LSAT 77, Logic Game 2, Question 11, LSATHacks

LG Game 2 Question 11 Explanation, by LSATHacks

This is a tricky question. I first skipped it, and finished question 12. I then used the diagram from question 12 as well as other past diagrams to eliminate answers. That may actually have been the most efficient approach. I often skip a single question and then come back, better prepared.

(I did figure out how to solve this question by logic alone. To see that, skip down to the bottom of the explanation. The main explanation is intended as an example of how to intelligently brute force a question.)

This was the diagram from question 12; see that explanation for a walkthrough of how I built it. In this diagram, O, S and P fill the first three slots, and one of L/M or V will fill slot four. So since we don’t need V in this diagram, E is wrong:

That diagram was based on the constraints of question 12, which forced R to be placed. But for this question, R doesn’t have to be in. So I saw that, on the diagram above, we could swap R for either one of L/M or V. So D is wrong.

(It’s very useful to take a diagram you know is correct, and make a single, allowable change to disprove an answer)

I then looked at this diagram from question 8:

It shows that we don’t need P. So C is wrong.

The correct answer to question 6, E, shows that we don’t need N. So A is wrong.

So by process of elimination, B is CORRECT. 

I only figured out the reason for this afterwards. The game needs 6 out of 8 bowls. We already are missing one of L and M. And if O is out, then P is out (rule 2). That means three bowls are out, which is too many. (By this logic, S could also have been the correct answer – P needs both S and O.)

Obviously, figuring out the logic above would be the fastest way to solve the question. But it’s not fatal if you don’t see it. It’s quite fast to eliminate answers using past scenarios. If you’re slow at it, practice! It’s something you can learn to be much faster at. Repeating games and drilling how fast you can prove answers is a helpful exercise.