Are Older Logic Games Harder? (Ep. 321)
More admissions questions have been rolling in, so Ben and Nathan kick off today’s show by diving into the mailbag. They answer questions about logic games and discuss how their difficulty has changed over the history of the test. They also offer some encouragement to low-GPA applicants. Later, they take on a Necessary Assumption question that they deem a true five-star question, and they announce the arrival of Demon dark mode.
As always, if you like the show and you want to get more from the Thinking LSAT community, check out the links below. You can connect with other folks studying for the LSAT and get more useful resources from Nathan and Ben.
10.27.2021 — October LSAT Score
11.12.2021 — November LSAT
12.3.2021 — January LSAT Registration Deadline
2:55 - Are Older Logic Games Harder?
Listener Shannon wants to know if the older logic games (specifically, those on tests 1–50) are harder than those on newer tests. Ben believes that the games became easier starting around test 40. They were more difficult on tests released before then. Nathan adds to this by discussing the newest logic games section to be released. All four games on test 92 were very easy. The guys encourage Shannon to practice games from all tests no matter when they were released, especially if she is not yet scoring 100% on the logic games. They remind listeners that if you do the work, you can learn to solve logic games and get that perfect score.
23:05 - Low GPAs
Three listeners share their concerns about applying to law school with a less-than-stellar undergraduate GPA. Nathan starts by reading an email from Sean, who expresses frustration with how LSAC has calculated his cumulative GPA. He is wondering if he should apply early decision to boost his chance of being admitted. He also questions how much a GPA addendum would actually affect his application.
The guys tell Sean not to settle for a mediocre LSAT score, to apply early, and to apply broadly. Sean should write a GPA addendum, get the best LSAT score he can, and apply in September of the next cycle.
Ben reads Anonymous’ email next. Anonymous ended with a 2.27 GPA due to health issues. Anonymous states that, after speaking with several law schools about this low GPA, they were given the advice to get a second bachelor’s degree with a higher GPA. But Anonymous is hoping to start law school in 2023, and their second degree would not be completed before then.
Nathan lets Anonymous know that a second bachelor’s degree would not be worth their time. LSAC calculates the GPA from the first degree only. The guys remind Anonymous that there are options other than law school. If Anonymous is dead set on law school, they should focus their time on getting their best LSAT score rather than waste time on a second bachelor’s degree. Even with a low GPA, getting a full ride is still possible with the right LSAT score.
Lastly, Ben reads an admissions concern from GG. GG has a 2.6 GPA and is wondering what else they can do besides crushing the LSAT. Is there a way to improve “softs”?
Nathan wants GG to understand the difficulty of law school and what they will be facing. The low GPA does not make it impossible, but negative self-talk and making challenges seem bigger than they actually are will be their downfall. Ben wants GG to focus on getting the highest LSAT they can instead of worrying about “softs.”
The guys remind listeners that the LSAT is what really moves the dial when it comes to scholarships. Try plugging different numbers into the LSAT Demon Scholarship Estimator to get an idea of the score you should be working toward.
54:10 - Demon Dark Mode
The guys announce a new feature that just launched on the Demon—dark mode! LSAT Demon students can now enjoy studying in dark mode. Ben teaches listeners how they can adjust their account settings to take advantage of this new feature.
55:53 - Test 73, Section 2, Q20
The guys start by reading the passage and predicting the conclusion of the argument before even finishing. Doing this helps to ensure that you fully understand what you’re reading and, in many cases, enables you to predict the correct answer before even reading the question.
Nathan determines that this is a Necessary Assumption question. He explains that this question type is in the “must be true” family. Because he and Ben fully understand the passage and what the author said, they are able to quickly dismiss answers A, B, and C.
This question is a good reminder to always read every answer choice. Answer D is tricky, and if you were to cut corners and not read E, you may have answered this question incorrectly.
Try this question here.