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Test your basic knowledge |
LSAT Logical Reasoning Clues
Start Test
Study First
Subjects
:
logic-and-reasoning
,
LSAT
Instructions:
Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
If you are not ready to take this test, you can
study here
.
Match each statement with the correct term.
Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.
This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Read closely and know precisely what the author said. DO NOT GENERALIZE!.
Primary Objective #4
Primary Objective #5
Fact test for Method of Reasoning questions
How to strengthen an argument
2. 1. The stimulus will almost always contain an argument you must identify - isolate and assess the premises and the conclusion of the argument 2. Focus on the conclusion. Almost all correct answer choices impact the conclusion 3. The info in the stimu
Primary Objective #3
Fundamental rules for strengthen - justify the conclusion and assumption questions
False analogy
Rules for Family #2
3. Usually have one male and one female. The female uses sound reasoning and the male uses flawed reasoning or makes a mistake. This is not always true - but more often than not.n
Quantity indicators
Typical assumption question stems
3 quirks of assumption question answer choices
2 speaker questions
4. Occurs when an author makes conflicting statements. n
Quantity indicators
Words used to introduce a sufficient condition
Internal contradiction AKA self contradiction
How to attack a causal conclusion
5. 1. Any 'new' element in the conclusion will appear in the correct answer. 2. Elements that are common to the conclusion and at least one premise normally do not appear in the correct answer. 3. Elements that appear in the premises but not the conclus
What is the biggest reason students miss questions?
How to solve Justify questions mechanistically
2 roles played by assumptions
What to do when a stimulus that contains conditional reasoning is combined with a must be true question stem
6. To raise a viewpoint at the beginning of the stimulus and then disagree with it immediately thereafter. The stimulus often begins with: Some people claim... Some people propose... Many people believe... Some argue that... Some critics claim... Some s
General lack of relevant evidence for the conclusion
Source argument AKA ad hominen
Primary Objective #8
One of the most commonly used stimulus structures is what? How are they recognized?
7. To logically negate a conditional statement - negate the necessary condition. Example: neither...nor becomes either...or.
Mistaken Negation
Logical negation
Primary Objective #9
What is the biggest reason students miss questions?
8. Assumes that only 2 courses of action are available when there may be others. n
Fundamental rules for strengthen - justify the conclusion and assumption questions
2 roles played by assumptions
Family #4: Disprove
False dilemma
9. An event or circumstance whose occurrence indicates that a necessary condition must also occur.
Rules for Family #2
Internal contradiction AKA self contradiction
Resolve the Paradox question stem features
Sufficient Condition
10. 1. Appeal to authority - uses the opinion of an authority in an attempt to persuade the reader. The flaw is that the authority may not have relevant knowledge or all of the info regarding the situation - to there may be a difference of opinion among
Quantity indicators
Appeal Fallacies
3 quirks of assumption question answer choices
Things to remember in regards to WEAKEN questions
11. 1. Identify the conclusion - this is what you are trying to strengthen 2. Personalize the argument 3. Look for weaknesses in the argument 4. Arguments that contain analogies or use surveys rely upon the validity of those analogies and surveys. Answer
How to strengthen an argument
Fact test for Method of Reasoning questions
Justify the conclusion formula
Errors of conditional reasoning
12. Refer to the likelihood of occurence or the obligation present - as in 'The mayor should resign.' 'the law will never pass.' Examples: (do not need to memorize) must - will - always - not always - probably - likely - would - never - rarely - could -
Assumptions and conditionality: the two types of answer choices normally produced are?
Probability indicators
3 quirks of assumption question answer choices
Premise definition
13. Argument Part - If you do see the main conclusion at the end of a Method-AP problem - be prepared to answer a question about a part of the arguement other than the conclusion.n
Numbers and percentage errors
Method of Reasoning
Words used to introduce cause and effect relationships. (memorize)
What is the biggest reason students miss questions?
14. Stimulus (affected or determined)--/-> answer choices (accepted) Negative sign on the arrow reflects attacking or hurting the argument (weaken).
LSAT Definition of 'either/or'
Mistaken Reversal
Errors in the use of evidence
Family #3: Hurt
15. Authors misuses info to such a degree that they fail to provide any info to support their conclusion or they provide info that is irrelevant to their conclusion. n
False dilemma
General lack of relevant evidence for the conclusion
Assumptions and conditionality: the two types of answer choices normally produced are?
Source argument AKA ad hominen
16. Stimulus (accepted) --/-> answer choices (affected or determined) cannot be true.
Errors of composition and division
Primary Objective #9
Family #4: Disprove
How to approach causality and strengthen questions?
17. Occurs when the author uses an analogy that is two disimilar to the original situation to be applicable. n
Mistaken Negation
Family #4: Disprove
False analogy
Fundamental rules for strengthen - justify the conclusion and assumption questions
18. A statement or judgement that follows from one or more reasons. Ask: What is the author driving at? What does the author want me to believe? What point follows from the others?
Primary Objective #2
Conclusion definition
Conclusion Identification Method
Circular reasoning
19. 1. If conditional statements are linked together in the argument - the correct answer choice for an assumption question will typically supply a missing link in the chain or the contrapositive to that link. 2. If you see a conditional conclusion and t
Weaken question signal words
How to strengthen an argument
Assumptions and conditionality: the two types of answer choices normally produced are?
Words used to introduce a sufficient condition
20. Always read each of the five answer choices. If an answer choice appears somewhat attractive - interesting or even confusing - keep it as a contender and move to the next answer.
Primary Objective #7
Premise definition
Premise Indicators
Weaken question signal words
21. Because - since - for - for example - for the reason that - in that - given that - as indicated by - due to - owing to - this can be seen from - we know this by.
Fundamental rules for strengthen - justify the conclusion and assumption questions
Premise Indicators
the unless equation (conditional reasoning)
Common features of Resolve the Paradox
22. 1. The info in the stimulus is suspect. There are often reasoning errors present and depending on the question - you will help shore up the argument in some way. 2. The answer choices are accepted as given - even if they include 'new' info. Your task
Sufficient Condition
Rules for Family #2
Weaken question signal words
Mistaken Negation
23. If an answer choice describes an event that did not occur in the stimulus - then that answer is incorrect. Watch for answers that are partially true - that is answers that contain a description of something that happened in the argument but that also
How to approach causality and strengthen questions?
2 roles played by assumptions
Fact test for Method of Reasoning questions
2 speaker questions
24. 1. The sufficient condition does not make the necessary condition occur. That is - the sufficient condition does not actively cause the necessary condition to happen. 2. Temporally speaking - either condition can occur first - or the two conditions c
3 logical features of conditional reasoning
Straw Man
Errors of composition and division
Mistaken Reversal
25. Thus - therefore - hence - consequently - as a result - so - accordingly - clearly - must be that - shows that - conclude that - follows that - for this reason.
the unless equation (conditional reasoning)
Conclusion Indicators
Counter Premise Indicators
Words used to introduce a sufficient condition
26. Carefully read and identify the question stem. DO NOT assume that certain words are automatically associated with certain questions types.
False dilemma
Sufficient Condition
Primary Objective #5
Primary Objective #8
27. Stimulus (affected or determined) ---> answer choices (accepted) AKA: Help Family assumption - justify the conclusion - strengthen/support - resolve the paradox.
Errors of conditional reasoning
Common weakening scenarios
Family #2: Help
Rules for Family #1
28. Then - only - only if - must - required - unless - except - until - without.
Conclusion Identification Method
'Additional' Premise Indicators
Logical opposites
Words used to introduce a necessary condition
29. Used to introduce other premises that support the conclusion but are sometimes non-essential to the conclusion furthermore - moreover - besides - in addition - whats more - after all.
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30. Stimulus (accepted) ----> Answer Choices (affected or determined) AKA: must be or prove family must be true - main point - point at issue - method of reasoning - flaw in the reasoning - parallel reasoning.
Mistaken Reversal
Premise Indicators
Family #1: Prove
Uncertain use of a term or concept
31. Always ask: Do the given facts support the conclusion? Do the premises strongly suggest that the conclusion would be true? Does the conclusion feel like an inevitable result of the premises? Or Does the conclusion go beyond the scope of the info in t
Appeal Fallacies
How to determine the strength of an argument
Justify the conclusion formula
Quantity indicators
32. They can be in the premises or conclusion. If they are in the conclusion the argument is flawed. Classic mistaken cause and effect reasoning refers to occurences when a causal assertion is made in the conclusion or the conclusion presumes a causal re
Causal statements
Rules for Family #2
Words used to introduce a necessary condition
False dilemma
33. 1. No conclusion. When a stimulus does not have a conclusion and contains a paradox - expect a Resolve question 2. Language of contradiction exp: but - however - yet - although - paradoxically - surprisingly.
Common weakening scenarios
Appeal Fallacies
Common features of Resolve the Paradox
How to attack a causal conclusion
34. 1. Watch for answers starting with the phrase 'at least one' or 'at least some'. When an assumption answer choice starts with one of these phrases it is usually right. But ALWAYS verify with A.N.T. 2. Avoid answers that claim an idea was the most imp
Primary Objective #2
How to determine the strength of an argument
3 quirks of assumption question answer choices
Words used to introduce a sufficient condition
35. The author assumes as true What is supposed to be proved. exp: 'this essay is the best because it is better than all the others'n
LSAT Definition of 'either/or'
Circular reasoning
Rules for Family #3
2 speaker questions
36. Caused by because of responsible for reason for leads to induced by promoted by determined by produced by product of played a role in was a factor in is an effect of.
Errors of composition and division
Words used to introduce cause and effect relationships. (memorize)
Circular reasoning
Numbers and percentage errors
37. Take the statements under consideration and place them in an arrangement that forces once to be the conclusion and the other(s) to be the premise (s). Use premise and conclusion indicators to achieve this end. Once the pieces are arranged - determine
Family #2: Help
Fundamental rules for strengthen - justify the conclusion and assumption questions
Primary Objective #1
Conclusion Identification Method
38. 1. new element answers - an answer that describes something that did not occure or describes an element new to the argument cannot be correct 2. Half right - half wrong answers - LSAT makers like to start off with something that happened - then end w
Incorrect Method of Reasoning answers
Primary Objective #8
Things to remember in regards to WEAKEN questions
How to strengthen an argument
39. Occurs when an author improperly equates a percentage with a definate quantity or vice versa. n
Numbers and percentage errors
Primary Objective #2
Errors of composition and division
How to approach causality and strengthen questions?
40. As an argument progresses - the author must use each term in a constant - coherent fashion. using a term in different ways is inherently confusing and undermines the integrity of the argument. n
Uncertain use of a term or concept
Weaken question signal words
What to do when a stimulus that contains conditional reasoning is combined with a must be true question stem
General lack of relevant evidence for the conclusion
41. 1. You must accept the stimulus info- even if it contains an error in reasoning-and use it to prove one of the answer choices must be true. 2. Any info in an answer choice that does not appear either directly in the stimulus or as a combination of it
Circular reasoning
Appeal Fallacies
Rules for Family #1
3 incorrect answer traps (weaken)
42. Percent - proportion - fraction - ratio - incidence - likelihood - probability - segment - share. n
Words used to introduce percentage ideas
Conclusion Identification Method
3 incorrect answer traps (weaken)
False dilemma
43. At least on of the two - possibly both.
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44. Weaken - attack - undermine - refute - argue against - call into question - cast doubt - challenge - damage - counter - When evaluating answers ask yourself: 'Would this answer choice make the author reconsider his position or force the author to res
2 speaker questions
'Additional' Premise Indicators
Weaken question signal words
Internal contradiction AKA self contradiction
45. The mistake involves assuming that conditions will remain constant over time - and that what was the case in the past will be the case in the future or present. n
Time shift errors
Common features of Resolve the Paradox
Family #2: Help
Errors of conditional reasoning
46. If all 5 answer choices appear to be 'losers' - return to the stimulus and re-evaluate the argument.
Primary Objective #9
3 incorrect answer traps (weaken)
Mistaken Reversal
Numbers and percentages Common misconceptions
47. A. Eliminate any alternate causes for the stated effect. B. Show that when the cause occurs - the effect occurs. C. Show that when the cause does not occur - the effect does not occur. D. Eliminate the possility that the stated relationship is revers
Words used to introduce cause and effect relationships. (memorize)
LSAT Definition of 'either/or'
How to approach causality and strengthen questions?
Common weakening scenarios
48. The makers of the LSAT do not think that there are multiple causes for the same effect. When an LSAT speaker concludes that one occurance caused another - that speaker also assumes that the stated cause is the only possible cause of the effect and th
Central assumption of causal conclusions
Errors of conditional reasoning
Typical assumption question stems
Exceptional case/over generalization
49. 1. Opposite answers. These answers do the exact opposite of What is needed. 2. Shell game answers. Occurs when an idea or concept is raised in the stimulus and then a very similar idea appears in the answer choices - but the idea is changed just enou
Common features of Resolve the Paradox
Solving Parallel Reasoning questions in the order stated
Resolve the Paradox question stem features
3 incorrect answer traps (weaken)
50. 1. Stem uses the word 'if' or another sufficient indicator 2. Stem uses the phrase 'allows the conclusion to be properly drawn' or 'enables the conclusion to be properly drawn'. 3. Stem does not lessen the degree of justification. Never uses 'most ju
Causal statements
Counter Premise Indicators
Primary Objective #7
How to identify Justify the Conclusion questions