The Analytical Reasoning (Logic Games) section of the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is notorious for its various question types, and one of them is the Selection question. In Selection questions, test-takers are required to choose a certain number of elements from a given group, adhering to specific rules or conditions. Mastering this question type involves careful deduction and selecting the right combination of elements that satisfy the given criteria. Let’s delve into an overview of Selection questions, along with two examples and a step-by-step walkthrough of how to solve them.
LSAT Logic Games – Selection Games
Selection questions in the LSAT Logic Games section challenge test-takers to choose a specified number of elements from a set, following certain conditions or limitations. The conditions may dictate the number of elements to be selected, their order, or their relationship with other elements. Your task is to identify the correct combination of elements that meets the given criteria.
Example:
A group of seven students—Alice, Ben, Chloe, David, Emma, Frank, and Gina—are participating in a debate competition. They are assigned to speak on three topics: Law, Politics, and Environment. You have the following clues:
- Emma and Ben are speaking on different topics.
- Gina and Frank are both speaking on Politics.
- Chloe is speaking on Environment.
- David is not speaking with Gina.
- Alice is speaking on Law.
Select three students for each topic.
diagramming the example – selection games
Step 1: Understand the Rules Read the clues carefully and identify the rules or conditions that dictate how the students are assigned to the topics.
In the example, we have clues about the topics each student is speaking on and some restrictions regarding who can speak on the same topic.
Step 2: Create a Grid or Diagram Create a grid or diagram to visualize the possible selections and start organizing the information.
Law | Politics | Environment
---------------------------------------
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Step 3: Apply the Rules Use the information from the clues to start filling in the grid with any definite selections.
- From clue 5, Alice is speaking on Law.
- From clue 3, Chloe is speaking on Environment.
Law | Politics | Environment
---------------------------------------
Alice | | Chloe
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
Step 4: Make Deductions Use the clues to make deductions and fill in more selections.
- From clue 2, Gina and Frank are both speaking on Politics.
Law | Politics | Environment
---------------------------------------
Alice | Gina/Frank | Chloe
| Gina/Frank |
| Gina/Frank |
| Gina/Frank |
| |
| |
Step 5: Complete the Grid Continue applying the rules and making deductions until you have all the selections.
- From clue 4, David is not speaking with Gina, so David is speaking on Law.
Law | Politics | Environment
---------------------------------------
Alice | Gina/Frank | Chloe
David | Gina/Frank |
| Gina/Frank |
| Gina/Frank |
| |
| |
Step 6: Finalize the Selections Fill in the last selections based on the remaining information.
- From clue 1, Emma and Ben are speaking on different topics, so Emma is speaking on Politics.
Law | Politics | Environment
---------------------------------------
Alice | Gina/Frank | Chloe
David | Gina/Frank |
Emma | Gina/Frank |
| |
| |
| |
Selection questions in the LSAT Logic Games section require careful deduction and organization of the given information. By following a systematic approach and applying the provided rules, test-takers can confidently select the elements that satisfy the given criteria, quickly create a concise diagrem to refer back to and effectively tackle these types of questions in the LSAT.