Diagramming Solutions for PrepTest 63

Utilizing methods taught in The LSAT Trainer.

Game 1 (Option 1)

Step 1

Per the given scenario, we can write out the seven elements - H, J, K, L, M, O, and P - to be placed, and lay out the positions to be filled -- up to three in the appellate court and up to six in the trial court. We go into the game with an understanding that, with seven elements and nine positions, not all positions will be filled.

Step 2

Per the first rule, place L into the appellate court.

Step 3

Per the second rule, place K into the trial court.

Step 4

Per the third rule, notate that H and P cannot be together. Write in the inference that either H or P will be in both courts.

Step 5

Note the three elements -- J, M, and O -- that are not mentioned in any of the given rules.

Game 1 (Option 2)

Step 1

Per the given scenario, we can write out the seven elements - H, J, K, L, M, O, and P - to be placed.

Step 2

Per the third rule, create two frames, one with H assigned to the appellate court and P to the trial court, and the other with H assigned to the trial court and P to the appellate. Per the given scenario, each frame should have three available positions for the appellate court and six for the trial.

Step 3

Per the first rule, in each frame place L into the appellate court.

Step 4

Per the second rule, in each frame place K into the trial court.

Step 5

Note the three elements -- J, M, and O -- that are not mentioned in any of the given rules.

Game 2

Step 1

Per the given scenario we can list out the six elements - L, O, P, T, W, and Z - to be placed.

Step 2

Per the second rule, we can create two frames - one with L first and other with L last.

Step 3

For the first frame, per the first rule, we can notate that T is before W.

Step 4

For the first frame, per the fourth rule, we can notate that P must come before O.

Step 5

For the first frame, per the third rule, we can notate that W and Z can’t be last. We can make an inference at this point that our only option for the final spot is O.

Step 6

For the second frame, per the first rule, we can again notate that T is before W.

Step 7

The third rule doesn’t come into play in this frame so we don’t have to notate it.

Step 8

For the second frame, per the fourth rule, in this case we can notate that P must come after O.

Game 3

Step 1

Per the scenario, we can write out the six elements to be placed - H, L, P, R, S, and V - and lay out the six positions in which to place them.

Step 2

Per the first rule, we can eliminate H as an option for the final position.

Step 3

Per the second rule, we can notate that R must be after V and before H.

Step 4

Per the third rule, we can notate that P must be immediately next to V or S, but not both.

Step 5

Per the fourth rule, we can notate that S must either come after L and before P, or after P and before L.

Game 4

Step 1

Per the given scenario, we can list G, R, and W as the elements to be placed, and place six positions vertically to represent the assignments.

Step 2

Per the first rule, we can notate that the number of R’s is greater than the number of W’s. Optionally, we can also write out the limited numerical distributions of R’s, W’s, and G’s that are possible.

Step 3

Per the second rule, we can notate that we have a G below all R’s.

Step 4

Per the third rule, we can notate that we have a W immediately underneath a G.

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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