. Diagram it out to verify whether it's correct or not. If it is correct, you will discover this through your diagram. Even though you're doing a diagram, you're being efficient. You're working in a directed fashion and not just cycling through option after option.

Sometimes you'll get stuck on a killer question for which you might have to consider every answer choice. If this is the case, no worries. Don't second guess yourself; just work through the possibilities. If you've been efficient elsewhere, you will have saved up enough time to be more thorough on these hard questions.

It's a game of budgeting your time; it's not all-or-nothing. I encourage you to work through each game you attempt at least one additional time as part of your review. Try to notice connections you might have missed the first time. Think about ways you could have done the game more quickly. I always learn more from games upon review. Use these lessons you learn to think strategically about similar situations you encounter in future games.

I hope this helps!

[Margo]

Absolutely keep putting your work on paper. Trying to ponder things in your head will likely take up more time and can lead to additional errors.

You might consider prioritizing the local questions before the global questions (except for Global-List, which should always go first). In other words, work through the hypotheticals of the local questions to see what happens in the game. You'll have lots of opportunities to see how variables interact with each other, what the implications of rules are, etc.

It's a game of budgeting your time; it's not all-or-nothing. I encourage you to work through each game you attempt at least one additional time as part of your review. Try to notice connections you might have missed the first time. Think about ways you could have done the game more quickly. I always learn more from games upon review. Use these lessons you learn to think strategically about similar situations you encounter in future games.

I hope this helps!

Hi,
This definitely helps! Thank you for the specific tips. I always do global-list first, but was considering prioritizing the local questions before the global questions, as you said. I find the local questions and constructing their mini-diagrams very helpful to give me a kind of handle on the situation and what's possible. Doing the local questions also sometimes gives me different possible solutions to the logic game, which can help with global questions. When I find a possible solution I like to write it down or put a star next to it to refer to when I get to the global questions, but I often run out of space on the page with all my mini-diagrams..something I have to work on!

Also, thanks for the comment about reviewing the games. I have been going back and reviewing previous logic games and I find it helpful but was worried I was being silly going over them so many times.