Welcome to the world of arguments: Logical Reasoning.
In this brief lesson, we'll:
- Introduce you to the LR section and its anatomy
- Discuss pending changes to the test and how they affect LR
- Run through some dos and don'ts
Section Overview
Logical Reasoning is comprised of 24-26 brief passages and a corresponding question.
Passages commonly contain arguments, but not always, and questions tend to increase in difficulty as you progress through the section.
Your job is to comprehend the passage and the question, and then to find the right answer.
LR's Impact and Pending Test Changes
Currently, each test has one scored Logical Reasoning section accounting for roughly one third of your overall score. Starting with the August 2024 LSAT, each test will have two scored LR sections, effectively doubling its impact on your overall score.
That might feel a little intimidating at first, but Logical Reasoning is as perfectible as the rest of the LSAT. Each question falls pretty neatly into a given category with a prescribed method of attack.
As in all things LSAT, practice makes perfect.
General Advice
Here's some high-level advice you can take with you into your LR practice.
Do
- Practice with official LSAT questions
- Read carefully and react to what you read
- Learn to identify conclusions and evidence
- Understand how to attack each question type
- Predict whenever possible
- Practice rephrasing complicated language into you-friendly English
- Stick to the words on the page
- Bubble in answers to remaining questions at the 5-minute warning
Don't
- Read the question before the passage
- Skim the passage
- Skip over answer choices
- Give ground to wrong answers
- Use outside knowledge to answer the question
- Panic—you've got this!
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That's the quick and dirty on LSAT Logical Reasoning. I'll see you in our next lesson where we discuss how to walk the path to perfection in LR.