Diagramming Solutions for PrepTest 61

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, J, K, L, and we can lay out positions in two groups - Car 1 and Car 2, with an indication that each car has one driver position, and at least two elements total.

Step 2

Per the first rule, we can notate that H must be driven by F or G. We can also make and notate a small inference that H cannot thus be a driver.

Step 3

Per the second rule, we can notate that J must be driven by F or K. We can also make and notate a small inference that J cannot thus be a driver.

Step 4

Per the third rule, we can notate that G and L are grouped together.

Game 2

Step 1

Per the given scenario, we can write out the six elements to be placed - F, H, J, N, P, and T, and lay out the six positions to be filled, in order.

Step 2

Per the third rule, we can create two frames, one in which P is before both H and N, and a second in which P is after both H and N.

Step 3

Per the first rule, we can notate on both frames that F comes before both J and H.

Step 4

Per the second rule, we can notate on both frames that both N and J come before T.

Game 3

Step 1

Per the given scenario, we can write out the five elements to be placed - Q, R, S, T, and U, and we can lay out the five positions to be filled - one each for the four different races, in order, and a position for the one runner who does not race.

Step 2

The third and fourth rules together form a biconditional - either R is second and U is out, or R is not second and U is not out - we can create two frames to represent those two scenarios.

Step 3

When R is second and U is out, every other element must be in, and, per the first rule, we must place Q immediately before T, and, in this frame, the only place to do so is in the third and fourth positions. That leaves S to fill the first position.

Step 4

In the second frame, when R is not second and U is not out, we can notate, per the first rule, that if Q is in, it must be immediately before T. We can make a small inference from this that T cannot be out (if T were out, that would force Q in, and thus violate this given rule). We can also infer that Q cannot be last.

Step 5

For the second frame, per the second rule, we can notate that S cannot be second or fourth.

Game 4

Step 1

Per the given scenario, we can write out the seven elements to be placed - F, G, H, J, K, L, and M, and we can lay out the seven positions to be filled, in order.

Step 2

Per the first and third rules, we can notate that we must have at least two elements in between M and H, and that J must follow M.

Step 3

Per the second and fourth rules, we can notate that L must be before F, which must be before the GK pairing.

Step 4

Per the fifth rule, we can notate that L cannot be second.

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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