Here's a list of "challenging games" one should make sure to check out before writing the LSAT:
Challenging Logic Games
PT 77 game 3 PT 79 game 4 PT 72 game 4 PT 62 game 2 PT 65 game 4 PT 67 game 4 PT 70 game 3 PT 1 circle game PT 41 game 4 PT B circle game PT 2 game 3 PT 2 game 4 PT 27 game 2 PT 15 game 2 PT 40 game 3 PT 29 game 2 PT 33 game 3 PT 31 game 2
@"Alex Divine" , I'm curious 1) where you found this list or how you assembled it, and 2) what is "PT B circle game" ? What is PT B? Perhaps a silly question from a newb like me!
@John1990 said: @"Alex Divine" , I'm curious 1) where you found this list or how you assembled it, and 2) what is "PT B circle game" ? What is PT B? Perhaps a silly question from a newb like me!
No worries, man. I was once a newb and had no idea what any of these tests were, haha.
It was assembled using the criteria of choosing games that were "oddballs," i.e., more similar to the new ones we are seeing on the recent tests. It also includes games that are just straight up challenging as well.
A circle game more generally is a non-linear sequencing/spacial game, but in the shape of a circle instead of the standard linear structure traditional sequencing games follow.
I believe it was a test from *Feb 1999* that was eventually released with the SuperPrep series above where you'll also find PT A and C as well. (Not to be confused with C2 from SuperPrep II series released in 2015)
@"Alex Divine" Yes, this was the list I came up with for the weird, difficult games. I really need to do a more comprehensive list of both weird and difficult and more standard yet still difficult games. For example, @BinghamtonDave has cited that PT A-C all have hard logic games sections (I think?), and he seems to be the pro at remembering where just about everything is in the world of logic games.
This list doesn't so much include the standard yet difficult games, like the semi-recent sequencing game that took me 15+ minutes. Honestly, I think I'm going to start on creating a list - shouldn't be too bad.
@danielznelson said: This list doesn't so much include the standard yet difficult games, like the semi-recent sequencing game that took me 15+ minutes. Honestly, I think I'm going to start on creating a list - shouldn't be too bad.
Ahh I knew it was you! Dave's list was a bit shorter. Anyways, I look forward to your new updated list. This list has relieved so much of my anxiety, because I know by the time I write the test I will have seen all the "oddball" games!
Yes, @danielznelson is correct. Was the 15 minute sequencing game PT 68 Game 4? If so, that is my all time favorite game. I've done it blindfolded twice.
I think preparation for logic games is in my experienced best approached by appealing to what C.S. Lewis wrote about preparation in a different context: “The schoolboy does not know which part of his Virgil lesson he will be made to translate: that is why he must be prepared to translate any passage.”
I have done 1175 games over 13 months of prep. I used to think that having mastery over the "complex" games was the key to going -0/-1. But actually, I have found the key to be a combination of experience: knowing games well enough to predict what kind of answer choices will be available to choose from, strategy: knowing when to skip questions and even knowing when to skip whole games and then come back to them, familiarity: knowing how to approach games that will conform to a traditional gameboard vs. games that don't and finally: an absolutely perfect approach to the easier games. It is on the easier games in which we collect most of our points. I have minimized the damage on many a section by being nearly perfect in 5-8 minute games. I also have bombed sections by not "seeing" an easier game for what it really is, draining 8 minutes on what should have been 4 minutes and being behind from that point forward in the set.
In summation: practice every game you can and even the easier games.
Strategies in sections are also really important. As an example, take PT 77. Game 3 is notoriously difficult, especially the first time one sees it. JY says in the lesson for game 3 to skip the game, do game 4 and then go back to game 3 with whatever time is left over. This is very important. Consider 2 different approaches to PT 77's games; the first not heeding this advise and the second heeding this advice.
Not heeding: Game 1 and 2 take roughly 14 minutes combined, leaving about 20 minutes left/slightly behind where I want to be by the end of game 2, but not bad. Game 3 is hard and you decide to power through the game, constantly going back to the rules and searching for the setup to tell you "more." Frazzled, you leave 2/5 questions blank and go into game 4 with confidence shaken and pressed for time: you run out of time on game 4 with 3 questions remaining. You end the set for a -6.
Heeding: You get through games 1 and 2 in about 14 minutes. Get to game 3, take one look at it and skip to game 4 with 20 minutes to go. You collect all the points on game 4, return to game 3 with 12-13 minutes on the clock, read it without the pressure of a remaining game, see things clear and go 3 out of 5 on the game with 2 guesses after strategically eliminating wrong answer choices. You end up surviving the section with a -2. Who knows, maybe you have a 50/50 shot with your eliminations of getting a -1.
It is the value of experience here that makes me hesitant to recommend precise games to study. Ideally, you want to take a look at and review the explanations for every game you can get your hands on, develop strategies and methods and be able to relate what you are seeing as a variation of something older.
In summation: do every section you can get ahold of and review the 7Sage videos on these games. Know when to skip and come back.
@BinghamtonDave Very insightful advice!! I'm finishing my LG class while finding finish easy game in short time is very important. Weird game is not the majority and need more extra time.
@BinghamtonDave Your post was much appreciated. I think you are my LSAT role model. I find that I fail to see easy games for what they are when I'm doing PT's, and I end up spending 8 minutes on them, thinking to myself "it can't possibly be this easy, I'm missing something". How did you come by such discernment skills? Mainly by doing and becoming more familiar with the types of games/questions/answer choices? Any specific advice for doing so?
P.S. PT 77's game 3 actually did kill me (metaphorically and mentally). It was my first take.. I went -7 on LG mostly because I didn't heed above advice. At that point, it was goodbye 170+...
Amazing list! Thank you all. @danielznelson@"Alex Divine"@BinghamtonDave I noticed most people comments didn't mention the games from 1-20. I have a LG packet of "miscellaneous" games and they include
Probably the latest ones, though I would try to expose yourself to ones you haven't seen before. Also, practice your circle games! You never know, the experimental section from a while back may be on the Feb. LSAT.
@LARamsNation I wouldn't count out any game or reviewing that game's corresponding video on 7Sage. I think eventually, the prevailing wisdom amongst test takers that are looking for elite scores will be to have some interaction with every game in LSAT history. Interestingly enough, you mentioned PT 2 game 3, I think (in my opinion opinion i.e. pure conjecture) that looking forward, that game is precisely something that a modern LSAT might spring on us as an oddball. It is a game almost entirely predicated on our ability to read closely and our numerical distribution skills. We are often asked single questions about numerical distribution (mostly on grouping games where one group must have more items than another group and each group must have at least one thing in it) but I can see them leaning toward the numbers approach of PT 2 Game 3 in the future for an odd game.
Now the way I see it, there are 2 important things about PT 2 Game 3 that might be relevant to our approach to modern exams: 1.it heavily tests numerical distribution 2.It is followed by a remarkably difficult "traditional" game that could certainly appear on a modern exam.
This 1,2 punch pattern of an odd but not dreadfully difficult game somewhere in a set with a normal but really difficult game has appeared on many exams.
Take the following examples: PT 57 is famously hard for Game 3, but Game 4 is a "normal" and ridiculously hard game. Pt 68 Game 3 is weird and kinda hard and during timed sections seems to warrant a skip, but game 4 is a "normal" and a really, really hard game. PT 27: snakes and lizards is hard and odd, but the film buff game is "normal" and also really really hard! PT 79: the virus game is odd and hard, but I found the second game actually harder!
So my plan for this June's exam is to be familiar with odd games of the past, but also have an incredible and meticulous approach to really hard "normal" games rooted in foundational skills garnered through fool-proof and review of the 7sage videos and curriculum. It goes without saying here that reading the directions for the games precisely is a skill that one must dispense on every game.
Comments
Challenging Logic Games
PT 77 game 3
PT 79 game 4
PT 72 game 4
PT 62 game 2
PT 65 game 4
PT 67 game 4
PT 70 game 3
PT 1 circle game
PT 41 game 4
PT B circle game
PT 2 game 3
PT 2 game 4
PT 27 game 2
PT 15 game 2
PT 40 game 3
PT 29 game 2
PT 33 game 3
PT 31 game 2
There's probably more, but this is most of them.
This list was compiled by one of the Sages I believe... Perhaps @danielznelson or @accountsplayable or sent me this...?
It was assembled using the criteria of choosing games that were "oddballs," i.e., more similar to the new ones we are seeing on the recent tests. It also includes games that are just straight up challenging as well.
A circle game more generally is a non-linear sequencing/spacial game, but in the shape of a circle instead of the standard linear structure traditional sequencing games follow.
PT B* is from The LSAC's SuperPrep found here: https://www.amazon.com/Official-LSAT-SuperPrep-Champion-Prep/dp/0979305063/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483127354&sr=8-1&keywords=superprep
I believe it was a test from *Feb 1999* that was eventually released with the SuperPrep series above where you'll also find PT A and C as well. (Not to be confused with C2 from SuperPrep II series released in 2015)
Hope this helps!
This list doesn't so much include the standard yet difficult games, like the semi-recent sequencing game that took me 15+ minutes. Honestly, I think I'm going to start on creating a list - shouldn't be too bad.
Thank you
I think preparation for logic games is in my experienced best approached by appealing to what C.S. Lewis wrote about preparation in a different context: “The schoolboy does not know which part of his Virgil lesson he will be made to translate: that is why he must be prepared to translate any passage.”
I have done 1175 games over 13 months of prep. I used to think that having mastery over the "complex" games was the key to going -0/-1. But actually, I have found the key to be a combination of experience: knowing games well enough to predict what kind of answer choices will be available to choose from, strategy: knowing when to skip questions and even knowing when to skip whole games and then come back to them, familiarity: knowing how to approach games that will conform to a traditional gameboard vs. games that don't and finally: an absolutely perfect approach to the easier games. It is on the easier games in which we collect most of our points. I have minimized the damage on many a section by being nearly perfect in 5-8 minute games. I also have bombed sections by not "seeing" an easier game for what it really is, draining 8 minutes on what should have been 4 minutes and being behind from that point forward in the set.
In summation: practice every game you can and even the easier games.
Strategies in sections are also really important. As an example, take PT 77. Game 3 is notoriously difficult, especially the first time one sees it. JY says in the lesson for game 3 to skip the game, do game 4 and then go back to game 3 with whatever time is left over. This is very important. Consider 2 different approaches to PT 77's games; the first not heeding this advise and the second heeding this advice.
Not heeding: Game 1 and 2 take roughly 14 minutes combined, leaving about 20 minutes left/slightly behind where I want to be by the end of game 2, but not bad. Game 3 is hard and you decide to power through the game, constantly going back to the rules and searching for the setup to tell you "more." Frazzled, you leave 2/5 questions blank and go into game 4 with confidence shaken and pressed for time: you run out of time on game 4 with 3 questions remaining. You end the set for a -6.
Heeding: You get through games 1 and 2 in about 14 minutes. Get to game 3, take one look at it and skip to game 4 with 20 minutes to go. You collect all the points on game 4, return to game 3 with 12-13 minutes on the clock, read it without the pressure of a remaining game, see things clear and go 3 out of 5 on the game with 2 guesses after strategically eliminating wrong answer choices. You end up surviving the section with a -2. Who knows, maybe you have a 50/50 shot with your eliminations of getting a -1.
It is the value of experience here that makes me hesitant to recommend precise games to study. Ideally, you want to take a look at and review the explanations for every game you can get your hands on, develop strategies and methods and be able to relate what you are seeing as a variation of something older.
In summation: do every section you can get ahold of and review the 7Sage videos on these games. Know when to skip and come back.
Hope this helps!
Your post was much appreciated. I think you are my LSAT role model.
I find that I fail to see easy games for what they are when I'm doing PT's, and I end up spending 8 minutes on them, thinking to myself "it can't possibly be this easy, I'm missing something". How did you come by such discernment skills? Mainly by doing and becoming more familiar with the types of games/questions/answer choices? Any specific advice for doing so?
P.S. PT 77's game 3 actually did kill me (metaphorically and mentally). It was my first take.. I went -7 on LG mostly because I didn't heed above advice. At that point, it was goodbye 170+...
PT1-S2-G1
PT2-S3-G3
PT4-S3-G4
PT6-S4-G3
PT6-S4-G4
PT8-S2-G2
PT9-S3-G4
PT10-S2-G3
PT11-S1-G4
PT12-S2-G4
PT13-S1-G4
PT15-S4-G2
PT16-S1-G4
PT18-S1-G3
PT18-S1-G4
PT20-S3-G3
PT21-S1-G2
PT30-S1-G1
Should I focus on the more recent "weird" games posted above or distribute my team as best as I can to master ALL of the weird games?
Now the way I see it, there are 2 important things about PT 2 Game 3 that might be relevant to our approach to modern exams: 1.it heavily tests numerical distribution 2.It is followed by a remarkably difficult "traditional" game that could certainly appear on a modern exam.
This 1,2 punch pattern of an odd but not dreadfully difficult game somewhere in a set with a normal but really difficult game has appeared on many exams.
Take the following examples:
PT 57 is famously hard for Game 3, but Game 4 is a "normal" and ridiculously hard game.
Pt 68 Game 3 is weird and kinda hard and during timed sections seems to warrant a skip, but game 4 is a "normal" and a really, really hard game.
PT 27: snakes and lizards is hard and odd, but the film buff game is "normal" and also really really hard!
PT 79: the virus game is odd and hard, but I found the second game actually harder!
So my plan for this June's exam is to be familiar with odd games of the past, but also have an incredible and meticulous approach to really hard "normal" games rooted in foundational skills garnered through fool-proof and review of the 7sage videos and curriculum. It goes without saying here that reading the directions for the games precisely is a skill that one must dispense on every game.