Lsat Preptest 01, Analytical Game 04: June 1991

In this LSAT logic game a railway company has three lines. The company prints three sets of tickets for January and three sets of tickets for February. The challenge of the test taker is to place the correct colored tickets in the correct sets.

As a preliminary matter the test taker must determine what type of LSAT logic game she is asked to solve. Logic games fall under four broad categories: 1) sequential; 2) grouping; 3) sequential game with grouping aspects; and 4) grouping game with sequential aspects. When the test taker is faced with a grouping game the test taker must quickly ascertain whether the grouping game has any sequential aspects or dual grouping aspects.

A dual grouping aspect mainly occurs where 1) some variables occur in a group and some variables do not occur in a group; and 2) those variables that occur in a group have a distinguishing characteristic, such as a color.

Once the test taker has determined the type of LSAT logic game that she is asked to solve, the test taker must then decide which solution strategy to employ. Four basic solution strategies are listed as follows in order of solution preference: 1) wholly solved scenarios; 2) intuitively solved scenarios; 3) scenario templates; and 4) nuts and bolts.

A wholly solved scenarios solution strategy occurs when the rules of the logic game allow for the creation of scenarios that show every permutation of the variables and/or groups in the logic game. The test taker employs various distribution strategies and is generally able to create anywhere from four to twelve scenarios. The scenarios are said to be wholly solved due to the fact that there are simply no other possible variations of variables and/or groups in the logic game.

As always the test taker should utilize the hierarchy of rules to solve the scenarios. A first order rule is given where the January line tickets for line 2 are purple. Thus, the test taker should place said variable immediately. The test taker is also given a first order rule where G must be placed in the third line. The test taker should create two worlds, with the G alternating between January and February.

At this point the test taker is in a chain reaction distribution due to the fact that there are a limited number of possibilities that can occur due to the limited number of colors of each line. The test taker should consider the February line as the rules limit said line to the colors of red, yellow and green. In the first world R can only occur in two spots as Green has taken up line three. Thus, the test taker has solved the scenarios in the first world with regard to February.

With regard to the second world the test taker has wholly solved the January scenarios as P is placed in the second line and G is placed in the third line. The only remaining spot " the first line" must be reserved for R as stated in the rules. At this point the test taker must allow the chain reaction to take place as the scenarios are wholly solved in the first world without the need to create any additional scenarios. With regard to the second world the test taker should begin by applying red as it can only occur in two spots. Once red is placed the test taker is merely concerned with yellow and green. The test taker creates a total of four scenarios for the second world.

The test taker ends up with a total of six wholly solved scenarios and is able to answer the questions with ease.