The LSAT Logical Reasoning Strategies

The Logical Reasoning (LR) section of the LSAT demands a strategic approach, as it is purposefully designed to test your ability to analyze, evaluate, and understand arguments efficiently. To maximize your performance, you must adopt a combination of targeted practice, structured thinking, and time management techniques. While this may sound daunting or even impossible, experts recommend an LSAT preparation period of 3-4 months, which gives you plenty of time to master effective test-taking strategies and techniques certain to boost your score.

Here are some tips for acing Logical Reasoning questions on the day of your exam:

Read Each Question Carefully

Read the entire LR question all the way through. Speed reading and skimming are fine when it comes to long novels, but these practices can be very dangerous on the LSAT because it's easy to overlook important information. One word can change the entire meaning of the question you're being asked, and there is nothing worse than making a mistake that could easily have been avoided with a bit more care.

Determine the Question Type

LSAT Logical Reasoning questions follow predictable patterns, such as Strengthen, Weaken, Assumption, Inference, Flaw, and Principle questions. Thanks to all the practice you will have put in by the day of your exam, determining the type of question you are being asked should be relatively easy. This is a very important step, as the question type determines the strategy you will use to answer it.

Identify the Conclusion

Make sure you understand the point the author of the argument is attempting to make. Even if the question does not involve an argument per se (and not all LR questions do), a point is still being made, which means there is still a conclusion to be found. 

Identify the Premise(s)

Identify the reasons or evidence being used to support the conclusion.

Look for Key Words

Key words frequently demonstrate relationships, such as, "therefore," "thus," "because," "since," and "consequently." It is in these relationships that inferences or assumptions can often be found, so take the time to read the text carefully.

Prephrase the Answer

Before looking at the answer choices, try to predict the correct answer or something about the information the correct answer should convey. This reduces confusion and prevents you from falling for misleading trap answers.

Eliminate Wrong Answers Efficiently

Many answer choices include extreme wording, irrelevant details, or logical distortions. Eliminating these options quickly helps you narrow down the correct answer faster.

Select the Best Correct Answer

You may encounter questions where there are two answer choices that are both technically "correct." In this case, you will want to select the correct answer that best answers the question you have been asked. 

Additional Tips

Below are a few additional tips that may be helpful on Logical Reasoning sections:

1. Manage your time wisely.
   Tackle easier questions first to secure quick points and don't get stuck on difficult questions. Aim for 1 minute per question to complete the section efficiently with a few minutes left to review any questions you flagged.
2. Don't flag too many questions to review.
   You can flag or bookmark questions you aren't sure about and want to return to later. However, given the time limits on LR sections, it's wise to be selective about which questions you choose to flag, since you will not be able to return to them if you run out of time.
3. Answer questions using only the provided information.
   You may have expert knowledge on a particular subject that is addressed in an LR question. While it can be tempting to draw from your own education and experience when answering the question, doing so may also lead to an incorrect answer. Use only the information you have been provided when answering the question.
4. Use the process of elimination.
   No matter how prepared you are, there will come a point when you encounter a question you have no idea how to answer. That's to be expected and isn't something to stress over, even though it may feel stressful in the moment. Rather than becoming overwhelmed and picking an answer at random, use the process of elimination. At least one answer will likely be incorrect in an obvious way. For every incorrect answer you can eliminate, you increase your chance of arriving at the correct answer. Do your best to narrow down your answers to two options, then take your best guess and keep moving forward.

By practicing consistently, improving logical precision, and refining test-taking strategies, you can dramatically enhance your LSAT Logical Reasoning scores and overall performance, allowing you to apply to even the most prestigious law programs with confidence.