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For those of you on the PT 55 BR call -- sorry it took me so long to get this up, but below are my notes on Principle questions and subtypes. Please let me know if you have any comments or questions! Hope this helps.

Principle/SA Questions and Subtypes

Sufficient Assumption, Pseudo Sufficient Assumption, Conform to the Principle, and Principle Example are all closely interlinked question types. (And are also closely related to Strengthen questions). However, there are specific tasks demanded by each. The below descriptions are a loose guide to how each of these questions function on the LSAT.

1. Sufficient Assumption

-Supply additional premises/assumptions to make the argument valid. Will directly link up with some premise/assumption in the argument to make the argument “airtight.” The correct answer must always enable us to reach the conclusion given in the stimulus.

Question stem: “Which one of the following, if true, enables the economist’s conclusion to be properly drawn?”

Specific ——> Specific

Stimulus (specific situation):

Jamal will not go to the store if Greg buys apples today and the canned soup isn’t expired. The canned soup isn’t expired. Therefore, Jamal will not go to the store today.

Answer choice (specific premise):

At some point today, Greg will buy apples.

2. Pseudo Sufficient Assumption

-Typically given a concrete situation and are asked to supply a “blanket” principle that would allow the conclusion to be properly drawn (although maybe not as airtight as with SA)

-Sometimes, albeit rarely, PSA questions are more like a strengthen/PSA hybrid — we are asked to supply a blanket principle that “most strongly supports”

-As with sufficient assumption questions, the answer choice may be more expansive than it needs to be in order to properly arrive at the conclusion.

Question stem: “Which one of the following principles, if valid, most helps to justify the reasoning above?”

Specific ——-> Abstract

Stimulus (specific situation):

Sally knew that John wanted the last slice of cake, but she ate it anyway. Therefore, Sally’s action was morally wrong.

Answer choice (abstract principle):

A human action is morally wrong if that action denies any person of a desire that could have been fulfilled had the action not been taken.

3. Conform to the Principle

-Given specific situation in the stimulus and must choose a correct answer that states an abstract principle the information in the stimulus matches.

-Very similar to Parallel Reasoning question — you are given a situation and must “match” that situation to the abstract thinking that underlies its reasoning

-More so than with PSA questions, it’s very important for every element of the correct answer to be descriptively accurate. Why? With PSA/SA questions, you are trying to get to the conclusion by any means necessary — this means that they could, in theory, give you a correct answer choice that is way more generous than necessary to arrive at the conclusion. But in Conform to the Principle questions, you are trying to sketch out the speaker’s reasoning in exact, even if abstract, terms. Extraneous information that doesn’t match the speaker’s specific reasoning in the stimulus should be approached with caution.

-PT52, Section 3, Question 11 provides an apt example of this. Answer choice D) provides enough information to arrive at the conclusion set forth in the argument. However, it is incorrect because it does not do so by using the premises the speaker uses in her reasoning. Therefore, answer choice B) is a far more appealing answer choice.

Question stem: “The reasoning above most closely conforms to which one of the following principles?”

Specific ——> Abstract

Stimulus (specific situation):

Controlled burning of forests in the area may be beneficial for rejuvenating the soil and lessening the impact of natural fires. However, we still don’t know the consequences controlled burning might have on the wildlife in the area. Since we have an obligation to protect the wildlife in the area at all costs, we should not implement controlled burning at this time.

Answer (abstract principle):

If it is not known how a proposed action might effect something one is obligated to protect, then that course of action is impermissible.

4. Apply the Principle

-Given an abstract principle and must choose a correct answer choice that is a specific example of that principle

-This is basically an application of the principle — you must follow the conditional logic and/or reasoning of the principle exactly (again, similar to parallel reasoning questions in this regard).

Abstract —-> Specific

Question stem: “Of the following, which one most closely conforms to the principle that the passage illustrates?”

Stimulus (abstract principle):

A person is morally right only if their intentions are good and they do no harm.

Answer choice (specific situation):

Clarissa told Murat that his paper on the War of 1812 was factually inaccurate because she intended to help him improve the paper and receive a better grade. Despite these good intentions, Murat was hurt by her critique. Therefore, it cannot be said that Clarissa’s actions were morally right.

5. Violate the Principle

-Given an abstract principle and must choose a correct answer choice that is a specific violation of that principle (most often, violates the conditional logic given in the principle)

-Very important to know how to violate/contradict a conditional statement

Abstract ——-> Specific

Question stem: “Which one of the following actions most clearly violates the principle stated?”

Stimulus (abstract principle):

One should never lie to another person unless one thinks that doing so would be in the interest of that other person.

Answer choice (specific violation):

Carlos lied when he told Alex that he couldn’t come to his birthday party because he had to work that evening. However, Carlos had no opinion on whether this lie would advantageous to Alex; he simply lied because he needed an excuse.

I'm wondering if anyone can give me some advice as to what I can do, and what my chances are of success at this point. I wrote the September LSAT, and while awaiting my score I had a bad feeling that I didn't perform as well as my PTs. I emailed LSAC wondering if I registered for December in advance (to ensure a seat at the seating closest to where I live) if I could receive a full refund if I liked my September score (similar to what is happening for December/February takers). I was told no, but I can register late and request a refund for the late fee, and a refund request form was attached to the email. I got my score back and it was a 167, lower than any of my PTs and much lower than my average. Right away I registered for December LSAT, and a few days later requested a refund for the late registration fee (filled out the form, and explicitly asked in the email for a refund just for late registration portion). Just an hour ago I noticed that instead of refunding my late registration fee, they gave me a partial refund for registration and canceled my registration. I looked closer and apparently the form they sent me was only for asking for partial refunds (which I kind of already knew but since mine was an unusual refund request, I assumed they just didn't have a document for it, which is why I explicitly stated I wanted a refund for late fee). And so now I'm stuck not registered, and am wondering if I call tomorrow what my chances are that they rectify this problem. I want to apply for this admission cycle and know I can do much better than a 167, so I'd be devastated if I have to take a year off to allow me to rewrite LSAT. My dream is Harvard, so a 167 will likely not cut it in combination with my 3.85.

After the September LSAT and studying independently for three months I was extremely discouraged when I received my scores and knew I could not get into the schools I wanted with the performance I showed. However, I did notice after reviewing my exam that I completely tanked on Logical Reasoning (getting only 8-10 right in both sections). With Logical Reasoning counting for two of the sections on the exam I am hoping with being enrolled with 7Sage I will be ready to tackle Logical Reasoning that will significantly improve my score. Is this a pretty valid assumption or am I reaching for the stars on this one? Please help. Trying not to become too discouraged before the December exam since this is my last shot.

Hi,

I just received "final notice" about the photo...

Does this happen to you?

Is there some problem in my photo?

Why do I keep receiving the emails?

I deleted the background using the Photoshop, would this be bad?

For everyone applying, I just read this article and thought it would be interesting to share =)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/581fcf1ee4b044f827a78fa2

Dear 7sagers

Is there any way of obtaining the September LSAT (paper copy or an electronic document)? I can't seem to find it anywhere.

Thanks,

Piotr

Was this LSAT never released?

So I have been doing a lot of timed problem sets and I noticed that I do better if I take longer than 1 min 20 seconds per question. At the same time, I want to be doing these questions as fast as possible. When doing these problem sets, should I sacrifice the speed in which I answer these questions in order to answer the questions more accurately?

I was wondering if anyone could go over my resume before I send out my applications. I had issues putting everything together mainly because I don't have any law experience. I worked as a bartender and server for years to pay off debt as well as saving up for law school. I tried my best to list functions and responsibilities of my jobs that could relate to the characteristics needed to become a lawyer.

Hi everyone,

I need some help on a few LR questions:

52.3.7: I initially chose B for this question because I assumed moving the tongue related to motor control process, but I understand that isn't necessarily true. Why is A the correct answer?

53.3.8: I had a hard time choosing between A and C. What makes C wreck the argument?

53.3.13: I chose A because of the phrases "nearly perfectly engineered" and the other four choices had very similar reasoning to the stimuli. Why is the correct choice B?

54.4.9: I don't understand what the stimuli is arguing, but I understand that A helps support the point-reasoning relationship.

Hey there, folks! As I'm finally gearing up to send out my applications (fingers crossed!), I'd like some quick info on how to handle my social medias. Things like inappropriate pictures aren't a problem for me, but I was wondering about other small things which I ought to be showing/am better off leaving hidden or set to private.

Hopefully many 7sagers could benefit from this as well. For a couple specific questions to get things kicked off: I have a twitter, but I almost never tweet. When I do, it's almost always sports related as I'm a huge college football fan. There's no profanity or anything like that which would make it inappropriate, though. Keep it set to private? I'm about to graduate with my undergrad and I'm also engaged. Is this some info that I should display or am I better off having those things set to private? Does it matter?

So, assuming this hasn't been done before or there's no thread out there currently, what are some questions other people have and can anyone assist with some answers? What are some good tips? Really appreciate any and all discussion in advance!

The complex LG is hard to overcome. I can only understand 3 of 4 questions,generally, and only get 12-14 correct. Is someone can give me some suggestions? Thank you

Hey everyone! I was curious to know if any of you guys used goal setting techniques or methods that help you stay accountable and track your LSAT progress. I was thinking of writing my own goals to see if that helped me stay on top of my studying since I've fallen behind a little bit. Also, I feel it would also help with setting smaller target scores that you can work your way up to which also indicates progress. @"Alex Divine" I know you've mentioned setting goals here before. Any suggestions from anyone would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Hey guys quick question, is /J (-) L the same thing as J (-) /L?

Could you explain why they are/are not the same please!

Thanks

As it is disclosed to the Sept. test takers, would anyone be interested in BRing the September 2016 LSAT with me this week?

Hey yall,

I've been consistently drilling,practice examining and blind reviewing. My latest scores have been 160,161, 158, and 159. On the actual exam that I will be taking I would like to score 165, but realistically not sure if I can reach that score by December fourth. I would at least like to score "160" and not in the 150's range. Any tips from now to December to achieve that goal? I also plan on taking the exam on February.

What are some ways you can prepare yourself for the "shock and awe" of the actual test? A lot of people do great on practice tests, routinely scoring about where they want to be... and then get into the testing center and forget everything they ever learned. What are some ways we can get ready for the pressure, hormones, and emotions of test day?

For example:

Would it help to time each questions with a stop watch?

Would it help to set some artificial consequences for failure (like, "Get 8 out 10 questions right in 10 minutes or else you have to clean the refrigerator")?

Would it help to have somebody else hover over you and time you?

Hi all,

Can I include my position with the Public Defender's Office on my resume even though it was around my senior year of high school? I like putting this position down because it shows interest in the law at a relatively early time (and affirms my narrative that I've been interested in pursuing this field for a long time) but I understand that high school-related experience is really not something we should be putting down.

Also, are resume's for law schools really only supposed to be one page in length?

Thank you all in advance!

I am having a weird problem where I get the details in the passage correct but then I miss the MP questions. I am usually good with the harder RC passages but if I mess up, it is usually with the MP questions. Solutions?

It's that time of year again :)

Does anyone have a used180Watch that they'd be willing to sell at a discounted rate? I am also definitely interested in any other watch that has start/stop and reset buttons. If anyone has used an analog timer and knows they're acceptable in the exam, I would even be happy with that!

Please PM me if you've got one you could sell!

Hello 7Sagers,

I am in the process of completing the core curriculum and i had a question about the LR portion of the circular. I am memorizing universal indicators, valid arguments , invalid arguments, and some and more relationships. My question is how does this apply? I know that i need to know this so that i can understand all of the harder questions. However, should i be applying this knowledge to all questions on the LR portion of the LSAT? Am i supposed to read each stimulus looking for these things ? I am just trying to be sure how i should be putting this together.

For example :

1. step one - memorize everything JY is talking about ( indicators, sufficient & necessary structures)

2. Step two??

I feel this is a tedious way of reading a stimulus , but is this how you would do a close reading?? Just wondering how i should apply these things and how they come together.

So, really I just want to pat myself on the back. It's really not that much to brag about, but after a month or so of my PT scores being stuck around 160, today my score jumped to a 166! And, that's with only finishing 3 logic games (better than I've ever done, LG is my worst section) and doing worse on the LR sections than I normally do!

All of that to say - don't give up. I had almost given up on reaching a 170, but now it doesn't seem all that unattainable. I know I have a lot of work to do, but just focus on the things that are tripping you up and be diligent with taking PTs and BR!

Anyway, I'm having a good day :)

And, thanks, 7Sage <3

which practice tests in the 70s should I take between now and the December test? any ideas? will taking about 6 of them be enough before the test? I have to take the december test.

Hey guys/or anyone from the admin staff,

Not seeing the 'not saving results' button by accident, I scored two full tests on analytics when I only did a section from each test. So everytime I login, I see scores of 121, and 122, which is really annoying haha. Does anyone know how to erase this? I can't figure it out myself! Thank you :)