LG Game 1 Setup, by LSATHacks
This is an explanation of the first logic game from Section III of LSAT Preptest 76, the October 2015 LSAT.
A detective is trying to determine the recruitment sequence of seven criminal accomplices: Peters, Quinn, Rovero, Stanton, Tao, Villas, and White (P, Q, R, S, T, V, W). You must determine the possible orders of recruitment according to the information gathered by the detective.
Game Setup
Time on second attempt: 4:26
See “repeating games” at bottom of section
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This is a linear game. There aren’t really any upfront deductions, which is common for most modern logic games.
It’s best to start by drawing the easiest, most unambiguous rules. The last rule says that Peters goes fourth:
That cleanly cuts the diagram into two blocs of three spaces on either side of Peters. Drawing this kind of rule helps you visualize how the other elements can be placed.
The rest of the rules are very standard. If any of these rule types are new to you, then this is a good game to repeat as these rules come up frequently in linear games.
Here are the remaining rules
Note that the main restriction in this game is spacing. VW requires two spaces. And some questions add a new rule that makes another block of 2-3 variables.
It’s difficult to place blocks of two people. Some questions will force VW to go on one side of Peters because the question fills up the other side.
As for where to draw these diagrams, I put the main diagram on the second page, just underneath the questions. I put the numbered rules just to the right of the diagram. Then I leave everything untouched – this makes it easy to refer back to all the rules. I draw new diagrams beside the questions instead of touching the main one.
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Repeating Games
I’ve written elsewhere about the benefits of repeating games, to solidify your intuition for deductions. Note that the purpose of repeating games is to prove the answers right, so it doesn’t matter if you remember the right answer.
I repeated this game about three days after I first saw it, by which time I had forgotten the answers. I’ve written how long it took me on the second attempt. That time, or a couple minutes above it, is roughly the standard you should be aspiring to – a lot of people take 8-9 minutes on a repeat attempt, get everything right, and pat themselves on the back. But that’s too slow. The faster you go when repeating, the faster you’ll learn to go the first time you see a game.
(I say “a couple minutes above” my time because, after years of teaching the LSAT, I’m really, really fast. You should be almost as fast as me, but you don’t exactly need to match my pace to score -0.)
Time on second attempt: 4:26
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