Diagramming Solutions for PrepTest 58

Utilizing methods taught in The LSAT Trainer.

Game 1

Step 1

Per the given scenario, we can write out the six elements to be placed - F, G, H, L, M, and S.

Step 2

Per the given scenario, and the fourth rule, we can lay out the six positions to be filled, two spots for the first year, and one spot each for the other four years.

Step 3

Per the first rule, we can notate that G must come before L, and L must come before F.

Step 4

Per the second rule, we can notate that H must be in 4 or 5.

Step 5

Per the third rule, we can notate that M cannot be assigned to 4 or 5.

Step 6

We can notate that S is not directly restricted by any of the given rules.

Game 2

Step 1

Per the given scenario, we can write out the seven elements to be placed - F, L, M, R, S, T, and V, and we can create a T diagram for those who volunteer (in) vs those who don’t (out).

Step 2

Per the first rule, we can notate that if R is in, M must be as well, as well as the contrapositive.

Step 3

Per the second rule, we can notate that if M is in, T must be as well, along with the contrapositive. We can connect this to our notation for the first rule.

Step 4

Per the fourth rule, we can notate that if R is not in, L must be, as well as the contrapositive. We can connect this to our existing notation.

Step 5

Per the fifth rule, we can notate that if T is in, neither F nor V can be, as well as the contrapositive. We can connect this to our existing notation.

Step 6

Per the third rule, we can notate that if S is not in, V must be, as well as the contrapositive. We can connect this to our existing notation.

Game 3

Step 1

Per the given scenario and the first and second rules, we can write out the five elements to be placed - P, Q, R, S, and T - notate whether they are flyhigh (subset f) or getaway (subset g), and lay out five positions to be filled, in order. We can also anticipate that we will also be given subset information about domestic (d) and international (i) flights.

Step 2

Per the third rule, we can notate that P is in subset i.

Step 3

Per the fourth rule, we can notate that both Q and R are in subset d.

Step 4

Per the fifth rule, we can notate that all i’s must come before all d’s. We can infer from this that (since we know, per the third rule, that we must have at least one i) the first element must be an i , and that (since we know, per the fourth rule, that we have at least two d’s) at least the last two positions will be d’s.

Step 5

Per the sixth rule, we can notate that any element in subsets g and d must come before the one Flyhigh domestic flight, fQd.

Step 6

Per the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth rules, we can infer that fPi must come before gRd, which must come before fQd.

Step 7

We can infer that fQd must be the last flight, per the third, fifth and sixth rules, and per the fact that all other flights are either international (P) or Gateway (R, S, T).

Game 4

Step 1

Per the given scenario,we can write out the seven elements to be placed - H, L, M, P, S, T, and W, and we can create a T diagram for those courses that are taken (in) vs those that are not (out), and indicate that at least three courses must be taken.

Step 2

Per the first rule, we can notate that if H is in, both S and M must be out, as well as the contrapositive.

Step 3

Per the second rule, we can notate that if M is in, both P and T must be out, as well as the contrapositive. We can connect this to our existing notation.

Step 4

Per the third rule, we can notate that if W is in, P is out, and if W is in, S is out, as well as the contrapositives. We can connect this to our existing notation.

More Information About The Trainer Logic Games Diagrams

These pages offer diagramming suggestions for every game that has appeared in every Logic Games section from PrepTests 52 through 81. Please keep in mind that there are many different ways to effectively diagram Logic Games, and it’s often a very subjective decision as to which inferences to notate, when to split diagrams, and so on.

One significant advantage of the Trainer diagramming methods is that they provide a universal diagramming system that you can use for any game that appears in the section. This is in contrast to most other LSAT learning systems, which separate games out into distinct categories, each with its own, and often conflicting, notational system.

General Suggestions on How to Diagram Logic Games

Always read through the scenario and rules completely, and pause to mentally consider and visualize the game, before setting pencil to paper.
Think of all games in terms of elements to place and positions to place them into. Nearly every game places these positions into an order, into groups, or both.
Whenever you find it useful, feel free to deal with the rules in an order that makes it most convenient for you to draw an effective diagram.
Always be on the lookout for inferences—things that you can figure out by bringing information, such as rules, together. The purpose of your diagram is to, in fact, help you uncover inferences correctly, and these inferences (more so than the rules as they are given) are what determine right and wrong for the vast majority of problems.
Look for opportunities to split up your game board into multiple frames - which are a set of diagrams that collectively represent all of the possibilities of a game. Most commonly, we can create frames around a very limited set of options for how to fill a certain position or positions (“either F or K must be third,” for example) or where to place an element or elements (“K must go first or last,” for example).
Whenever you have trouble notating a rule clearly, don’t be afraid to write it out or provide as much detail as you feel necessary. Better to be safe than overly clever.
When you are done with your diagram, evaluate your notations carefully and check them back against the scenario and rules as written. Make sure that you understand what your notations mean, and that they represent the given information correctly.

Table of Commonly Used Notations

Here is a downloadable and printable infographic that includes the symbols and notations that we will most commonly utilize to set up games. Please click to open full screen.

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