LSAT 60, Game 4 Setup, Travel Writers and Photographers, LSATHacks

LG Game 4 Setup, by LSATHacks

Game Setup

This is an interesting game, because it does something rare: it completely invalidates a potential scenario. To explain what I mean by that, I need to do some setup first.

Here’s the best way to draw the diagram:

You can clearly and quickly see the three countries and the two types of interns.

I started this game with the final two rules: J is in Tuscany, and K is not in Spain. J could be either a photographer or a writer, so I drew both:

Normally, when the LSAT gives you something that can only be drawn two ways, you should split the game into two scenarios. I did that on this game. But, the interesting thing here is that the second scenario doesn’t work!

To see why, let’s consider the rest of the rules, and count. Rule three says H will be a photographer’s assistant. I drew that under the diagram, to indicate that H could go anywhere (in the p column):

Rule two tells us that F and K are in different fields. That takes up one spot on each side of the diagram.

Finally, we have to place G and L. They go together, vertically, and take up two spaces. That means they can’t go with J. Because whichever side J is on already has two people: J, and one of F/K.

So in both diagrams GL go opposite J. Let’s see how that works in both diagrams:

In the second diagram, there isn’t enough space! P requires four people: H, GL, and one of F/K.

So, J must be a photographer’s assistant, in Tuscany. That’s a big deduction! GL will go in the other group.

And there’s no need to stop there. I said splitting things into two scenarios is usually helpful. Now, we can make two scenarios based on where F and K go:

Next, see what else is restricted. The main restriction is on K: they can’t go in Spain. In the first diagram, this means H must be in Spain, and K must be in Romania:

The diagram to the right is a fair bit more open ended. In fact, the writer’s group in the left diagram is also open ended. It’s important to realize that in these diagrams, the only restriction is you can’t put K in Spain. Everything else is allowed, because we covered all the other rules. That’s the power of scenarios!