LSAT Answer Arrangements

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.

Reading for Structure

High school and college have trained most of us to focus on the details and thematic elements of passages when reading. However, rarely are students trained to analyze the function that individual sentences play in the context of an entire argument. For this reason, many test takers find reading for structure, identifying the role played by individual pieces of the argument, to be difficult. Both the logical reasoning and reading comprehension sections of the LSAT will contain several questions whose credited answers will hinge on a test taker's ability to correctly apply this skill-set.

Developing the ability to read for structure first requires an understanding of the possible functions played by the elements of LSAT reading comprehension and logical reasoning passages, and thereafter targeted exercises to improve this ability.

Structure of LSAT Passages

The constituent parts of each LSAT logical reasoning or reading comprehension passage will play one of the following five roles:

Premises. These are pieces of information offered by the passage author which support the main conclusion of the argument.

Supporting Conclusions. These are subsidiary conclusions are additional premises which have been offered by an author in support of a main conclusion.

The Main Conclusion. The main conclusion of the argument, also known as the main point of the argument, is the final assertion presented by an author toward which all other premises and supporting conclusions are designed to support. This is not necessarily the final sentence of the argument and may occur at the beginning of the passage.

Opposing Conclusion. This is an assertion which draws a conclusion which differs partly or fully from the main conclusion of the argument. Premises may be presented which support this conclusion.

Floating Information. These are general facts that are presented that may or may not support a particular argument. However, its purpose in being presented is not to directly support one conclusion or another.

The following example contains each information type:

"17 teams have won the NBA championship since 1972. However, the greatest among these teams is the Utah Jazz. Because the Utah Jazz have not won a single NBA championship, some would conclude that the Utah Jazz are not the greatest NBA team. However, the Jazz have the loudest stadium in the NBA, and the oldest coach in the NBA who simply will not leave this team or its community. Undoubtedly, this means that the Jazz and their fans must have the most “heart” of anyone in the NBA. Also, two of the best players in the NBA have played for the Jazz, Karl Malone and John Stockton. Finally, Deron Williams may be the best point guard in the world. With all of this evidence, who could argue against my conclusion?"

The first sentence in the example above is general floating information, it is not used in support of a particular position. The second sentence is the main conclusion of the argument, the author’s purpose in crafting this passage is to make the argument that the Jazz are the greatest team in the NBA. The next sentence contains the opposing conclusion that the Jazz are not the greatest team in the NBA and a premise designed to support this conclusion. The next sentence features a set of facts which serve as supporting premises to the main conclusion. Following these facts is a supporting conclusion, that the Jazz’s fans have the most heart of any team in the NBA. Notice that the information contained within also serves as a premise to support the main conclusion of the argument. The next two sentences contain additional supporting premises and the final sentence contains more floating information.

Targeted Improvement

When your mind subconsciously identifies these structural elements as you focus on detail, you are where you need to be. The best way to get to this point is to review logical reasoning and reading comprehension sections you've already completed. For every passage, identify and annotate the role played by each sentence in the argument according to the classification system above. Do not do this on actual tests, instead train your brain to automatically identify each of these elements during review of old materials. As you do this, you will develop your ability to read for structure.