Law School Test

Logical Reasoning, explained

Each Logical Reasoning question gives you a short argument or a few statements, then one question about it. Two of the three scored sections are Logical Reasoning.

Scored sectionsTwo, 35 minutes each
QuestionsRoughly 25 a section
PaceAbout 84 seconds a question
OptionsFive, one credited answer

What the questions test

  • Finding the parts of an argument and how they fit together
  • Spotting the assumption an argument depends on
  • Judging how new evidence affects an argument
  • Naming the flaw in a piece of reasoning
  • Drawing conclusions that the statements support
  • Applying principles and matching patterns of reasoning
  • Explaining surprising facts and finding where two people disagree

One method for every type

Read the question first so you know your job. Find the conclusion and its reasons. Say the gap or the point in your own words. Then cut every option that does not do exactly that job.

The families in this course

  • Conclusions and roles
  • Assumptions
  • Strengthen and weaken
  • Flaws
  • Inferences
  • Conditional reasoning
  • Principles and parallel reasoning
  • Explain and disagree

Try 3 questions

Question 1

Mayor: Opponents of the new bike lanes say the lanes have increased traffic congestion on Elm Street. But if that were so, average driving times on Elm Street would have risen since the lanes opened. City sensors show that average driving times there have not changed. So the opponents' claim is false.

The mayor's argument proceeds by

Question 2

Museum director: Attendance at our Sunday concerts has dropped since we raised ticket prices. To bring audiences back, we should return to the old prices.

The director's argument depends on the assumption that

Question 3

A food magazine asked readers to vote on their favorite breakfast food on its website. Pancakes received the most votes. The magazine concluded that pancakes are the most popular breakfast food in the country.

The reasoning in the argument is most vulnerable to criticism on the grounds that the argument

Next step

LSAC: Logical Reasoning questions

Questions people ask

How many Logical Reasoning sections are there?

Two of the three scored sections are Logical Reasoning. The unscored section can be Logical Reasoning too, and it can come at any point in the test.

Is there a penalty for guessing?

No. Your score depends only on how many questions you answer correctly, so answer every question.

Are the questions in this course real past questions?

No. Every question here is original, written in the style of the test and checked by an independent solve. Official past tests are on LSAC's LawHub.

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