Knowing the common answer arrangements which appear on the LSAT help to increase test-taking speed and accuracy. The following answer arrangement types are found in the reading comprehension and logical reasoning sections:
1. Two contenders. Three of the answer choices will be wrong for obvious reasons. Two seem plausible and one is correct. This answer arrangement is the most common on the LSAT. The test makers expect a skilled test taker to naturally eliminate the three clearly wrong answer choices. Therefore, do not dwell on the easily eliminated choices and move on to the two contenders. The quickest way to solve at this point is to find a reason to eliminate one of the remaining contenders rather than prove one is right. Reexamine the passage and find a clear reason to eliminate one of the two answers.
2. Four easy wrong answers, one difficult right answer. In this answer arrangement, you are being tested on your ability to eliminate incorrect answers rather than identify the right answer. The correct answer will be worded in a difficult or abstract way. Instead, you simply have to have clear reasons to eliminate each of the wrong answers and move on. As long as you have clear reasons for eliminating each wrong answer, do not dwell on the hard-to-understand right answer.
3. Four difficult wrong answers, one easy right answer. If you find that most of the answer choices are hard to comprehend, the question may employ this arrangement. If this is the case, scan through all of the answer choices quickly and find the right answer, which should be easy to comprehend and qualify as the correct answer. Do not dwell on the difficult to understand answer choices. Instead, simply select the obviously right answer choice and move on.
4. Difficult passage, easy answer. Many times the passage itself will seem convoluted or impossible to comprehend. Correct answers in this case are usually easy to identify. In a logical reasoning passage employing this pattern, force yourself to read through the material and all of the answer choices. Even though the material may have seemed initially dense, several of the answer choices will likely be unrelated to the problem and the correct answer choice will be clear. In these instances, have faith in your ability to get through the material.
If during the reading comprehension section you find a passage whose topic you are unfamiliar with, or is densely constructed, I would likewise push through to the end of the passage and maintain as much focus as possible. This is especially true for passages with science-related topics. Remember that most LSAT test takers do not have a science-related background and the test makers expect test takers to slow down and struggle with such a passage. Therefore, it is likely that the questions following the passage will be simple or not ask for significant detail in response. Those students who do not give up and quickly read the passages in their entirety will be rewarded on the LSAT.
5. Easy passage, difficult answer. Just because an LSAT passage is easy to read does not mean that the correct answer choice will be likewise be easy to identify. Sometimes with very easy passages, three or more contending answer choices may be presented. In this case, take the time to compare each of the answer choices to the original passage and find reasons to eliminate all but the right answer choice.
6. Easy passage, easy answer. Finally, remember that not every problem on the LSAT will be overly convoluted. Many times the first or second question after a reading comprehension passage and some of the first ten questions in the logical reasoning section will be simply and direct. If you can correctly identify a reason for the a particular answer being correct and no other contenders arise, simply select the answer and move on to the end of the problem.
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