The power of the Floater in Logic Games

FindingSage

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.

jmarmaduke96

Thank you! this is a fantastic resource!

I had a similar thought lately regarding game pieces that are functionally identical, this would include floaters or game pieces that all have the exact same rules acting upon them. If you see that multiple answer choices are game pieces affected by the same rules, you can eliminate all of them, because if one of them is correct the others have to be correct.

I was doing LG during my last PT and the final game was very challenging. However, I was able to eliminate several answer choices just based on this knowledge. In fact, one question I was able to solve completely based on this inference. It was a miscellaneous game and I wasn't sure how to set it up, but four of the answer choices were functionally identical. So, without knowing why the last answer choice was correct, I was still able to confidently and quickly pick it. These really are the tricks that save time and energy and can be the difference between a -2 and a -0 on games.

FindingSage

Hi, you are very welcome! You are totally correct about games pieces with the same rules applied to them being functionally the same. Being able to pick up on this during a timed section or PT often makes the difference in saving essential time tthat we need for a challenging miscellanous game or being able to go back and double check an answer choice. I think it is awesome when we can split games or solve for all possibilites or even make a large deduction up front that unlocks the game, but it doesn't always happen.
Being strategic with answer choices and knowing when you should or shouldn't test an answer choice as well as the priority level in checking them really helps! What was the PT you took with the hard miscellaneous game? I would like to take that section or possibly the entire PT. The more tools we have in our tool box come test day the better, really makes the difference in being able to go -0 or in some cases even being able to finish a whole PT.

ObjectionQuarantined

Das me. you wrote to me. Thanks

jmarmaduke96

@FindingSage I completely agree with all of that. The PT I was referencing was PT72, that last game was LSAC really going out of their way to make our lives interesting lol.

FindingSage

@Clyde you are very welcome!
@jmarmaduke96- I took that PT last week actually! That last game was hard! I set it up as a four layer sequencing, and then was trying to think of a time when I ever did that before. When I go that I remembered a quote that was made by Michelle Obama but JY referenced in one of his vides which is "when they go low, we go high". The idea behind it is when the LSAT gives us rules in the negative we want to look at them in the positive. By figuring who each of the raw materials could be passed to we see that M's only option is to pass to J. That inference unlocks the game but it was a tough inference to make, I was glad to have a fair amount of time left when I got to that game because that was a tough game! I took my time with it in blind review and went over everything step by step. It is a game I will revisit again in the near future.