Misc LG problems

mrodgers209

Seriously it is getting down to the wire for the June exam and I am STILL struggling with the misc lg! Sometimes I can figure them out but for the most part I am not getting the entire game of that problem type! Please.....if anyone has suggestions could you leave a comment?!

Thanks in Advance

-M

Mellow_Z

So I think with the most recent PT's, there have been a lot more games that aren't AS solvable as older PT's. What I mean by this, is that in PTs 1-35, you can fill out a large amount of most game boards without many spaces being open to multiple conditions. In recent tests, there have been open ended games that you can't really make a board for, until you start looking at the questions. A good way to practice solving open ended games like this (the curve breakers on most recent PT's) is to go back and solve the old games without making a full board.

On this past Monday, on our Oldies but Goodies call, we covered game PT21 G4 (https://7sage.com/lsat_explanations/lsat-21-section-1-game-4/).

This game is incredibly easy if you take the time up front to solve the board. It leaves only 2 of the 8 spaces free to be changed. But without solving the board completely (which I failed to do the first time I solved this game), it is much more difficult, and has a lot of interchangeable parts that you have to keep track of and understand how they work with each other. I would recommend solving this without fully diagramming the board. It will take more time, but it will give you more practice for these newer games without the initial set up. You can do this with basically any game too - just go find the hardest games from each PT, and then solve them with minimal diagramming.
Without diagramming, you will train your brain to notice patterns and really understand the game and how it works at a deeper level.

Also, go into the question bank and sort the games by the Miscellaneous tag. "Fool proof" every game in there. Solve every game 5, even 10 times. This will help develop the muscle memory that is required to solve the games efficiently.

mrodgers209

Thanks so much for the information @Mellow_Z !!! I actually never thought of attempting games in such a manner! I am going to do this and HOPEFULLY the misc. games won't be such a toss up for me!

JustDoIt

I'll also add that while these games are non traditional, it's okay to take a nontraditional approach. It's okay to be open minded and use the rules to guide you. There are misc games that can be solved with no game board, and often a visual representation of the rules is all you need.

Also don't be so ridged in that if doesn't fit into sequencing or sequencing, accept it and go with the flow. Misc games can be hard but often times the hardest part is recognizing that they are different and determining where to begin. The rules will guide you on where to start, and through all the questions.

Hope this helps!

mrodgers209

@JustDoIt your absolutely right! Looking at some of the explanations even JY often says....there are many ways you can approach this problem. I have to remember that these types of games are not as structured as the rest! Thanks a lot!

Mellow_Z

I agree with @JustDoIt entirely. One of my (maybe my ONLY) strength on the LSAT thus far is my flexibility with logic games. It doesn't bother me at all if the game is unable to be diagrammed properly. I think by learning the games in this systematic chaos manor, it really keeps you ready for anything. If you heavily rely on diagramming into one of the categories : in/out, seq, etc. and you run across a difficult game that doesn't fit, it can seriously knock you off your game and leave your confidence for the rest of the test on tilt. Just be ready for anything.

JustDoIt

@mrodgers209 said:
there are many ways you can approach this problem

This is so key actually. Many times, I solve things differently from the videos because that just makes more sense to me. It really is all about finding an intuitive approach that works for you and just because that doesn't work for someone else, doesn't mean anyone is more right than the other. What matters is that you apply your understanding to the task at hand, and is flexibility is often rewarded on this test.

I mean think about it. There are no repeat questions on this test. So that kind of inherently means that we have to be flexible in our approach, at least for LR and RC. Why would we not be in LG?

Sorry for the soliloquy. Hope this helps!

@Mellow_Z said:
Just be ready for anything.

This too!