Are the logic games getting easier

[mikesspamlessemail]

I have heard from a few people who have unfortunately taken the LSAT multiple times that the games have been getting easier for the past few years.  If this is true, what can one use to study for them?  It seems the older exams would be fairly useless then?  I guess the important thing is whether the games are generally structured the same so the preparation pays off.  It seems like this is the area where people are able to pick up points, while I have heard few people say they improved measurably in the reading comprehension questions.  I know the LSAT is over 2 months away but as a late applicant I feel I have no leeway and must get a high score to even get considered at an average school.  Any input with regard to what tests or services have been helpful for the past few exams would be so much appreciated.  Thanks!

[John Galt]

If they are easier, then practice the older (harder) exams and theoretically, you'll be prepared for the the ones now...

John Galt

[mikesspamlessemail]

That was my thinking as well- one friend did tell me that he felt that backfired on him since his confidence was destroyed by the relatively harder old tests so he felt psyched out.  I guess everybody just has to come up with a personal strategy.  I'm amazed that people spend upwards of 200 hours preparing for the LSAT- it seems like marginal returns would kick in long before that.

[SanchoPanzo]

That was my thinking as well- one friend did tell me that he felt that backfired on him since his confidence was destroyed by the relatively harder old tests so he felt psyched out.  I guess everybody just has to come up with a personal strategy.  I'm amazed that people spend upwards of 200 hours preparing for the LSAT- it seems like marginal returns would kick in long before that.

Yes. But sometimes, an extra point or two can make the difference between your first and second choice or worse. This tends to affect the rest of your career. The choice is to spend 200 hours now and have life "A", or spend 125 hours now and have life "B". Many prefer the former.

To the OP: I'd also suggest you study the old tests. From what I can tell, they will help you prepare for the new ones. And if your intent to get a high score as you suggests, I'd strongly recommend that you don't neglect the Logical Reasoning and reading comprehension sections. Keep in mind that you have to complete approximately twice as many logical reasoning questions as the games.

 

[tomlai]

Logic Games BIble by powerscore is very helpful.

[eeniemeeniemineymoe]

ditto on the logic games bible.

also, to me it looked like a recent trend is that the reading comp is getting longer (i think the Oct exam had 28 Q) and the games are getting shorter (22 Q).  So don't shrug off RC yet. 

Just do as many games as you can get your hands on.  the goal is to get in the mindset, to have the set-up be almost second nature. 

[John Galt]

Reading Comp is becoming a feared section of the LSAT these days. I think that they intentionally give you not enough time to do the RC section these days. The problem is that by the time you get to the fourth passage, you may be down to 6 minutes left. Once you start worrying about the time, you lose focus and points. Games have become by far the easiest section of the test, but they only account for 22 questions. The logical reasoning has also become more dense and worded in a tricky fashion. Overall, I say the test is about the same in difficulty as in previous years, but change in different difficulties for different sections combined with the tougher scales have led to disappointment for many test takers.

John Galt

[unggio]

dam, wish they hard more logic games
probably be easier for me since i've been settin up problems for year and ahalf in physics courses

but i suck at readin comp, so i try to read on the side to improve

[midlife catharsis]

The trend going back at least since Feb 04 is easier logic games, imo.  I have worked every AR set from preptest 1-44, and it seems clear that LSAC has been making games easier and RC more difficult over the past year.

[hocuspocus]

All I can say is that the Oct and Dec 2004 logic games were the easiest logic games ever offered, in part because they had the fewest number of questions.  This also means that in terms of scoring, logic games are being deemphasized a bit.