Complete Guide to LSAT Logical Reasoning: Master All Question Types

So you want to master Logical Reasoning? Good choice. It makes up 2/3 of your LSAT score, so improvement on this section is the most rewarding.

Here's the thing about Logical Reasoning: most students think it's solely about being "logical." However, it's also about understanding exactly what the LSAT thinks is logical, which sometimes defies what you typically would think of logic. Think of it as learning a very specific dialect of reasoning - LSAT-speak, if you will.

The 13 Question Types (Yes, You Need to Know Them All)

Before we dive in, let's get one thing straight: if you're trying to wing it without knowing question types, you're basically playing LSAT roulette. Here are the 13 types you'll encounter, ranked by how often they appear.:

The "Big 5" - Your Bread and Butter

Assumption Questions: "Which of the following is an assumption..." (Translation: What did the author forget to mention?)
Strengthen Questions: "Which of the following strengthens..." (Find something that supports the argument)
Weaken Questions: "Which of the following weakens..." (Find something that harms the argument)
Inference Questions: "Which of the following can be concluded..." (What MUST be true?)
Flaw Questions: "The argument is flawed because..." (What went wrong here?)

The "Tricky 4" - Proceed with Caution

Parallel Reasoning: Find the argument with the same logical structure (but different content)
Principle Questions: Apply or identify broad rules
Evaluation Questions: What additional information would help?
Paradox/Explain Questions: Resolve the apparent contradiction

The "Miscellaneous 4" - Show Up Occasionally

Main Point: What's the conclusion?
Role/Function: How does this statement function in the argument?
Parallel Flaw: Find the argument with the same error, sometimes with a different structure
Method of Reasoning: How does the author argue?

The Universal LR Strategy (Works for Every Question)

Step 1: Read the Stimulus

Starting off, your goal is to have a complete understanding of what the passage is saying. Don't skip over any words, don't fill in the argument with your own assumptions, just read through the argument, and store what you understood into your short term memory.

Don't just read words. Hunt for:

The Conclusion: What is the author trying to prove? (Look for words like "therefore," "thus," "so")
The Evidence: What reasons support the conclusion?
The Gap: What's missing between evidence and conclusion?

Pro tip: Most arguments have obvious gaps. The LSAT isn't trying to be sneaky here - they want you to find the gap so you can exploit it.

With some questions, especially assumption or flaw questions, you'll be able to predict what the question and answer would look like based on what you just read. Don't worry if this doesn't come to you right away, this typically builds up from experience with doing questions. However, once you master this, you'll get through sections a lot easier.

Step 2: Read the Question

Read the question carefully, and make sure to correctly identify the question type. Getting mixed up and misidentifying the question type can be harmful, as the approach you take should vary depending on the question type. This is especially important to keep note of with assumption questions (you can learn the difference between necessary and sufficient assumption question stems on the "lessons" tab of the platform).

Step 3: Approach The Answer Choices Carefully

This is where most students go wrong. They read the stimulus, form a reasonable prediciton, then get lost in the answer choices.

Instead, go into the answer choices with your prediciton solified, don't let any answer choices throw you off, and skim through them to find an answer choice that matches your prediciton closest. If you don't have a prediction, you can approach the answer choices based on your analysis/understanding of the passage, without letting info from the answer choices seep into your understanding of the stimulus, it can have confusing/contradictory info (remember, 4 answer choices are wrong).

From there, you can double check your answer to make sure it makes sense, and quickly double check the other answer choices to make sure they're wrong (but don't take too long to double check, that could lead to wasted time and affect your pacing.)

The Takeaway

Logical Reasoning doesn't rely on being naturally logical. It's about learning patterns, reading carefully, recognizing question types, and applying the right strategy at the right time.

Think of this guide as your roadmap. You still need to put in the miles, but at least now you know where you're going. And hey, if you get lost along the way, that's what we're here for.

Ready to Put This Into Practice?

This guide gives you the framework, but mastering LR takes personalized practice and feedback. Want to see these strategies in action and get help with your specific challenges?

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