LSAT Logical Reasoning Strategies

This article focuses on effective strategies for improving your performance in the LSAT Logical Reasoning section.

By the end of this article, you'll learn about LSAT Logical Reasoning’s different question types and how to tackle them. Applying the recommended strategies will help you improve your reasoning skills and boost your LSAT score.

What Are the Most Effective Strategies for LSAT Logical Reasoning?

One of the most effective ways to improve your performance in the LSAT Logical Reasoning section is to work on your ability to thoroughly understand each passage before you attempt to answer the questions.

Let's say you misunderstand the passage but still manage to choose the correct answer. This might happen simply because the other answer choices are clearly incorrect. While this strategy sometimes works, it’s not consistent and will hurt you in the long run. So, you'll need to address these misunderstandings early.

Don’t Do It Alone

When you’re just starting out, Logical Reasoning can feel confusing and, at times, arbitrary. But the truth is, every LSAT question has one, provably correct answer, and four answers that are incorrect for a good reason.

Figuring out why the right answers are right and the wrong answers are wrong can be tough when you’re on your own. Thankfully, you don’t have to be. There are tons of qualified tutors who love helping students along their journey.

Don’t want to go that route? Live classes, online explanations, and study groups are great options. The point is, you’re not alone on this journey.

Give Your Full Attention to Each Question

No matter how you study, you need to stop making avoidable mistakes on the LSAT. What is the root of most students’ mistakes? Over-focusing on speed.

Instead of rushing through, give your full attention to each question. This is like doing "reps with perfect form" rather than just going through the motions. Aim for quality over quantity. When you're answering a question, pause after selecting your answer and ask yourself if you’re fully confident in your choice.

How can you Use Logical Reasoning Strategies to Improve your LSAT Score?

A key strategy to boost your LSAT Logical Reasoning score (and therefore your overall LSAT score) is to focus on accuracy before speed.

When you're practicing, don't submit your answer until you're confident it's correct. If you get a question wrong, don’t just move on.

Missing a question means you made two mistakes:

1. First, you failed to see why a wrong answer was wrong
2. And second, you failed to see why the right answer was right

It’s important to understand both errors to avoid them next time.

Evaluate Your Mistakes

When you're reviewing your mistakes, go beyond simply accepting the right answer because the answer key says so. Ask yourself why the correct answer is right and the wrong one is wrong. If you're unsure, use any written or video explanations available to help you.

Taking the time to thoroughly review a missed question—even if it means spending 30 minutes on a single one—can make a significant difference. Don't rush your review by simply glancing at the answer key and moving on. Instead, you should fully analyze what led you to make those two mistakes and how you can prevent them from happening again.

This detailed review process is one of the best strategies we recommend for improving your score over time.

What Are the Best Techniques for Identifying and Solving Assumption Questions on the LSAT?

There are two types of questions on LSAT Logical Reasoning that deal directly with assumptions: Necessary Assumption and Sufficient Assumption questions. Both question types deal with flawed arguments, and both ask you to add information to the argument, but the two are very different.

Solving Necessary Assumption Questions

The goal on Necessary Assumption questions is simple: identify which answer the author must agree.

An assumption is evidence that is missing from the argument, and “necessary” just means “needed.” So, a necessary assumption is evidence that is needed, if the argument’s conclusion is true.

On these questions, it can be helpful to identify the flaw in the argument. The author missed something, so point it out. Next, look at the answer choices. Which answer choice describes something that the author would have to believe? That answer will help fill in the flaw in the argument, but might not completely fix the argument.

Solving Sufficient Assumption Questions on the LSAT

Sufficient Assumption questions on the LSAT ask you to identify the answer that, if true, would guarantee the validity of the argument's conclusion. These questions typically use phrases like, "Which one of the following, if assumed, would justify the conclusion?"

To tackle them, you first need to predict the missing link between the premises and the conclusion before you review the answer choices. The correct answer will bridge the gap, making the argument valid.

Sufficient Assumption questions have a clear goal: find the one answer that proves the conclusion. When you focus on how the answers relate to the argument's structure, you can confidently eliminate options that don’t fully support the conclusion, ensuring you select the best answer.

How To Approach Must Be True Questions in the LSAT Logical Reasoning Section?

Must Be True questions on the LSAT require you to draw inferences based on the information given. These questions want you to combine the rules or statements provided to figure out what else the facts prove.

When you see phrases like “it can be inferred that,” think of it as asking for something that must be true. As you approach these questions, pay attention to the specific rules or statements. Pay extra close attention to facts that seem to be related to one another.