LSAT Analytical Reasoning Syllabus

Analytical Reasoning syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Analytical Reasoning in LSAT, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Understanding Logic Games

   3 topics

   • Types of Logic Games
   • Game Setup and Diagrams
   • Rules and Constraints
2. 2

   Game Types

   4 topics

   • Sequencing Games
   • Grouping Games
   • Matching Games
   • Hybrid Games
3. 3

   Strategies for Solving Logic Games

   3 topics

   • Diagramming Techniques
   • Inference Making
   • Question Prioritization

Analytical Reasoning flashcards for LSAT

20 of 50 cards from the Analytical Reasoning deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In LSAT Analytical Reasoning, what is a "logic game"?

   A self-contained puzzle consisting of a scenario (setup), a fixed set of variables, a list of rules (constraints), and a series of questions that test your ability to draw valid deductions about how the variables can be arranged.

2. What are the four main categories of LSAT logic games?

   Sequencing (ordering), Grouping (in/out or distribution), Matching (assigning attributes to entities), and Hybrid (a combination of two or more basic types).

3. What distinguishes a Sequencing game from a Grouping game?

   Sequencing games arrange variables in a relative or fixed order (positions matter), while Grouping games sort variables into groups or categories (membership matters, not order).

4. What is the difference between a "balanced" and an "unbalanced" game?

   In a balanced game the number of variables equals the number of available slots; in an unbalanced game they differ (overloaded = more variables than slots; underloaded = fewer variables than slots).

5. What is the recommended first step when setting up any logic game?

   Read the scenario carefully to identify the game type, list the variables (usually by first letter), and draw a base diagram representing the slots or groups before reading the rules.

6. What is a "master sketch" or main diagram in a logic game?

   The primary visual representation of the game's base (slots, groups, or a grid) onto which the rules and inferences are recorded, serving as the reference for answering questions.

7. Why should you symbolize rules rather than reread them in prose?

   Symbolic notation is faster to scan, makes combining rules to find inferences easier, and reduces misreading; it converts the constraints into a visual form you can apply directly to the diagram.

8. How do you diagram the sequencing rule "A is before B"?

   As $A \to B$ (or A ... B), meaning A occupies an earlier position than B, without specifying how many spaces apart they are.

9. How do you diagram "A is immediately before B" in a sequencing game?

   As a block: $\boxed{AB}$, indicating A and B are adjacent with A directly preceding B and no variable between them.

10. What does the notation $A \to B$ mean as a conditional (grouping) rule, and what is its contrapositive?

    It means "if A is selected then B is selected." The contrapositive is $\lnot B \to \lnot A$: if B is not selected, then A is not selected.

11. How do you form the contrapositive of a conditional statement?

    Negate both terms and reverse their order: $A \to B$ becomes $\lnot B \to \lnot A$. The contrapositive is logically equivalent to the original.

12. How is a biconditional rule such as "A is selected if and only if B is selected" diagrammed?

    As $A \leftrightarrow B$, meaning A and B are always together: both in or both out ($A \to B$ and $B \to A$, plus $\lnot A \to \lnot B$ and $\lnot B \to \lnot A$).

13. How do you diagram the rule "either A or B, but not both" (exclusive or)?

    As $A \leftrightarrow \lnot B$ (equivalently $\lnot A \leftrightarrow B$): exactly one of the two is selected, so they can never be in or out together.

14. What is a "not-law" (or not-rule) in a sequencing diagram?

    A notation placed under a slot indicating a variable that cannot occupy that position, derived from the rules (e.g., if A is always after B, then A cannot be first).

15. If the rule is $A \to B$ (A earlier than B) in an ordered line, what not-laws follow for the endpoints?

    A can never be last and B can never be first, so mark a not-law for A under the last slot and for B under the first slot.

16. In a grouping game, what does a "conditional chain" allow you to infer?

    You can link conditionals transitively: from $A \to B$ and $B \to C$ you infer $A \to C$, and the contrapositive $\lnot C \to \lnot A$.

17. What common error occurs when combining $A \to B$ with another rule about B?

    Illicitly reversing or negating: $A \to B$ does NOT yield $B \to A$ (converse) or $\lnot A \to \lnot B$ (inverse); only the contrapositive $\lnot B \to \lnot A$ is valid.

18. What is a "defined" grouping game versus an "undefined" one?

    In a defined game the exact number of variables in each group is fixed; in an undefined game the group sizes are not fixed (e.g., "select at least one"), so numerical distribution must be tracked.

19. What is a numerical distribution in a grouping game?

    An enumeration of the possible ways variables can be split across groups by count (e.g., a 6-into-2-groups game might allow distributions of 4-2, 3-3, or 2-4), which constrains and speeds up deductions.

20. In Matching games, what is being determined?

    Which attributes or characteristics (e.g., colors, days, prices) are assigned to each entity; entities may receive one or several attributes, and attributes may repeat across entities.

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