As most of you already know, the trends of the LSAT can slightly change over time in terms of what types of concepts they focus on. People often ask me questions like…
What game types are the most common in the recent tests?
I heard Conditional Reasoning is less important on more recent tests. Is this true?
Which game sections are the most difficult?
Have there been any changes in trends with more recent sections?
Are Rule Substitution questions common? Should I be worried about these questions?
Where are the easiest and hardest games located within an LG section?
I spent a ton of time dissecting each of the most recent LG sections from PT 80-93 (94 will be added soon) for you to answer these questions and dispel some common myths, as well as bring to light some findings that can help determine what you should likely focus on going forward. This post discusses the trends from the most recent tests starting from the 80s and any notable changes from the 80s to 90s.
But first, it’s important that you understand the terminology I am using because some prep companies use different names for each of the following game types. Here are the names I will be using…
The following are called foundational games because they provide the fundamental skills that most other games build from:
Sequencing (aka Linear, Ordering) – These are games where the order matters (i.e. ranking people, scheduling lessons, etc.)
Grouping – These are games where you are placing variables into groups (i.e. determining assignments to classes or teams)
Selection – These are games that have binary options for each entity (i.e. figuring out which light switches are on/off)
The following games use various elements of the foundational games and are considered to be more advanced:
Advanced Sequencing – These are games where you are ordering multiple things at once (i.e. ranking runners and also determining which coach they had)
Hybrid—These are games that combine two or more of the foundational game types (i.e. determining which class each student goes in (Grouping) , but also the order in which they are assigned (Sequencing))
Rare—These game types are rare and unusual. They don’t neatly fit under any of the categories listed above
Here are my findings:
1.Grouping and Sequencing are still the most important skills in LG
Grouping, Basic Sequencing, and Hybrid Games are the most common, with Grouping-Sequencing being the most common type of Hybrid Game. In more recent tests (PT90+), the number of basic sequencing games has dropped, while the number of grouping and advanced sequencing games have increased.
What does this mean for your prep? Don’t feel like this means Basic Sequencing games are less relevant. Trying to jump straight into Hybrid games when you don’t understand the foundational games is like trying to learn advanced mathematics before learning how to add and subtract. But once you are doing really well in the foundational games, make sure you are devoting a good amount of time toward Hybrid games.
2. Every single LG section (with the exception of one--PT 80) had at least one game that had conditional reasoning
Roughly half of all individual games included conditionality. Games with conditionals have increased slightly from the PT90s compared to the 80s, with PT 93 containing 100% conditional games.
What does this mean for your prep? If you haven’t already, make sure you master conditional reasoning. Keep in mind that although conditional reasoning is more common in Grouping and Selection games, this concept can appear in virtually any game type
3. PT 88 has the hardest LG section. PT 91 Section 1 was the easiest. (calculated by average difficulty)
4. Rule Substitution questions have shown up in EVERY practice test since PT 80
What does this mean for your prep? Make sure you have a solid strategy on how to approach this game type. (I may be providing strategies on this, so stay tuned!) If you consistently struggle with them, it may be worth skipping this question on the day of the test. Although it shows up in every test, it takes up at most only two questions in the entire section.
5. The first two games in the section are generally easier and the last two are generally harder
But remember that “harder” is subjective to some extent. There are plenty of situations where people will consider a “harder” game to be very manageable. For example, maybe you are very strong at grouping games, even the very difficult ones. For this reason, it makes sense to still approach the games in the order they appear, but don’t get discouraged if you have a tough time with one of the first two games. Instead, don’t be afraid to skip and take a look at the last two games to see if they play on your strengths. Don’t feel like you need to do games in the order they appear.
If you need help in any of these subjects, check out my private tutoring options
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Stay motivated!
Sincerely,
Cho from Impetus LSAT
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