Game Type I – Basic Ordering Games

Back to: LSAT Logic Games

Now, let’s move into the nuts and bolts of solving basic ordering games using diagrams. As explained in the video above, these are games that deal with the order of given variables (or game pieces). You will be given some constraints (or rules) which control the acceptable order of these variables. Your task will be to answer questions regarding the acceptable order of these variables relative to each other or within a given time (such as the hours of a work day or the days of a week) or space (houses on a street, tracks on a record).

The following lessons will take you through all the techniques that we use to crush basic ordering games.

These are battle-tested methods that can be used to solve these problems faster than you thought possible.

To solve LSAT logic games accurately & quickly, the most important technique you must master is diagramming.

The goal of diagramming is to give yourself a powerful way to visualize these games and any rules you encounter within them. Diagramming skills allow you to solve questions quickly without placing undue strain on your brain.

Absorb the next series of lessons, and you will be well on your way to mastering basic linear (ordering) games. Remember, you don’t need to come up with anything original to solve these games. Just copy us. Learn to copy an expert’s approach, and you are just a small leap away from being an expert yourself. All you will have to add is a lot of practice until the skills you learn here become automatic.

The basic ordering games that we are learning in these next lessons make up approximately 20% of the total games that have appeared on past LSATs. However, they are not merely important just because they are well-represented on the test—these games also give you nearly all of the skills you will need to attack all the other game types.

I would say after you have learned the skills required for basic ordering games, you are probably 75% percent of the way there as far a developing the techniques needed to solve all logic games correctly. Make doubly sure that you have a solid grasp of the concepts in these basic ordering lessons, as this is going to be the skills base you need to crush the games section.

If you need a goal to aim for, here’s your first challenge: after completing the following lessons on basic ordering games, drill individual basic ordering games untimed until you can successfully use the techniques we’ve taught you. If you can complete a few games in a row without missing any questions, then you are well on your way to mastery.

We can add the timing component later. Your first goal is to do things the right way and achieve 100% accuracy.

While it might seem difficult now, that kind of consistency is—believe it or not—fairly achievable on the games section (especially when working untimed).

Unlike the LR or RC portions of the LSAT, logic games don’t have as many trap answers designed to fool you. These are like math problems: there is a clear and unambiguous correct answer.

In the following lessons, we will revisit some things you already saw in the logic game introduction material. This time, make sure you begin learning how to do it yourself. We’ll facilitate the process with videos and quizzes. Now, let’s start developing your arsenal of diagramming skills.