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LSAT Logic Games Categorized by Type

LSAT Blog Logic Games Categorized TypesI've categorized all Logic Games from PrepTests 19-38 (see where to get them in book recommendations).

I've organized games both by type and by PrepTest. This is useful if you want to easily find several games of similar types.

(You can also find LSAT Logic Games categorizations for LSAT PrepTests 39-51 (and June 2007) and LSAT PrepTests 52-present.)

I encourage my students to simply think about the categories in the broadest possible sense. After all, the game itself will tell you (indirectly) which subcategory it fits, so you won't have to consciously think about its specific subcategories.

Many test-takers freak out when they can't figure out what "type" of game they face on test day. This means it's best to rely on the game, rather than any classification system, to tell you what to do. This is especially true for "Hybrid" or "Combination" games.

I've divided "Grouping" games into :

Grouping: In-and-Out = some variables are chosen, others are not.
Grouping: Splitting = variables are divided into two different groups.
Grouping: Matching = variables of one type are associated with variables of another type.

I've placed an asterisk (*) next to games that are especially difficult. I've placed a plus (+) next to those that are especially easy. Of course, difficulty is subjective, so please leave comments! I'd also love to hear your thoughts on LG categorizations.

For more on Logic Games, also see 10 Hardest LSAT Logic Games and 7 Logic Games That Repeated.


Categorization of all games in PrepTests 19-38
Note: PrepTests 19-28 are in 10 More Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests, and PrepTests 29-38 are in The Next 10 Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests.

If your study materials refer to PrepTests by their month and year, rather than by PrepTest number, please see LSAT PrepTests and Dates Administered.

Logic Games by Classification:

Pure Sequencing
PrepTest 29, Game 3
PrepTest 29, Game 4
PrepTest 33, Game 1
PrepTest 38, Game 1

Basic Linear (tend to be much easier in 19-28 than in 29-38, so they all deserve a +)
PrepTest 19, Game 1
PrepTest 23, Game 1
PrepTest 24, Game 2
PrepTest 26, Game 2
PrepTest 27, Game 1
PrepTest 27, Game 4
PrepTest 28, Game 1
PrepTest 30, Game 4
PrepTest 31, Game 3
PrepTest 32, Game 3
PrepTest 34, Game 1
PrepTest 34, Game 2
PrepTest 34, Game 3
PrepTest 35, Game 4
PrepTest 37, Game 4

Advanced Linear (aka Combination of Linear and Grouping: Matching)
PrepTest 19, Game 2
PrepTest 20, Game 1
PrepTest 20, Game 4
PrepTest 21, Game 3
PrepTest 21, Game 4
PrepTest 22, Game 2
PrepTest 22, Game 3
PrepTest 24, Game 3
PrepTest 25, Game 4
PrepTest 26, Game 1
PrepTest 28, Game 3
PrepTest 30, Game 3
PrepTest 31, Game 1 +
PrepTest 32, Game 4
PrepTest 35, Game 3
PrepTest 36, Game 2
PrepTest 36, Game 3 *
PrepTest 36, Game 4 +
PrepTest 37, Game 2
PrepTest 38, Game 2
PrepTest 38, Game 4 *

Grouping: In-and-Out
PrepTest 20, Game 2
PrepTest 24, Game 4
PrepTest 30, Game 1 +
PrepTest 31, Game 2 *
PrepTest 32, Game 2
PrepTest 33, Game 2
PrepTest 33, Game 3 *
PrepTest 35, Game 1
PrepTest 36, Game 1

Grouping: Splitting
PrepTest 19, Game 3
PrepTest 24, Game 1 +
PrepTest 29, Game 1 +
PrepTest 34, Game 4 *

Grouping: Matching
PrepTest 19, Game 4
PrepTest 21, Game 1
PrepTest 22, Game 1 +
PrepTest 25, Game 2
PrepTest 26, Game 3
PrepTest 27, Game 3
PrepTest 28, Game 2
PrepTest 28, Game 4
PrepTest 33, Game 4 +
PrepTest 35, Game 2
PrepTest 37, Game 1
PrepTest 37, Game 3 *
PrepTest 38, Game 3

Pattern
PrepTest 20, Game 3
PrepTest 23, Game 4

Linear / Grouping: In-and-Out
PrepTest 30, Game 2
PrepTest 32, Game 1

Linear / Grouping: In-and-Out / Grouping: Matching
PrepTest 27, Game 2 *
PrepTest 31, Game 4 *

Grouping: Splitting / Grouping: In-and-Out
PrepTest 23, Game 2 *
PrepTest 23, Game 3
PrepTest 25, Game 1

Grouping: In-and-Out / Grouping: Matching
PrepTest 21, Game 2
PrepTest 26, Game 4 *
PrepTest 29, Game 2 *

Linear / Grouping: Splitting / Grouping: In-and-Out
PrepTest 22, Game 4

Linear / Grouping: Splitting
PrepTest 25, Game 3 *


***

Logic Games by PrepTest # and Date:

10 More Actual Official LSAT PrepTests contains PrepTests 19-28:

PrepTest 19 (June 1996 LSAT)
Game 1 - Basic Linear +
Game 2 - Advanced Linear
Game 3 - Grouping: Splitting
Game 4 - Grouping: Matching

PrepTest 20 (October 1996 LSAT)
Game 1 - Advanced Linear
Game 2 - Grouping: In-and-Out
Game 3 - Pattern
Game 4 - Advanced Linear

PrepTest 21 (December 1996 LSAT)
Game 1 - Grouping: Matching
Game 2 - Grouping: In-and-Out / Grouping: Matching
Game 3 - Advanced Linear
Game 4 - Advanced Linear

PrepTest 22 (June 1997 LSAT)
Game 1 - Grouping: Matching +
Game 2 - Advanced Linear
Game 3 - Advanced Linear
Game 4 - Linear / Grouping: Splitting / Grouping: In-and-Out

PrepTest 23 (October 1997 LSAT)
Game 1 - Basic Linear +
Game 2 - Grouping: Splitting / Grouping: In-and-Out *
Game 3 - Grouping: Splitting / Grouping: In-and-Out
Game 4 - Pattern

PrepTest 24 (December 1997 LSAT)
Game 1 - Grouping: Splitting +
Game 2 - Basic Linear +
Game 3 - Advanced Linear
Game 4 - Grouping: In-and-Out

PrepTest 25 (June 1998 LSAT)
Game 1 - Grouping: Splitting / Grouping: In-and-Out
Game 2 - Grouping: Matching
Game 3 - Linear / Grouping: Splitting *
Game 4 - Advanced Linear

PrepTest 26 (September 1998 LSAT)
Game 1 - Advanced Linear
Game 2 - Basic Linear +
Game 3 - Grouping: Matching
Game 4 - Grouping: In-and-Out / Grouping: Matching *

PrepTest 27 (December 1998 LSAT)
Game 1 - Basic Linear +
Game 2 - Linear / Grouping: In-and-Out / Grouping: Matching *
Game 3 - Grouping: Matching
Game 4 - Basic Linear +

PrepTest 28 (June 1999 LSAT)
Game 1 - Basic Linear +
Game 2 - Grouping: Matching
Game 3 - Advanced Linear
Game 4 - Grouping: Matching

***

The Next 10 Actual Official LSAT PrepTests contains PrepTests 29-38:

PrepTest 29 (October 1999 LSAT)
Game 1 - Grouping: Splitting +
Game 2 - Grouping: In-and-Out / Grouping: Matching *
Game 3 - Pure Sequencing
Game 4 - Pure Sequencing

PrepTest 30 (December 1999 LSAT)
Game 1 - Grouping: In-and-Out +
Game 2 - Linear / Grouping: In-and-Out
Game 3 - Advanced Linear
Game 4 - Basic Linear

PrepTest 31 (June 2000 LSAT)
Game 1 - Advanced Linear +
Game 2 - Grouping: In-and-Out *
Game 3 - Basic Linear
Game 4 - Linear / Grouping: In-and-Out / Grouping: Matching *

PrepTest 32 (October 2000 LSAT)
Game 1 - Linear / Grouping: In-and-Out
Game 2 - Grouping: In-and-Out
Game 3 - Basic Linear
Game 4 - Advanced Linear

PrepTest 33 (December 2000 LSAT)
Game 1 - Pure Sequencing
Game 2 - Grouping: In-and-Out
Game 3 - Grouping: In-and-Out *
Game 4 - Matching +

PrepTest 34 (June 2001 LSAT)
Game 1 - Basic Linear
Game 2 - Basic Linear
Game 3 - Basic Linear
Game 4 - Grouping: Splitting *

PrepTest 35 (October 2001 LSAT)
Game 1 - Grouping: In-and-Out
Game 2 - Grouping: Matching
Game 3 - Advanced Linear
Game 4 - Basic Linear

PrepTest 36 (December 2001 LSAT)
Game 1 - Grouping: In-and-Out
Game 2 - Advanced Linear
Game 3 - Advanced Linear *
Game 4 - Advanced Linear +

PrepTest 37 (June 2002 LSAT)
Game 1 - Grouping: Matching
Game 2 - Advanced Linear
Game 3 - Grouping: Matching *
Game 4 - Basic Linear

PrepTest 38 (October 2002 LSAT)
Game 1 - Pure Sequencing
Game 2 - Advanced Linear
Game 3 - Grouping: Matching
Game 4 - Advanced Linear *

***

Photo by pintuck

30 comments:

  1. Hey Steve,

    Thanks, as always, for your amazing help and enthusiasm. Since you're offering these tips for free, the least we can do is show our gratitude!

    A friend who recently studied for the LSATs recommended making several xeroxes of the LSAT games and tackling them by type/group. I'm going to be using your groupings, because, I agree, the Games Bible's categorizations of grouping games are needlessly complex.

    Cheers, and thanks again,
    A.P.

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  2. Thank you...and like the person above mentioned I think your grouping type is really helpful! I'm going to go over them and see how well I do on those particular categories so I know what I need to do to improve in LG.

    AC

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  3. I'm curious what to do about the categories for the PrepTests after 38, which I'll be using as full-test practice later in my studying schedule. I'm following your 3-month schedule for the December exam in 10 months, so I'm starting the logic questions today. Should I just expect it to be self-explanatory by that point? I could see how it could be, but thought I'd check.

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  4. how do you set up preptest 20 dec 1999 games 1 and 2?

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  5. I am confused as to game 3 of preptest 38. I can't see to make a crucial inference for an easier way to do the game. I just seem to end up having to write out numerous situations for each question. This is the only game I have not been able to tackle in a while, partially because the preptests do not give explanations. Can you give me a bit of insight on this game. I am really struggling on it and I am due to take the LSAT saturday. Any help would be great! Thanks!

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  6. I'm sorry I meant preptest 36 game 3. I'm going to look it over again. But I still help. Anyone got anything for me?

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  7. Hi Steve,

    I am going through your Logic Games Classification list and noticed the type of question that I am getting wrong. It is the question's that ask what COULD BE TRUE?

    for example PT 27, G1 #6;
    PT 30, G4 #23;
    PT 31 G3 #17

    For instance for PT 31, G3 #17.
    it asks if in the week's tour schedule the division that is toured on Monday is not the division that is toured on Tuesday, then which one of the following could be true of the week's schedule? I can eliminate B... but A,C,D,and E look like it could be true and none seem like it must be true? what am i not seeing?

    do i also look for not necessarily true answers to eliminate? i think i'm confused with that also. are Not necessarily true's equivalent to Could be true's?

    Thanks for any help you can offer Steve!

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  8. You can eliminate the 4 that cannot be true (must be false), or just look for the one that is possible. Easiest to look for the one that is possible - ideally by using previous work or by quickly drawing out several options.

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  9. Is there any particular reason why you disregard the LSAT PT's leading up to #19?

    As those before me have correctly pointed out, your efforts to educate and prepare us for this exam are extraordinary.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Glad you're enjoying the blog!

    I disregard them because they're less relevant. However, I may categorize them at some point in the future.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Phew. Haha. I have another question: in your 4 month study plan, you want us to do every linear game in preptests 29-38, does that include the linear / grouping games and any other combinations of linear w/ something else?

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  12. Those would be under combination games, which are week 3 in the schedule.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Awesome. Thanks, Steve. I know you probably get this a lot, but you rock. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hey steve,

    I just finished doing test 31 game 4 and although I got all the questions right i took me more than twenty minutes as I drew out the 2 templates for a two day scenario and the 5 templates for a three day scenario, and it still took some time answering the 2 list questions as there were so many dual slots. What would be a more time efficient way of setting up this game?
    Thank you again (as always) for all the incredible (free!) help that you give!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Gavin,

    I'm sorry, but I'm not able to satisfy requests to explain particular LSAT questions. Writing an explanation of any LSAT question takes a great deal of time. I offer LSAT tutoring for a living, so my students' needs and questions must take precedence. I also write blog posts each week, which will help everyone who reads and subscribes to the blog.

    If you'd like in-person or distance tutoring, please email me, and I'll send you more details. Thanks for understanding.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I think I'm the worst LSAT taker in the world. I've taken the LSAT twice and now I'm going to take it for the third time! My scores average 140 and I think that the test is now more of a personality test rather than a test for law school. I feel like I'm stuck in a closet and can't get out. I'm going to try your methods and your free tutoring. I'm praying for a breakthrough! HELP!

    ReplyDelete
  17. As I was checking my answers on Prep test 26, game 4, I was confused with questions 19 and 24. Number 19 asks who can serve on the panel in the first year and Zapora is listed in every answer choice. Questions 24 asks which must be true and the answer says Zapora is on the panel in the second year. If Zapora is always on the panel in the second year, then how could Zapora be on the panel in the first year like question 19 states??

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  18. Hi Steve, thanks so much for putting together such an incredible resource for us! I really appreciate it. I have a question about categorizations: I totally agree that Powerscore tends to over-classify to the point that it hinders instead of helps, both with logical reasoning and with logic games. Your logic game categories are more intuitive and simpler. I'm just wondering if there's a reason splitting is only limited to two groups. Is it rare for the variables to be split into three or more groups? If splitting is just two groups, then isn't In-and-Out the same thing? One in-group + one out-group = two groups, although I know most people don't keep track of/diagram the out-group.
    Also, any tips for how to tell whether a game is pure sequencing as opposed to basic linear would be really appreciated.
    Anyway, thanks for this entire site! This is all incredibly generous of you :)

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  19. and if you can help me with stuff like that ill take distant tutoring because i obviously need it so please send me some details how we can do that

    ReplyDelete
  20. @Anonymous 7/3 - I'm sorry, but I can't write explanations for particular LSAT questions on request.

    Writing an explanation of any LSAT question takes a great deal of time, and my students' needs and questions must take precedence. I also write blog posts each week, which will help everyone who reads and subscribes to the blog.

    If you'd like tutoring (I do offer distance tutoring, so it's okay if you're not in NYC), please let me know, and I'll send you more details.

    Thanks for understanding.


    @FG - The difference between In-Out and Splitting is that in Splitting, things that can't be together can't be together in either group. In In-Out games, things that can't be together "In" could both still be "together" "Out". It's an incredibly-important difference.

    Games that divide variables into 3 or more groups but have no ordering component would be Matching games.

    In Pure Sequencing games, the rules are primarily relational (before/after). In Basic Linear games, at least some rules refer to specific placements (like "R must be in slot 5").


    @dashmoney - I'd diagram the rule like this: F/R - X - X - R/F (to indicate there are at least two variables between them).

    I'd be glad to help you with Logic Games. You may email me for tutoring details at LSATUnplugged at gmail dot com (I don't have your email address).

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  21. Hey Steve... is it me or are the Advanced Linear games from PrepTests 19-28 a little on the onorthodax side? I am doing them UNTIMED right now but there is that one rule that is pretty tricky to understand from the others in the more recent PrepTests.

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  22. Thank you so much for giving your time to put this together. Is there anywhere that categorizes the games from Preptest A in the Superprep? I got almost every question right on that test but the ones in the third game. If I could see what kind it was I might have a starting point for diagramming it. I know you can't explain how to do the question, but perhaps I am just missing where the categories for that test are listed?

    It is the 3 groups within the variable to be sequenced that I don't know how to diagram. I also have not yet figured out a good shorthand for "next to" when it is talking about members of groups being next to each other or not, as opposed to just individuals. AB or BA works for that, but "no (ABC)(DEF) and no (DEF)(ABC)" seems to clunky to be practical.

    Thanks again!

    - Annie

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  23. So I love how you just pointed out how ridiculous LGB's explanations of "classifying questions" is...bah! That's all I have to say...I've fallen behind from being all turned around with that section-I'm debating skipping it. I've sped through a few things I already feel I understand since I've take Kaplan's class already...so far, your study guide is awesome. I'm seeing more results than I did with that dumb class. I hope it's able to help me jump 20 to 30 points. I'm sticking with it! Thanks Steve!
    ~Iris

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  24. Oh gosh...Game 2 from June 2000 is apparently frequently listed as one of the hardest games of all time - but I just did that section, and although I missed a couple on game 2, they were dumb mistakes.

    But game 4? I'm having the hardest time figuring it out.

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  25. Hi Steve... I purchased your four month plan and it is going great so far.

    FYI: I'm a bit confused; I just got to game #4 (pg. 35) on test 29 and do not at all feel that this type of game has been covered yet in the assigned reading. (Number #3 definitely was covered, on page 34, but not this game....) It looks like #4 is a combination of sequencing and something else...it would be impossible to complete it just using the knowledge of sequencing that has been reviewed thus far in your plan. Therefore, I am going to push it forward a few days until I come across the material I need to know to complete it. Or perhaps you could give a hint of what section I should read to be able to complete it as I wanted to go in exact order of your schedule. :) This is throwing me off a bit! I'd rather attempt it after reading about it in the LGB.

    thanks!

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  26. @John, I felt the same way. My advice: You CAN do well on the LSAT as you have made it this far in your educational endeavors to even apply for the LSAT. In order to get a different result, you must do something different. I would reevaluate your study methods, materials, and tools. I think you should also give yourself enough time to take your time and grasp the concepts so that when you take the LSAT you will be able to conquer the questions almost instinctively. Find your areas in which you need great improvement and have laser beam focus. But no matter what, Do not give up!

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  27. Thanks, Steve. I'm wrapping up the first four weeks of the 4-month day-by-day. It's taken me five weeks, but I'm okay with that.

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  28. Steve, how does Powerscore's circular linearity and mapping fit into your classification system?

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  29. Hi,

    I just started studying for the games. I would appreciate it if someone could please help me with this: When do I know a game is a basic linear game and not a pure sequencing game vice versa? Are there certain conditions ie) if it mentions something like g immediately before h or J must be first, it's automatically a basic linear instead of pure sequencing?

    Thanks a lot!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
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    ReplyDelete