When I first started logic games, making inferences looked like some sort of voo doo that I would never quite get. I brute forced games that should have been split, I tried to split games that had way too many possibilities and ran out of time because I was trying to make 6 game boards. I have often forgotten to circle the floater or even think about how it can help answer questions or make inferences. If this sounds like you, I am writing this post primarily for you.
Understanding the power of the floater is helpful for multiple situations:
You are learning logic games and having trouble seeing inferences
You didn’t split the game or the game is open ended
You are looking at a question and don’t see any obvious inferences, so you trying to brute force the answer choices. Understanding the power of the floater will help you be smarter about which answer choices to test.
Here is how the floater (s) can help you:
You have a “ Could be True” question
Sequencing Example: Who could be the 4th person in line? Because your floater should be able to go anywhere, if you see the floater as one of your answer choices, try placing the floater in that 4th position first in a mini diagram and see if it works.
In and Out Game: If you have a true floater, it should be able to go into either the In or Out group. So, if you have a question asking you which variable can go into the In Group and you see your floater showing up as an answer choice, this should be the first answer choice you try.
Grouping: Your floater should be able to go into any group so if you have a question asking you which variable could go into Group C, try your floater first.
You have Must be true question:
Sequencing Example: If you see your floater listed in the answer choices, Eliminate, you know that your floater can go in more positions than just 4th position for example, because there is no rules attached to it.
In and Out Game:
If you have a true floater it should be able to go into either of the groups. If you see your floater in the answer choices, don’t check it.
Grouping Game:
Your floater doesn’t have to be in any specific group, eliminate any answer choice regarding this.
You have a Must be False Question:
Sequencing Example: Who can’t be the 4th person in line?
If you see the floater in one of the answer choices, this should be the last answer choice you try. Remember, your floater should be able to go anywhere so it is highly unlikely the answer to the question, unless it has been eliminated by another rule such a large block or sequencing chain.
In and Out Game:
If you have a floater it should be able to go into either group so if the question is asking who can’t go into the In group, you should skip checking any answer choices involving your floater.
Grouping:
Your floater should be able to go into any group so don’t check any answer choices involving your floater for a question stem that asks you something like who can’t go into Group C?
You have a hypothetical question where your floater has been placed
Sequencing example: If H is 4th, what must be true?
Since H was your floater and has now been placed, do you have any large blocks or variables that can’t go together? Check to see if placing your floater has now limited the block (s) or variables that need to be seperated.
In and Out Game:
You have a limited number of variables so when something has been placed it limits the possibility of other variables. This is particularly true in In and Out Games with limited distribution possibilities. For example, if you have a game where you can have a max of three variable in the In Group, you already had a variable in the In Group and now you have placed your floater into the In Group, you know that your block can’t go into the In Group because you only have one spot left.
As a second example, you have placed your floater into the Out Group which is now full, you now know that all of other variables which haven’t been placed yet are now in the Out Group.
Grouping Game:
If the groups are open ended placing your variable may not help you much but if you have a game with limited distribution and restrictive rules, than the floater may just be the key to the inference the question wants you to make.
For example: You have 3 groups A, B, C Each Group can have a maximum of two variables. You have just placed your floater into Group A, and Group A is now full because another variable had already been placed into it based on another rule. You know that you need to seperate R and S. R has been placed into Group B. This pushes out the inference that S must be placed into Group 3.
You have a hypothetical question involving a large block or variables that need to be seperated
Sequencing example: A question like this may severely limit the possibilities of your floater. This is particularly true when considered in conjunction with other rules of the game like blocks, variables that can’t go together or sequences. For a question like this, create a mini diagram and place your large block or variables. Check out how this impacts other variables in the game. Chances are that your floater is now restricted. While, this won’t always turn out to be the answer choice itself, noticing this can help you find the inference the question is asking you about.
In and Out Game:
If there is a limited number of positions, this makes it harder to separate variables that can’t go together. When you seperate variables that can’t go together or place variables that have to go together, your possibilities to distribute the remaining variables may become severely more limited.
Grouping Game:
If you have placed variables that need to go together or separated variables that can’t go together, your floater likely has more limited distribution possibilities, especially if your groups have limited distribution possibilities.
You have more than one floater:
Your floaters are interchangeable. If C and T are your floaters these are essentially the same answer choice.
If you have any question that you see both your floaters show up as answer choices, you can eliminate both answer choices. There is only one right answer.
You are very welcome! And thank you so much for the nice compliments, they really made my day. It has taken a long time to feel like I have this kind of understanding of the test. When I started studying one of the most frustrating parts was that I could watch explanation videos and I could listen to someone explain each answer choice but I still felt like I was missing the behind the scenes approach- like I wanted to see what high scorers were thinking as the processed the stimulus, did they go straight to the answer choices or had they processed any kind of prediction? How did they choose to diagram or skip a question for example.
As I have studied further I have become a firm believer that the answer is in the stimulus. As in when you are reading the stimulus if you are reading a fact set ( like in must be true, or resolve reconcile explain) you should be simplifying each sentence as you are reading, and pushing it together and figuring out what inferences you can push and what conclusions you might be able to make. For an argument on the other hand you should be reading critically, accepting premises as true but making a mental objection or two as you are reading the conclusion. And then based on the question stem, you decide what to do with the inferences or objections you have found. If you were answering a strengthening question you would be blocking the objection or if you were looking at a resolve reconcile explain question you want to have a strong idea of what the paradox is before ever looking at the answer choices. Approaching the stimulus this way helps you begin to see patterns even before you know the names for them.
And maybe not all people who have or do score nicely on the LSAT like to help others or are willing to explain their viewpoint, but I have personally found 7Sage to have some wonderful people who are willing to do so. Keep asking questions- the community here is really amazing!