LSAT PrepTest 44 Section 3 Question 22 Explanation | Logic Games

I didn't write the following blog post. It was already on the blog when I took over the URL. The following blog post may contain mistakes. -Steve

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This Logic Games question is from the October 2004 LSAT.

Now, let's create a diagram using the same symbols as on our last Games question, Question 8. The symbols are XYZ and the diagram, a simple table as always, has the days of the week in it (R = Thursday). Let's go through the answer choices and eliminate them one by one. We'll see if we can make one of them work, starting with A, which has Monday as the only day she parks at a $10 lot. The dollar pattern must be, given the rules (R = 15, W > F):

M | T | W | R | F |
10 | 12| 15| 15| 12|

Now, can we assign the letters XYZ in accordance with the rules? X = 10 can't be true, since it must be more than Z. If X = 10 isn't true, there's no way for her to park at Z more than X (since if X were 15 or 12, , there is no number Z could be assigned to that has more instances, as the rules require). So we'll scratch A and try B, with the only day at a $10 lot being Tuesday.


M | T | W | R | F |
12 | 10| 15| 15| 12|

Can we assign XYZ in accordance with the rules? X = 10 can't be true, nor can X = 12 (since there must be more instances of Z than X), nor can X = 15. Scratch B, since it provides no place for X, and move on to C, with Monday and Tuesday being $10 days:


M | T | W | R | F |
10 | 10| 15| 15| 12|

Can we assign XYZ and fit the rules? Sure, X = 12 can be true if Z = 10 and Y = 15, so that there are more instances of Z than X and the other rules are followed. So C is correct.

What we did here was a form of trial and error, the main way in which Games questions are solved. If our Question 8 diagrams had included any of the possibilities in these answer choices, we could've answered the question right there, but we weren't so lucky. So, we just go through the answer choices.

Remember:

1) Try to re-use old diagrams from previous questions in the game if you can. Here, we could not, but sometimes they will answer the questions for you.

2) Use a table with symbols in it as your diagram that will help you answer the questions.

3) If you don't see a simpler way quickly, start going through the answer choices to eliminate them and find the one that works.