LSAT Tip of the Week Analytical Reasoning Practice Problem #3

LSAT Tip of the Week Analytical Reasoning Practice Problem #3 LSAT Law School Blog This week, we will focus on an example of how to setup an analytical reasoning (logic games) question. Our practice question will be from the June 2007 LSAT. This is Section 1, Question 11. A cruise line is scheduling seven week-long voyages for the ship Freedom. Each voyage will occur in exactly one of the first seven weeks of the season: weeks 1 through 7. Each voyage will be to exactly one of four destinations: Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Martinique, or Trinidad. Each destination will be scheduled for at least one of the weeks. The following conditions apply to Freedom’s schedule: Jamaica will not be its destination in week 4. Trinidad will be its destination in week 7. Freedom will make exactly two voyages to Martinique, and at least one voyage to Guadeloupe will occur in some week between those two voyages. Guadeloupe will be its destination in the week preceding any voyage it makes to Jamaica. No destination will be scheduled for consecutive weeks. First, we know there are 7 weeks: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ With 4 possible destinations: G J M T We are also told each one shows at least once: G J M T 1-1-1-1 We can infer that there are 4 weeks of at least one of these, and the 3 extra weeks can be a variety of options (G could be visited 4 times/G could be visited twice and J twice/etc.). Let’s go through the rules now. Rule 1: Jamaica cannot be in week 4 T will be in week 7. _ _ _ _ _ _ T (Note that T can be in another week as well) J =/= 4 Rule 2: M will have exactly two trips at least one G in between the two Ms. M â€" G(1 or more) â€" M Rule 3: Every J will have a G before it. So, we can infer that GJ must be together at least once. We also know that J cannot be first from this rule. Rule 4: No destination will be in consecutive weeks. Let’s try Question 11: Which one of the following is an acceptable schedule of destinations for Freedom, in order from week 1 through week 7? (A) Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Martinique, Trinidad, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Trinidad (B) Guadeloupe, Martinique, Trinidad, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Trinidad (C) Jamaica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Trinidad (D) Martinique, Trinidad, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Trinidad (E) Martinique, Trinidad, Guadeloupe, Trinidad, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Martinique We are not given any new information or rules, so we will implement what we have already inferred. First, we know each (GMJT) must appear at least one time. So, let’s quickly go through each option and see if any destinations are missing. All of the options seem to clear this test, so let’s continue. Rule 1 states that T must be in week 7, which is broken in option (e), so we can eliminate that. Rule 1 also states that J cannot be in week 4, which is broken in option (d), so we can eliminate that. Rule 2 states that M will have exactly 2 and there will be at least 1 G between. Going through the options we see that this is violated in option (b), so we can eliminate that. Rule 3 states that every J must have G before it (GJ). And this is violated in option (c), so we can eliminate that. This leaves us with option (a) as the correct choice. In order to continue to prepare for the logic games section of the LSAT, BluePrintLSAT makes a list of other games to play to exercise those important brain muscles in the months or weeks leading up to your exam.