The Assumption Family

axbSunDev

So I did a little experiment and did 3 questions from each Logical Reasoning stem and found that no matter how hard I try I keep getting Strengthening, Weakening, and Necessary Assumption questions wrong. It is probably my weakest LR family type I don't know if my brain just is not smart enough for the LSAT or it's because there is something off with my reasoning skills, but even after going over CC in this area I can't seem to get questions from the Assumption family correct no matter how hard I try.

Any tips?

Thank you 7Sage !

Sami

@axbSunDev said:
So I did a little experiment and did 3 questions from each Logical Reasoning stem and found that no matter how hard I try I keep getting Strengthening, Weakening, and Necessary Assumption questions wrong. It is probably my weakest LR family type I don't know if my brain just is not smart enough for the LSAT or it's because there is something off with my reasoning skills, but even after going over CC in this area I can't seem to get questions from the Assumption family correct no matter how hard I try.

You may have to first figure out where the problem lies. I wrote down some steps you can follow, if you run into a problem in one of these steps then you know where the problem is. I highly recommend writing everything down at first, and being very strict about the steps.

For all stimulus with argument:s
1) Start by checking your reading first:
Once you are done reading the stimulus, don't look at it anymore and write down the core premise and conclusion.
-If you cannot do this step, the problem is the level of engagement and work you are putting in to the stimulus. Here you want to work on active reading, and breaking down difficult to understand sentences.
2) Then write down your analysis: Make sure this is succinct.
-Check your analysis against JY's analysis in the videos. If you were off, this is where the problem is. If your analysis was wrong and now you feel that you understand the analysis, write a parallel stimulus to check if you truly do understand the core argument. If it is a simple stimulus there are probably similar stimulus to this one. See if you can find other examples of this stimulus in other tests. It may not be the same question type, you are looking for the same argument type.

If you did well in the steps above, the problem is probably your approach in the answer choices.

For strengthen and weaken questions you want to follow the following steps:
Step 1: What is the answer choice saying (a lot of people downplay this step).
-So many answer choices are written in a convoluted manner, with difficult referential phrasing, concepts, or negatives. Make sure to understand clearly and precisely what the answer choice is saying. Write it down first to make sure you are not skipping this step.
If you can't figure out what the answer choice is precisely saying and you are confused, don't eliminate the answer -leave it alone and go to the next answer choice.
Step 2: If this answer choice was a premise in the stimulus, write down how it would interact with the information in the premises? How would it then affect my conclusion?
Step 3: At this point you will have a fair idea whether this answer choice is strengthening or weakening or not doing anything.

For Necessary assumption answer choices:
Step 1: Write down what the answer choice saying? (Follow the instruction above)
Step 2: Write down if this answer choice is supported based on the stimulus?
Step 3: Based on this support, does my answer choice have to be true?
If yes, great, keep it. If no, eliminate it.

• a thing to remember about necessary assumption is that being necessary is a relationship which means there is a sufficient. The sufficient is "if the argument is valid". So what you are actually doing is finding what HAS TO BE TRUE if this argument is valid. This way all you have to think about in the answer choices is your support for the answer choices.

Be very methodological and follow each step with a lot of discipline. At first, write down everything. Once your accuracy improves, you can move to not writing all of this down.

Cant Get Right

Great walk through @Sami . So much of being successful in studying for the LSAT is in just not cutting corners, and this is a great step-by-step methodology to follow.

The worst thing I tend to see is that most people simply don't BR. Sure, they do something that resembles BR, but very few actually, really BR. Reviewing the BR section of the CC is something I'd highly recommend to OP and honestly to anyone else who is reading this. Wherever you are in your studies, just carve out an hour or two to go do that. There's like a 95% chance that it's the most productive thing you could possibly do right now. Don't just watch the videos; study them. Write down every single step, and when you BR, do every single part of it strictly and rigorously.

axbSunDev

Thank you both so much ! I will follow these steps and see where the problems are.