You’re invited to LSAT Lab’s live online class. We’ve flipped the traditional classroom. At LSAT Lab you learn the fundamentals with video lessons before you take on more advanced concepts in class. Taught by Matt Sherman and Patrick Tyrrell, who together have 35 years of experience in helping students achieve amazing LSAT scores.
This lesson provides a summary review of and insights into current trends within the Logical Reasoning section.
LR Review (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Mon Jan 13 5:30 PM (PT)
In these passages, the author typically challenges an explanation, solution, assertion, or assumptions in the opposing point.
Challenge Position
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Tue Jan 14 3:30 PM (PT)
Strengthen questions on the LSAT are common and have a wide range of difficulty. In this lesson, we present the Reasoning Structures to look out for and the Trap Answers you need to know.
Strengthen
Instructor: Matt Sherman Tue Jan 14 5:30 PM (PT)
Some passages zoom into "a case in point", or an example or two, in service of illustrating a broader thesis.
Theme / Example (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Wed Jan 15 5:30 PM (PT)
Strengthen questions on the LSAT are common and have a wide range of difficulty. In this lesson, we present the Reasoning Structures to look out for and the Trap Answers you need to know.
Strengthen
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Thu Jan 16 3:30 PM (PT)
Necessary Assumption questions ask you to find an answer that the argument can't live without. Learn to recognize both flavors of correct answers: those that correct missing links and those that defend against objections.
Necessary Assumption
Instructor: Matt Sherman Thu Jan 16 5:30 PM (PT)
In Parallel Flaw questions, your task is twofold. First, you must identify an error of reasoning. Second, you must find an answer that commits the same error. Success on these questions starts with a focus on structure and finishes with validity.
Parallel Flaw
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Sun Jan 19 3:30 PM (PT)
Get to know the top five frameworks for RC passages. Practice using early clues to pick a framework and then using that framework to focus yourself on the two or three biggest ideas.
Find A Framework
Instructor: Matt Sherman Sun Jan 19 5:30 PM (PT)
Weaken questions rely heavily on Causal and Comparative reasoning types and frequently reward us for spotting alternate explanations.
Weaken (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Mon Jan 20 5:30 PM (PT)
Science passages most commonly lend themselves to an Old vs. New organizing framework, with the author's implications coming at the end.
Old / New
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Tue Jan 21 3:30 PM (PT)
Flaw questions are the most common Logical Reasoning question type. Almost half exhibit one of the ten Famous Flaws, while the other half frame their flaws in terms of assumptions made or objections overlooked.
Flaw
Instructor: Matt Sherman Tue Jan 21 5:30 PM (PT)
Sufficient Assumption questions are a challenging question type driven by conditional logic that ask us to find an answer that combines with existing evidence to logically force the conclusion to be true.
Sufficient Assumption
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Wed Jan 22 5:30 PM (PT)
Evaluate questions live between Strengthen and Weaken questions. Learn the process on Evaluate questions and the only trap answer you need to know to eliminate wrong answers.
Evaluate
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Thu Jan 23 3:30 PM (PT)
Flaw questions are more common than any other type in Logical Reasoning, and nearly half of all answer choices refer to ten Famous Flaws that you need to know.
Famous Flaws
Instructor: Matt Sherman Thu Jan 23 5:30 PM (PT)
Arguments involving Plans can be analyzed by thinking, "How could we go along with this Plan, but NOT achieve the Goal?" Arguments involving "should" recommendations can be analyzed by thinking, "do the upsides outweigh the downsides?"
Plans & Recommendations
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Sun Jan 26 3:30 PM (PT)
Questions about the author's intent are about the purpose of that part of the passage. These questions ask about the purpose of the passage, a paragraph, or a specific claim.
Author’s Intent
Instructor: Matt Sherman Sun Jan 26 5:30 PM (PT)
Questions such as Main Point, Primary Purpose, Primary Concern, Organization, and Paragraph Purpose tend to reward our ability to organize the passage via some framework and to pinpoint 1, 2, or 3 most valuable sentences.
Big Picture Questions (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Mon Jan 27 5:30 PM (PT)
In this lesson we look at the organizing framework in RC that centers on a problem and typically ends with a solution.
Problem / Solution
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Tue Jan 28 3:30 PM (PT)
Conditional logic is the backbone of the LSAT. Ignore it at your own peril. This lesson introduces conditional logic and how it plays a role in the Logical Reasoning section.
Conditional Logic
Instructor: Matt Sherman Tue Jan 28 5:30 PM (PT)
The Inference Family is all about what we know, based on what we read. Must Be True, Most Supported, Must Be False, and Agree/Disagree questions make up the Inference Family.
Inference Family (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Wed Jan 29 5:30 PM (PT)
Role questions ask you to describe the role of a claim in an argument. Learn about premises, conclusions, opposing points, and more.
Role
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Thu Jan 30 3:30 PM (PT)
Must Be True questions have a right answer you can prove. Learn how they rely heavily on conditional logic and comparative reasoning.
Must Be True
Instructor: Matt Sherman Thu Jan 30 5:30 PM (PT)
We'll look at problems throughout the Assumption family and consider similarities and differences between these types of problems: Strengthen (+Principle), Weaken, Flaw, Evaluate, Necessary Assumption, and Sufficient Assumption.
Assumption Family
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Sun Feb 2 3:30 PM (PT)
For Opinion questions in Reading Comprehension, you need to keep track of who believes what and to what degree they believe it.
Opinion
Instructor: Matt Sherman Sun Feb 2 5:30 PM (PT)
LSAT authors frequently present a Curious Fact and then pose/assume some Causal Explanation for that idea, leading us to ponder the plausibility of that explanation and the possibility of other explanations.
Causation (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Mon Feb 3 5:30 PM (PT)
The Inference Family is all about what we know, based on what we read. Must Be True, Most Supported, Must Be False, and Agree/Disagree questions make up the Inference Family.
Inference Family
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Tue Feb 4 3:30 PM (PT)
Sufficient Assumption questions are a challenging question type that ask us to supply the missing link in an argument.
Sufficient Assumption
Instructor: Matt Sherman Tue Feb 4 5:30 PM (PT)
Questions about the author's intent are about the purpose of that part of the passage. These questions ask about the purpose of the passage, a paragraph, or a specific claim.
Author’s Intent (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Wed Feb 5 5:30 PM (PT)
Dissecting an argument is a foundational Logical Reasoning skill. Learn about premises, conclusions, opposing points, and more, then put that knowledge to the test with questions that drill this skill.
Dissecting Arguments
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Thu Feb 6 3:30 PM (PT)
Parallel questions give you an argument and ask you to find the answer that has the same logical structure. Because you have to evaluate six different arguments (the argument presented and each of the five answers), these questions have a reputation for being long and arduous. Still most are easily conquered with the right approach.
Parallel
Instructor: Matt Sherman Thu Feb 6 5:30 PM (PT)
Paradox questions ask you to resolve an apparent paradox or to explain something strange. If you like Strengthen questions, you'll love Paradox questions.
Paradox
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Sun Feb 9 3:30 PM (PT)
Locate Detail questions ask for something the passage explicitly stated. Make your passage research efficient by using the question's Target to tailor your approach.
Locate Details
Instructor: Matt Sherman Sun Feb 9 5:30 PM (PT)
Flaw questions are the most common Logical Reasoning question type. Almost half exhibit one of the ten Famous Flaws, while the other half frame their flaws in terms of assumptions made or objections overlooked.
Flaw (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Mon Feb 10 5:30 PM (PT)
We'll work on chunking, self-summarizing, using frameworks, and differentiating big ideas from support, so that we can be better at finding and retaining the big ideas in the passage.
Big Picture Reading
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Tue Feb 11 3:30 PM (PT)
In Parallel Flaw questions, your task is twofold. First, you must identify an error of reasoning. Second, you must find an answer that commits the same error. Success on these questions starts with a focus on structure and finishes with validity.
Parallel Flaw
Instructor: Matt Sherman Tue Feb 11 5:30 PM (PT)
Necessary Assumption (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Wed Feb 12 5:30 PM (PT)
Weaken questions rely heavily on Causal and Comparative reasoning types and frequently reward us for spotting alternate explanations.
Weaken
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Thu Feb 13 3:30 PM (PT)
Method questions ask you to describe the reasoning in the argument. The problem with these questions is the abstract language that can be difficult to process.
Method
Instructor: Matt Sherman Thu Feb 13 5:30 PM (PT)
Conditional logic is the backbone of the LSAT. Ignore it at your own peril. This lesson introduces conditional logic and how it plays a role in the Logical Reasoning section.
Conditional Logic
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Sun Feb 16 3:30 PM (PT)
Inference questions in Reading Comprehension are about what the author says, what the author implies, and what can be indirectly inferred from the author's statements.
Inference
Instructor: Matt Sherman Sun Feb 16 5:30 PM (PT)
Inference, Opinion, and Attitude questions are testing what's implied by the passage, not necessarily directly stated. It puts us in a murkier neighborhood, where some correct answers feel very provable while others are a stretch from the text but still the best available option.
What’s Implied (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Mon Feb 17 5:30 PM (PT)
Questions such as Main Point, Primary Purpose, Primary Concern, Organization, and Paragraph Purpose tend to reward our ability to organize the passage via some framework and to pinpoint 1, 2, or 3 most valuable sentences.
Big Picture Questions
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Tue Feb 18 3:30 PM (PT)
Principle questions come in two main flavors. Learn how to support an argument with a general rule, and how to spot an argument that conforms to a given rule.
Principle
Instructor: Matt Sherman Tue Feb 18 5:30 PM (PT)
These questions (Main Conclusion, Role, Method, Parallel, and Parallel Flaw) force us to read arguments and identify the roles and relationships of the ingredients within.
Match Family (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Wed Feb 19 5:30 PM (PT)
Principle questions are a twist that most commonly show up on Most Supported and Strengthen, but we'll also see it on Parallel, Necessary Assumption, and Weaken now and then. Correct answers heavily test our understanding of the direction of the relationship.
Principle
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Thu Feb 20 3:30 PM (PT)
Most Supported questions are one of the five most common question types. We read facts, not arguments, and derive an answer that is most likely to be true based on those facts.
Most Supported
Instructor: Matt Sherman Thu Feb 20 5:30 PM (PT)
Sufficient Assumption questions are a challenging question type driven by conditional logic that ask us to supply the missing link in an argument.
Sufficient Assumption
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Sun Feb 23 3:30 PM (PT)
Analogy and Application questions ask you to find an answer choice that applies a principle or exemplifies a relationship. Conquering these tough questions requires targeted research, thoughtful predictions, and strong process of elimination skills.
Analogy/Application
Instructor: Matt Sherman Sun Feb 23 5:30 PM (PT)
Quantifiers are an advanced form of conditional logic. Add "some" and "most" statements to conditional statements and you're working with quantified logic.
Quantifiers (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Mon Feb 24 5:30 PM (PT)
Questions about the author's intent are about the purpose of that part of the passage. These questions ask about the purpose of the passage, a paragraph, or a specific claim.
Author’s Intent
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Tue Feb 25 3:30 PM (PT)
Agree/Disagree questions in Logical Reasoning ask you to identify the answer that both speakers address. This lesson covers important differences in the task set forth in the question stem and the common trap answers to look out for.
Agree/Disagree
Instructor: Matt Sherman Tue Feb 25 5:30 PM (PT)
These passages have a very straightforward, descriptive feel, making it harder sometimes to figure out which of the many details we hear about should count as the Main Point.
Highlight Noteworthy (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Wed Feb 26 5:30 PM (PT)
Flaw questions are more common than any other type in Logical Reasoning, and nearly half of all answer choices refer to ten Famous Flaws that you need to know.
Famous Flaws
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Thu Feb 27 3:30 PM (PT)
Paradox questions ask you to resolve an apparent conflict or to explain something strange. Learn to articulate exactly what's so paradoxical, predict the most common resolutions, and avoid the standard traps.
Paradox
Instructor: Matt Sherman Thu Feb 27 5:30 PM (PT)
LSAT authors frequently present a Curious Fact and then pose/assume some Causal Explanation for that idea, leading us to ponder the plausibility of that explanation and the possibility of other explanations.
Causation
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Sun Mar 2 3:30 PM (PT)
Most questions in comparative passage sets require that you understand how the two passages are similar and how they are different. This lesson covers how to adjust your reading process for this type of passage.
Comparative Passages
Instructor: Matt Sherman Sun Mar 2 5:30 PM (PT)
Principles (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Mon Mar 3 5:30 PM (PT)
Locate Detail questions ask for something the passage explicitly stated. Make your passage research efficient by using the question's Target to tailor your approach.
Locate Detail
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Tue Mar 4 3:30 PM (PT)
Main Conclusion questions are a good place to test your ability to find the conclusion of an argument. It’s the first step in most Logical Reasoning questions, so be sure to learn these strategies to find the argument's main conclusion.
Main Conclusion
Instructor: Matt Sherman Tue Mar 4 5:30 PM (PT)
Arguments often involve an author promising that a plan will achieve a goal or making a recommendation that implies the upsides outweigh the downsides. We'll look at common assumptions/objections involved in such arguments.
Plans & Recommendations
Instructor: Wed Mar 5 5:30 PM (PT)
Questions asking what is most supported, what can be most reasonably inferred, what someone would be most likely to agree with, or what the passage suggests are among the toughest in RC. The correct answers are tortured rephrasings of something we were told or they are reasonable truisms we can derive from things we've been told.
Most Supported
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Thu Mar 6 3:30 PM (PT)
Role questions ask you to describe the role of a claim in an argument. Learn about premises, conclusions, opposing points, and more.
Role
Instructor: Matt Sherman Thu Mar 6 5:30 PM (PT)
This lesson covers Reasoning Structures and Trap Answers common to Necessary Assumption questions and looks at how the correct answer creates a linking or a defending relationship.
Necessary Assumption
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Sun Mar 9 3:30 PM (PT)
Learn to conquer what are often considered to be the most challenging passages on the LSAT by Parsing dense text, Picturing the physical phenomena described, and Paraphrasing the jargon.
Science
Instructor: Matt Sherman Sun Mar 9 5:30 PM (PT)
We'll work on two very different styles of question, the kind that asks "which of these answer choices was in the passage" vs. the kind that asks "which of these brand new ideas would best match or impact something in the passage"?
Stated & Beyond (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Mon Mar 10 5:30 PM (PT)
Inference questions in Reading Comprehension are about what the author says, what the author implies, and what can be indirectly inferred from the author's statements.
Inference
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Tue Mar 11 3:30 PM (PT)
When an author is rebutting another person's position, it's important to go from referential language to specific language to clarify the author's conclusion.
Rebuttals
Instructor: Matt Sherman Tue Mar 11 5:30 PM (PT)
A huge subset of LSAT thinking revolves around being able to complete the comparison when two things are meant to be similar cases, or being able to object to comparative arguments by pointing out meaningful differences.
Comparison (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Wed Mar 12 5:30 PM (PT)
Agree/Disagree questions in Logical Reasoning ask you to identify the answer that both speakers address. This lesson covers important differences in the task set forth in the question stem and the common trap answers to look out for.
Agree/Disagree
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Thu Mar 13 3:30 PM (PT)
Quantifiers are an advanced form of conditional logic. Add "some" and "most" statements to conditional statements and you're working with quantified logic.
Quantifiers
Instructor: Matt Sherman Thu Mar 13 5:30 PM (PT)
Method questions ask you to describe the reasoning in the argument. The problem with these questions is the abstract language that can be difficult to process.
Method
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Sun Mar 16 3:30 PM (PT)
Most Supported questions are one of the five most common question types. We read facts, not arguments, and derive an answer that is most likely to be true based on those facts.
Most Supported (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Mon Mar 17 5:30 PM (PT)
For Opinion questions in Reading Comprehension, you need to keep track of who believes what and to what degree they believe it. Author's Attitude questions are all about identifying who believes what and to what extent do they believe it.
Opinion & Attitude
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Tue Mar 18 3:30 PM (PT)
Science passages most commonly lend themselves to an Old vs. New organizing framework, with the author's implications coming at the end.
Old / New (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Wed Mar 19 5:30 PM (PT)
A huge subset of LSAT thinking revolves around being able to complete the comparison when two things are meant to be similar cases, or being able to object to comparative arguments by pointing out meaningful differences.
Comparison
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Thu Mar 20 3:30 PM (PT)
Parallel questions give you an argument and ask you to find the answer that has the same logical structure. Because you have to evaluate six different arguments (the argument presented and each of the five answers), these questions have a reputation for being long and arduous. Still most are easily conquered with the right approach.
Parallel
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Sun Mar 23 3:30 PM (PT)
Paradox questions ask you to resolve an apparent conflict or to explain something strange. Learn to articulate exactly what's so paradoxical, predict the most common resolutions, and avoid the standard traps.
Paradox (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Mon Mar 24 5:30 PM (PT)
Most questions in comparative passage sets require that you understand how the two passages are similar and how they are different. This lesson covers how to adjust your reading process for this type of passage.
Comparative Passages
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Tue Mar 25 3:30 PM (PT)
Parallel questions give you an argument and ask you to find the answer that has the same logical structure. Because you have to evaluate six different arguments (the argument presented and each of the five answers), these questions have a reputation for being long and arduous, so it's important to learn the potential shortcuts we can take.
Parallel Party
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Wed Mar 26 5:30 PM (PT)
Must Be True questions have a right answer you can prove. Learn how they rely heavily on conditional logic and comparative reasoning.
Must Be True
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Thu Mar 27 3:30 PM (PT)
Flaw questions ask you to describe the error of reasoning within the argument. Learn how Reasoning Structures and Trap Answers play a role in this important question type.
Flaw
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Sun Mar 30 3:30 PM (PT)
In these passages, the author typically challenges an explanation, solution, assertion, or assumptions in the opposing point.
Challenge Position (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Mon Mar 31 5:30 PM (PT)
Some of the hardest and most time-consuming questions in RC can be the ones that go beyond the passage: Analogy, Application, Strengthen/Weaken, Last Sentence, and Title/Audience.
Beyond the Passage
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Tue Apr 1 3:30 PM (PT)
LSAT occasionally tests our ability to understand different ways to interpret statistics, percentages vs. raw numbers, probability, and "Venn diagram" overlaps.
Math-y Stuff (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Wed Apr 2 5:30 PM (PT)
When an author is rebutting another person's position, it's important to go from referential language to specific language to clarify the author's conclusion.
Rebuttals
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Thu Apr 3 3:30 PM (PT)
Strengthen questions on the LSAT are common and have a wide range of difficulty. In this lesson, we present the Reasoning Structures to look out for and the Trap Answers you need to know.
Strengthen
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Sun Apr 6 3:30 PM (PT)
These two question types ask us to describe the structure and flow of arguments, with answers that usually feature challenging abstract language.
Role and Method (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Mon Apr 7 5:30 PM (PT)
In these passages, the author typically challenges an explanation, solution, assertion, or assumptions in the opposing point.
Challenge Position
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Tue Apr 8 3:30 PM (PT)
This type of organizing framework is useful for passages with "opponents" and "proponents" or any other time we need to compartmentalize different views on the same subject. Sometimes the author will provide their own point of view; other times they will stay neutral.
Present Debate (adv)
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Wed Apr 9 5:30 PM (PT)
In Parallel Flaw questions, your task is twofold. First, you must identify an error of reasoning. Second, you must find an answer that commits the same error. Success on these questions starts with a focus on structure and finishes with validity.
Parallel Flaw
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Thu Apr 10 3:30 PM (PT)
Role questions ask you to describe the role of a claim in an argument. Learn about premises, conclusions, opposing points, and more.
Role
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Sun Apr 13 3:30 PM (PT)
A final review of the most important LR concepts before the upcoming test.
LR Review
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Mon Apr 14 5:30 PM (PT)
Science passages most commonly lend themselves to an Old vs. New organizing framework, with the author's implications coming at the end.
Old / New
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Tue Apr 15 3:30 PM (PT)
Arguments involving Plans can be analyzed by thinking, "How could we go along with this Plan, but NOT achieve the Goal?" Arguments involving "should" recommendations can be analyzed by thinking, "do the upsides outweigh the downsides?"
Plans / Recommendations
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Thu Apr 17 3:30 PM (PT)
Happy Easter!
No Class — Happy Easter
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Sun Apr 20 3:30 PM (PT)
These passages have a very straightforward, descriptive feel, making it harder sometimes to figure out which of the many details we hear about should count as the Main Point.
Highlight Noteworthy
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Tue Apr 22 3:30 PM (PT)
These questions (Main Conclusion, Role, Method, Parallel, and Parallel Flaw) force us to read arguments and identify the roles and relationships of the ingredients within.
Match Family
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Thu Apr 24 3:30 PM (PT)
We'll look at problems throughout the Assumption family and consider similarities and differences between these types of problems: Strengthen (+Principle), Weaken, Flaw, Evaluate, Necessary Assumption, and Sufficient Assumption.
Assumption Family
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Sun Apr 27 3:30 PM (PT)
This type of organizing framework is useful for passages with "opponents" and "proponents" or any other time we need to compartmentalize different views on the same subject. Sometimes the author will provide their own point of view; other times they will stay neutral.
Present Debate
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Tue Apr 29 3:30 PM (PT)
The Inference Family is all about what we know, based on what we read. Must Be True, Most Supported, Must Be False, and Agree/Disagree questions make up the Inference Family.
Inference Family
Instructor: Patrick Tyrrell Thu May 1 3:30 PM (PT)
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