I learned a subtle but crucial characteristic of necessary assumptions today, and am excited to share it with you:

Be careful when dismissing a Necessary Assumption answer on the basis of it appearing to be irrelevant to the argument in the stimulus. "Relevance" is more the domain of Sufficient Assumptions. With Necessary Assumptions, the correct answer is relevant in a structural sense, which might not jump out at you without a careful read.

In the rattlesnake question, I saw "food" and dismissed it too soon. I picked A, even though I felt uneasy about it. It felt too obvious. Perhaps a good question to ask of the answer in the NA context is not 'what does it say' but 'what does it do'.

Admin Note: https://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-30-section-2-question-22/

If so who is down for a study group? My goal score is at least a 165 or higher!

Can someone explain the reasoning behind the correct answer

Admin note: For the community to better assist you, please include PrepTest number, section number and question number in the following format:"PT#.S#.Q# - brief description of question"

How come when looking online at certain LSAT prep websites, some sites appear to incorrectly state that there are 5 sections on the LSAT including 2 logical reasoning sections and 1 unscored section? I thought that even the old version of the LSAT only had 4 sections as well, but the difference was that the double section was predetermined to be logical reasoning and now the double section differs depending on the test you take. I’ve never heard of there being an LSAT with 4 scored sections and 1 unscored… This fifth section is also not listed as the writing prompt as that is listed separately from the unscored section on these sites.

Hello all, I have been asking my friends who are in law school when to retake the lsat. They suggested I take the August 2023 exam and take the September 2023 exam as a back up. But I am worried that wouldn’t be the smartest choice to make. I work full time and try to maintain a healthy lifestyle but I’m not sure if that is the right decision to make as I have little time in between that month to study. Should I wait an additional month before retaking? Thank you!

Hello everyone! I'm taking the April LSAT this Friday, and I was wondering if anybody could share some suggestions and tips on what to do the day before/the day of the LSAT to mentally prepare or get ready. Would it be helpful to do some reviewing the day of/day before, or give myself a brain break to avoid burning out? What's a good breakfast to have the day of? Does anyone have any stress-management techniques? I want to hear any and all advice you think is worth sharing, or literally anything that you've noticed helped prepare yourself mentally, physically, emotionally, etc. for the test.

The reason why the restorers want to make an exception for De Volterra is that De Volterra removed ALL layers of paint in the sections of the paintings where he made his addition before he made these additional. This suggests: De Volterra removed not only those layers of paint that people other than Michelangelo had added but also parts of Michelangelo's works themselves. This in turn means: If De Volterra's additions were removed as well, Michelangelo's underlying painting would not be revealed. Instead, there would just be a blank piece of wall, as De Volterra already removed those sections of Michelangelo's work that were there originally.

Making an exception for De Volterra thus arguably makes sense, because even an addition made by a painter other than Michelangelo would seem better than just have a blank piece of wall in the middle of Michelangelo's painting.

I have an issue with AC A because I don't see how the argument's sub-conclusion draws from the stated claim. It seems to me that there is a need for an unstated assumption - something along the lines of "heavy industrial activity rids a region of its natural beauty". The part of the claim about dependence on natural beauty is a necessary condition for the operation of many local businesses. So, correct me if I'm wrong, but in order for the claim to be "direct" evidence for the argument's sub-conclusion, doesn't this sub-conclusion have to invoke the notion of how natural beauty would be tarnished in the presence of industrial activity? Without this notion, there could be many reasons why coal mining would force the majority of local businesses to close, one of which being (perhaps) the more lucrative or stable business opportunity of starting your own coal mine.

Also, it seems to me that the same unstated assumption mentioned above, needed (in my opinion) to classify the claim as "direct" evidence for the argument's sub-conclusion, can analogously be used to classify the claim as "direct" evidence for the argument's main conclusion: if coal mining harms natural beauty, then it seems reasonable to expect that coal mining would reduce the number of jobs since many local businesses depend on natural beauty.

Would appreciate any thoughts on this.

Admin note: https://classic.7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-87-section-3-question-20/

PT16.S3.12 – Retina Scanners

This argument deals with retina scanners, machines that scan the blood vessel patterns in people’s eyes and stores these patterns, such that the scanners can recognized previously scanned patterns. The author furthermore posits that no two eyes have identical blood pattern vessels in their retinas, which seems to suggest that any given person has at least two such patterns, one for the left eye and one for the right one. The author then infers the conclusion that “[a] retina scanner can therefore be used successfully to determine for any person whether it has ever scanned a retina of that person before.”

We are supposed to identify a necessary assumption for this argument, i.e. an assumption that must be true for the conclusion to follow from the premises. Under timed conditions, I chose (B), which posits that everyone’s left and right eyes have identical patterns. I took this to be necessary for the conclusion to follow, due to conclusion’s scope (the conclusion is about “for any PERSON who ever had a retina scanned,” not about “for any given RETINA that ever has been scanned”). However, (B) seems to be false, for at least two reasons: (1) (B) goes against the information we get in the stimulus, where we are explicitly told that no two retinas have identical patterns. (2) (B) does not seem necessary for the rest of the claim that the conclusion seeks to establish (“Retina scanners allow you to answer the question, has one of the this person’s retinas ever been scanned?”). To make (B) a necessary condition, the conclusion would have to say something like “Even if you only scanned one of this person’s two retinas beforehand but not the other, retina scanners allow you to determine whether either of this person’s retinas has ever been scanned before.” However, (B) is not necessary for the way the conclusion is actually stated; the conclusion never says that the evidence to consider for any given person is a scan of only one of their retinas, as opposed to two.

The right answer choice (A) avoids this mistake by blocking another possible objection: What if people’s retina patterns change over time? Wouldn’t this make it impossible to recognize past scans later on, contrary to the argument’s conclusion suggests? (A) blocks this possible objection by establishing: Even if people get e.g. eye sicknesses, the patterns in their retinas remain unchanged over time.

Hi fellow 7Sagers, while commenting on the September Discussion, I would be thankful if someone can explain to me why answer choice C is wrong and E is right. It would be great if you could explain to me what exactly CPUE mean in the context of the question

When I select certain tags to create a drill, the website loads for a short time, then tells me it could not make a drill based off the criteria selected. There should be enough questions in each tag to constitute a drill, so I'm unsure why this is happen. Please let me know if I am doing something incorrect or if this is a bug, thank you!

Imgur link: https://imgur.com/a/xtqTpXW

I want to try using tougher non-lsat passages to create questions. Each member will be assigned a question type to create with the same passage. Only message if you are serious and willing to commit, as this will require a group chat and a virtual meet-up to discuss approaches. If you can't turn your camera on to engage, and can't commit to meeting times, don't message. Personally I average -5 and this group will be more effective if the average gaps are very wide. From explaining answer choices to approaches, and sharing different way to tackle question stems, diverse averages will actually work best. Planning to sit for June but will reconsider if I'm not ready

Hey all! I’m taking the April test this Friday and I was wondering about the writing test if I need to complete it before I take the test on Friday? How long is the writing test opened for? I was hoping to take the writing test next week or the last week of April before the score releases in May.

For those who may not know, Google Chrome has a "Live Caption" option that will give subtitles for all of JY's videos.

Here's the link for instructions:

https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/10538231?hl=en

Link: https://v.ringcentral.com/join/177556372647

We will continue to use RingCentral, though I am still not really sure what the deal is with its apparently-absent waiting room functionality. So I'll probably just put the link up ~15 minutes early and let people filter in. Feel free to chat amongst yourselves in the meantime! Face cameras are gently encouraged - it's a lot easier to have a conversation that way.

=============

Hi everyone! I decided it would be cool to run some office hours and help some folks out. I've done a few of these in the past and it's always been fun to talk shop with people. Think of it as a drop in/drop out study group, open to all.

Limiting this to 7Sage for now because it's easier to get things done if everyone has a common basis in terms of vocabulary, how you learn the theory, etc. and after a decade of using 7Sage I know the curriculum like the back of my hand.

Who Am I/Why Should You Listen To Me?

I scored 175 on the September 2006 LSAT (-4 RC, -2 LR, -0 LG), graduated from Columbia Law School in 2010, spent a year on fellowship with a judge in Bronx Supreme Court Criminal Division while teaching LSAT on the side, and have been teaching the LSAT full time since September 2011. I worked with JY on PreProBono and in the early years of 7Sage, was a 7Sage "Approved Tutor" for the entire life of that categorization, and am the only person other than JY himself who has ever had an instructional video published on 7Sage's live site. I am also the lead LSAT tutor and department chair of a local NYC-based test prep boutique. Some of my writing still resides in the "Sage Advice" section of this forum, so go check it out if you're interested .

Over the past decade-plus, I have amassed over 8,000 hours of combined classroom-based and one-on-one LSAT teaching experience, working with a diverse set of students from across the USA and all around the world - Canada, Brazil, Netherlands, England, France, Qatar, Korea, and China just to name a few. The best score increase I've ever achieved with a student is +36 (136 -> 172).

If you listen to the 7Sage Podcast, you may have heard my name mentioned in episode #67 - Vanessa (138 -> 169) was my student.

How Can I Join?

I'll put up a video chat link above when the time comes, and take it down when we're done.

When Will These Be Happening?

I currently intend for this to be a weekly thing, but the timing will vary depending on the other moving pieces of my schedule. It's not likely that every time will work for everyone, but I will at least attempt to switch it up so that anyone interested can make it at least some of the time. I currently live in New York, but I am a born and raised Californian so I understand the tyranny of Eastern Time very well, so don't worry West Coasters - I'm thinking of you guys too.

What Can I Ask?

Anything is fair game for now - general theory questions, questions about individual questions, macro questions about how to study/trajectory, questions about what hair products I use, etc. Feel free to DM me questions in advance as well. I can't promise I will get to all of them (don't take it personally!), but I will certainly do my best.

I am currently unsure how to handle the whole 'spoilers' issue (for example, a student has a question on PT60 S1 Q1, which another person hasn't gotten to yet), but I think that shouldn't stop me from just getting started. We might just have to tell some folks to deafen themselves temporarily if they don't want to get spoiled for now. In the future I may limit discussion in a specific session to a specific range of PrepTests or curriculum-only, or choose a specific topic to address in depth, or whatever else comes to mind to avoid this issue, but I still have to feel that out organically. Suggestions welcome.

Will This Be Recorded/Uploaded Somewhere?

No plans for recording at this time.

What Will This Cost Me?

Nothing but your time. Happy to help.

What If I Have Another Question?

Fire away! In this thread or in DM.

How did you guys determine C was the answer for PTB S1 Q23

Hello!

Could someone please help me figure this AP question out? There's no explanation video for it. The median score of someone who got it right is a 173, and I am aiming for a 170+.

Stimulus: "One can be at home and be in the backyard, that is, not in one's house at all...."

Question Stem: "Which one of the following most accurately describes the relationship between the argument's conclusion and its claim that one can be at home without being in one's house?"

Answer Choices:

A. (not correct)

B. (not correct)

C. (CORRECT)

D. (not correct, this is the one I chose)

E. (not correct)

Admin Note: Edited. It is against our Forum Rules to write out the entire LSAT question and answer choices on the Forum.

Hi all

I'm diving back into the world of LSAT prep after an extended break since taking the flex in late 2020. For that test I mostly prepared with Khan Academy, though I also took an LSAT course a year prior during college. On that exam I scored a 166. I'm positive I aced LG, thought I was -1 or 2 in LR, and then lost my mind in RC; whatever other incorrect answers got me that score came on that section.

After the test, I joined the workforce with the intention of gaining experience, finding myself etc. before applying to law school. Somewhere along the line I decided I should go back and all-in on prep, as I want to improve upon that score and my chances of admittance at a T-14 Law School. Now I'm on 7sage, about to buy a subscription.

I'm posting here because I'm a bit overwhelmed at the task ahead of me, and am feeling some anxiety about being able to get back to the level I was at in 2020, much less surpass it like I'm hoping. It feels like I'm back at square one, at least until I do the dive and pick up on some old skills. Does anybody have similar experiences or suggestions, either on repreparing or general RC improvement?

Thank you

Hey Everyone! I am looking to form a study group who meets via Zoom AT LEAST 2-3 times a week to prepare for the June 2023 Exam. ***This will be my first time taking the LSAT.

Thanks!

Could someone explain why the correct answer is C? I am so confused

Does anyone know of any good tutors? Planning to take the test in august, but want a tutor to help fill the gaps I'm not seeing or know how to fix on my own.

Can someone explain how D is the correct answer to PTB S1 Q16? Is it correct because it simply has no impact on the argument?

I have a diagramming problem. I can fly through a complex question stem without diagraming, particularly on parallel reasoning and other LR questions but some harder former questions require diagramming and I can diagram for the live of me. Any tips on the cc?

I would like to see a video breakdown of this question

Admin Note: Edited titled. Please use the format "PT#.S#.Q# - brief description of question"

hey fam - I'm trying to push myself to keep my low res as abstract & structural as possible and less content based. I have a few keywords I listed as a usual "word bank"(listed below) but I am hoping to get help on other words that are better at capturing more nuance that I can have as go tos when working through cookie cutter & totally new passages.

Current Word Bank:

Background (Bg) / Context (ctx)

Support

Oppose

Apply

Main Point (MP)

info/data

Example (Ex), counterexample (c-ex)

Info / application

Any tips/additions appreciated!