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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. Occurs when an author attempts to attack an opponent's position by ignoring the actual statements made by the opposing speaker and instead distorts and refashions the argument - making it weaker in the process. Often prephrased by 'what you're saying
Mistaken Reversal
Resolve the Paradox question stem features
Straw Man
Conclusion Identification Method
2. Percent - proportion - fraction - ratio - incidence - likelihood - probability - segment - share. n
Assumptions and causality: typical correct answer categories
One of the most commonly used stimulus structures is what? How are they recognized?
False analogy
Words used to introduce percentage ideas
3. 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
Time shift errors
LSAT Definition of 'either/or'
Numbers and percentages Common misconceptions
Fundamental rules for strengthen - justify the conclusion and assumption questions
4. 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
Resolve the Paradox question stem features
Necessary Condition
Prephrasing Method of Reasoning questions
2 speaker questions
5. They h ave failed to fully and accurately identify the conclusion of the argument. If a conclusion is present - you MUST identify it prior to proceeding on to the question stem.
Counter Premise Indicators
What is the biggest reason students miss questions?
What to do when a stimulus that contains conditional reasoning is combined with a must be true question stem
Internal contradiction AKA self contradiction
6. Stimulus (accepted) --/-> answer choices (affected or determined) cannot be true.
Time shift errors
Words used to introduce numerical ideas
Primary Objective #4
Family #4: Disprove
7. Stimulus (affected or determined)--/-> answer choices (accepted) Negative sign on the arrow reflects attacking or hurting the argument (weaken).
Family #3: Hurt
Fact test for Method of Reasoning questions
Primary Objective #2
Fundamental rules for strengthen - justify the conclusion and assumption questions
8. Mistaken negation and reversal exp: taking the non-existence of something as evidence that a necessary precondition for that thing also did not exist' (MN) 'mistakes being sufficient to justify punishment for being required to justify it' (MR)n
Family #2: Help
Errors of conditional reasoning
Justify the conclusion formula
Primary Objective #4
9. 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
How to strengthen an argument
Necessary Condition
How to solve Justify questions mechanistically
Primary Objective #4
10. 1. The info in the stimulus is supect. There are often reasoning errors present - and you will further weaken the argument in some way. 2. The answer choices are accepted as given - even if they include 'new' info. The task is to determine which answ
Counter Premise Indicators
Premise definition
What to do when a stimulus that contains conditional reasoning is combined with a must be true question stem
Rules for Family #3
11. Stimulus (affected or determined) ---> answer choices (accepted) AKA: Help Family assumption - justify the conclusion - strengthen/support - resolve the paradox.
Exceptional case/over generalization
Words used to introduce percentage ideas
Incorrect answers in Point at Issue questions
Family #2: Help
12. 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
Rules for Family #1
Incorrect Method of Reasoning answers
False analogy
Quantity indicators
13. Separate the answer choices into 'contenders' and 'loser'. After completing this process - review the contenders and decide which answer correct.
Primary Objective #8
Primary Objective #4
Primary Objective #1
Internal contradiction AKA self contradiction
14. 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
Assumption Negation Technique
Primary Objective #7
How to determine the strength of an argument
Causal statements
15. Negates both conditions - creating a statement that does not have to be true. Given: A+ --> Study Mistaken Negation: Not A+ --> Not Study
Mistaken Negation
Typical assumption question stems
Survey errors
How to strengthen an argument
16. 1. assuming a causal relationship on the basis of the sequence of events 2. assuming a causal relationship when only a correlation exists 3. failure to consider an alternate cause for the effect or an alternate cause for both the cause and the effect
What to do when a stimulus that contains conditional reasoning is combined with a must be true question stem
Conclusion definition
Things to remember in regards to WEAKEN questions
Mistaken cause and effect
17. 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
Primary Objective #9
Time shift errors
Quantity indicators
Appeal Fallacies
18. 1. Whatever term is modified by 'unless' - 'except' - 'until' or 'without' becomes the necessary condition 2. The remaining term is negated and becomes the sufficient condition.
Weakening conditional reasoning
LSAT Conclusion trick for Method AP questions
the unless equation (conditional reasoning)
Justify the conclusion formula
19. Prephrase: after reading the question stem - take a moment to mentally formulate your answer to the question stem.
Family #2: Help
Primary Objective #6
Conclusion definition
Primary Objective #8
20. 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
Mistaken cause and effect
Exceptional case/over generalization
Primary Objective #5
One of the most commonly used stimulus structures is what? How are they recognized?
21. 1. The survey uses a biased sample 2. The survey questions are improperly constructed 3. Respondents to the survey give inaccurate responses. People do not always tell the truth when responding to surveys.n
Survey errors
Premise definition
Family #1: Prove
Resolve the Paradox question stem features
22. 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
Primary Objective #4
Conclusion Identification Method
Mistaken Reversal
23. 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
3 logical features of conditional reasoning
How to approach causality and strengthen questions?
Rules for Family #2
3 quirks of assumption question answer choices
24. 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
How to solve Justify questions mechanistically
'Additional' Premise Indicators
Conclusion Identification Method
Rules for Family #2
25. 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
Conclusion definition
Time shift errors
False dilemma
General lack of relevant evidence for the conclusion
26. An event or circumstance whose occurrence indicates that a necessary condition must also occur.
Sufficient Condition
'Additional' Premise Indicators
Fundamental rules for strengthen - justify the conclusion and assumption questions
Common weakening scenarios
27. Refer to the amount or quantity in the relationship. Examples: (do not need to memorize) all - every - most - many - several - sole - only - not all - none - few.
Quantity indicators
False analogy
Premise Indicators
3 incorrect answer traps (weaken)
28. 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
Words used to introduce percentage ideas
Rules for Family #2
Justify the conclusion formula
Weaken question signal words
29. Thus - therefore - hence - consequently - as a result - so - accordingly - clearly - must be that - shows that - conclude that - follows that - for this reason.
What to do when a stimulus that contains conditional reasoning is combined with a must be true question stem
How to approach causality and strengthen questions?
What is the biggest reason students miss questions?
Conclusion Indicators
30. 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
Errors of composition and division
3 incorrect answer traps (weaken)
Conclusion Identification Method
How to attack a causal conclusion
31. Assumes that only 2 courses of action are available when there may be others. n
Method of Reasoning
False dilemma
Premise Indicators
Quantity indicators
32. 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
Mistaken Negation
Fact test for Method of Reasoning questions
Premise Indicators
3 quirks of assumption question answer choices
33. 1. if you recognize the form of reasoning used in the stimulus (causal - conditional - etc.) immediately attack the answers and search for the answer with similar reasoning (analogy - circular reasoning) 2. The Conclusion - match the conclusions - to
Resolve the Paradox question stem features
Incorrect answers in Point at Issue questions
the unless equation (conditional reasoning)
Solving Parallel Reasoning questions in the order stated
34. If all 5 answer choices appear to be 'losers' - return to the stimulus and re-evaluate the argument.
LSAT Definition of 'either/or'
Quantity indicators
Primary Objective #9
How to determine the strength of an argument
35. Carefully read and identify the question stem. DO NOT assume that certain words are automatically associated with certain questions types.
What is the biggest reason students miss questions?
Primary Objective #5
Primary Objective #6
2 speaker questions
36. 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
Method of Reasoning
Source argument AKA ad hominen
Conclusion definition
3 logical features of conditional reasoning
37. 1. Stimulus will contain an argument. Must isolate and identify and assess the premises and the conclusion. 2. Focus on the conclusion. Almost all correct Weaken answers impact the conclusion. 3. The info in the stimulus is suspect. There are often r
Main Point Questions
Causal statements
Things to remember in regards to WEAKEN questions
Words used to introduce percentage ideas
38. Determine whether the stimulus contains an argument or if it is only a set of factual statements. MUST recognize whether a conclusion is present.
Common features of Resolve the Paradox
LSAT Definition of 'either/or'
Family #3: Hurt
Primary Objective #1
39. 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
Internal contradiction AKA self contradiction
False analogy
How to strengthen an argument
Circular reasoning
40. Involves judgements made about groups and parts of a group. an error or composition occurs when the author attributes a characteristic of part of the group to the group as a whole or to each member of the group Error of division - author attributes c
3 logical features of conditional reasoning
Errors of composition and division
Conclusion Identification Method
Fundamental rules for strengthen - justify the conclusion and assumption questions
41. Amount - quantity - sum - total - count - tally.n
Words used to introduce numerical ideas
How to attack a causal conclusion
Strengthen questions ask you to identify the answer choice that best supports the argument. 2 common features
Survey errors
42. 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
Rules for Family #1
Resolve the Paradox question stem features
General lack of relevant evidence for the conclusion
Method of Reasoning
43. Mis-assessing the force of evidence is a frequent error committed by LSAT authors 1. Lack of evidence for a position is taken to prove that position is false 2. lack of evidence against a position is taken to prove that position is true 3. some evide
Assumptions and conditionality: the two types of answer choices normally produced are?
Rules for Family #3
Errors in the use of evidence
Appeal Fallacies
44. 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.
Errors of composition and division
Family #1: Prove
2 roles played by assumptions
Conclusion Identification Method
45. 1. The stem uses the word strengthen or a synonym (support - helps - most justifies) 2. The stem indicates that you should accept the answer choices are true.
Typical assumption question stems
Strengthen questions ask you to identify the answer choice that best supports the argument. 2 common features
Things to remember in regards to WEAKEN questions
Words used to introduce percentage ideas
46. If the stimulus contains an argument - determine whether the argument is strong or weak.
Primary Objective #3
'Additional' Premise Indicators
Errors of conditional reasoning
Assumptions and conditionality: the two types of answer choices normally produced are?
47. Premises + answer choice = conclusion When approaching answers - separate them into winners and losers - then apply the justify formula.
Primary Objective #3
3 quirks of assumption question answer choices
Central assumption of causal conclusions
Justify the conclusion formula
48. Then - only - only if - must - required - unless - except - until - without.
Words used to introduce a necessary condition
Uncertain use of a term or concept
LSAT Definition of 'either/or'
Assumptions and conditionality: the two types of answer choices normally produced are?
49. 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.
Mistaken cause and effect
Conclusion definition
False analogy
Words used to introduce cause and effect relationships. (memorize)
50. Introduce something that actually contains an idea that is counter to the argument. By raising opposition - the author can minimize the damage that would be done by the objection if it were raised elsewhere. but yet - however - on the other hand - ad
Incorrect answers in Point at Issue questions
Quantity indicators
Counter Premise Indicators
Circular reasoning