LSAT Basics
What does LSAT stand for?
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Law School Admissions Test
Name 3 topics of what the questions on the LSAT measure
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Name 4 premise indicators?
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Because, Since, for, Given that, Due to, After All
Define an Assumption
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an unstated idea that must be true for the argument’s premises (evidence) to support the conclusion (claim).
It acts as the missing link connecting the evidence to what the author is trying to prove
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Is there a penalty for guessing or wrong answers on the LSAT?
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NO
What is the Score Range for the LSAT?
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120-180
All students who study consistently improve their test scores.
Maria studies consistently.
Therefore, Maria will improve her test scores.
The argument above is logically valid because it:
A) Assumes that all students want to improve their scores
B) Applies a general rule to a specific case
C) Confuses correlation with causation
D) Attacks a person instead of an idea
E) Draws a conclusion unrelated to the premises
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B. Applies a general rule to a specific case
Name 4 Conclusion Indicators?
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Therefore, Thus, Hence, So, Consequently, It follows that, Accordingly
The Reading Comprehension section only has passages relating to legal studies.
True or False
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False
How many questions are there usually in a Reading Comprehension passage?
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between 5-8?
How many Sections does the LSAT consist of IN TOTAL?
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5City officials claim that the new traffic law has reduced accidents because the number of reported car accidents has declined since the law went into effect. However, during that same time period, the city also experienced unusually severe winter weather that kept many drivers off the roads.
Which of the following, if true, most weakens the city officials’ argument?
A) The traffic law increased fines for speeding.
B) Many residents support stricter traffic regulations.
C) Severe winter weather significantly reduced the number of cars on the road.
D) Some drivers were unaware of the new traffic law.
E) The city has previously passed unsuccessful traffic laws.
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C. Severe winter weather significantly reduced the number of cars on the road.
Definition of A Premise?
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A statement that provides evidence or support for a conclusion?
What structured role does an assumption play in an argument?
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The unstated belief that allows the premises to logically support the conclusion
Which Sections makes up the largest portion of the LSAT?
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Logical Reasoning?
What is the purpose of the LSAT
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to help law schools evaluate applicants ability to think critically, analyze arguments, and read complex material-skills essential for legal education
Psychologist: Although studies of young children have revealed important facts about the influence of the environment on language acquisition, it is clear that one cannot attribute such acquisition solely to environmental influences: innate mechanisms also play a role. So, the most reasonable questions that ought to be studied is whether ________.
Which one of the following most logically completes the passage?
A. language acquisition can ever be fully explained
B. innate mechanisms are a contributing factors in language learning
C. language acquisition is solely the product of innate mechanisms
D. parents and peers are the most important influence on a. child's learning of a language
E. innate mechanisms play a more important role in language acquisition than a Childs immediate environment
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E. Innate mechanisms play a more important role in language acquisition than a Childs immediate environment
Identify the Premise(s)
Many critics argue that the city’s new zoning regulations will reduce housing affordability. However, these regulations primarily restrict large-scale luxury developments rather than multi-unit residential buildings. Since most new housing shortages stem from underdevelopment of moderately priced multi-unit complexes, the critics’ concerns are misplaced. Therefore, the new zoning regulations are unlikely to worsen housing affordability.
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1. These regulations primarily restrict large-scale luxury developments rather than multi-unit residential buildings.
2. Most new housing shortages stem from underdevelopment of moderately priced multi-unit complexes.
The city’s new transit plan aims to reduce traffic congestion by increasing the frequency of buses during peak hours. However, since most commuters in the city live in areas that are not within walking distance of a bus stop, the plan will fail to achieve its goal.
The question asks: The argument's conclusion follows logically if which one of the following is assumed?
A) Most commuters currently driving to work would prefer to take the bus if it were more convenient.
B) Commuters who do not live within walking distance of a bus stop will not use the bus system.
C) The cost of increasing bus frequency will require a significant increase in local taxes.
D) Traffic congestion is primarily caused by commuters rather than commercial vehicles.
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B
This is a Sufficient Assumption question. The argument makes a leap: it identifies a problem (no walking distance) and concludes the plan will fail. But what if people drive to a "Park and Ride"? To make the conclusion "it will fail" certain, we must assume that if they can't walk to the stop, they will not use the bus.
Why B? It bridges the gap between "not walking distance" and "not using the bus."
Which one of the following, if true, most support the claim made in the last sentence of Hasina's argument?
Hasina: Our province has enacted new workplace standards to protect employees from repetitive stress injuries. The new law requires businesses employing at least nine workers to demand specific solutions for their problems. This law should be widely enforced. If it is, it will dramatically reduce the number of repetitive stress injuries in our province.
A. Most people in the province who experience repetitive stress injuries work for businesses that have at least nine employees.
B. Recently, public awareness of repetitive stress injuries has greatly increased, and consequently the incidence of repetitive stress injury is already going down.
C. Measures are now being taken that will guarantee the wide dissemination of information about this law, as well as its consistent enforcement.
D. Some of the largest businesses in the province have already voluntarily instituted standards similar to those of the new law.
E. The new law also contains measures that will increase the likelihood that people suffering from repetitive stress injuries will report those injuries to their employers and public health officials.
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A. Most people in the province who experience repetitive stress injuries work for businesses that have at least nine employees.
Name the three impacts of a high LSAT score.
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1. Increase chances of admission
2. Improve scholarship opportunities
3. Strengthen Competitiveness at highly ranked schools
If you have no keyboarding skills at all, you will not be able to use a computer. And if you are not able to use a computer, you will not be able to write your essays using a word processing program.
if the statements above are true, which one of the following must be true?
A. If you have some keyboarding skills, you will be able to write your essays using a word processing program.
B. if you are not able to write your essays using a word processing program, you have no keyboarding skills.
C. If you are able to write your essays using a word processing program, you have at least some keyboarding skills.
D. If you are able to use a computer, you will probably be able to write your essays using a word processing program.
E. If you are not able to write your essays using a word processing program, you are not able to use a computer.
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C. If you are able to write your essays using a word processing program, you have at least some keyboarding skills.
Identify the conclusion:
Many environmentalists argue that the new hydroelectric dam will inevitably lead to a decline in the local salmon population. This concern, however, is largely misplaced. While it is true that dams can block natural migration routes, the design for this specific project includes advanced 'fish elevators' and bypass channels. Data from similar installations in other regions show that these technologies maintain historical migration levels. Therefore, the local ecosystem is unlikely to suffer the catastrophic damage that some have predicted."
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This concern, however, is largely misplaced.
Recent studies show that patients who practice meditation daily report lower levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress. Therefore, practicing meditation daily directly causes a reduction in psychological stress.
The question asks: Which of the following is an assumption required by the argument?
A) Lowering cortisol levels is the only way to reduce psychological stress.
B) People with naturally low stress levels are not more likely to practice meditation than those with high stress levels.
C) Most people who meditate do so for at least thirty minutes a day.
D) Cortisol levels are a reliable physiological indicator of psychological stress levels.
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D.
This is a Necessary Assumption question. The argument concludes that meditation reduces psychological stress based on evidence about cortisol. For this to work, there must be a link between the biological marker (cortisol) and the mental state (stress).
Why D? If cortisol were not a reliable indicator of stress, the evidence about cortisol would tell us nothing about whether psychological stress actually decreased. The argument would fall apart.
The Negation Test: If we say "Cortisol is NOT a reliable indicator," the conclusion becomes unsupported.
Identify the Conclusion
To induce commuters to take public buses and thereby relieve traffic congestions, Munville is considering raising the fees for downtown parking garages. Although raising parking fees would relieve traffic congestion, the city should not raise these fees. After all, commuting on the buses would be a major inconvenience for most commuters, since it is much slower and less reliable than driving.
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Although raising parking fees would relieve traffic congestion, the city should not raise these fees