Time Allocation in LG Forum

[thestalkmore]

I just recently started studying for the October LSAT and began by working through the LG bible. I'm at a place where if I give myself relaxed time constraints and can diligently work out a setup I'll score -0 on any game I put down. The next step, obviously, is developing a method for achieving the same results in under 8:45. The problem I have been running into here is deciding how much time to invest in diagramming versus answering. I think I may have come to the mistaken conclusion of believing that a game is unsolvable unless every deep inference is found and every rule is meticulously diagrammed, given that I usually try to do this in my untimed runs and can breeze through most of the questions.

To the point:
How long do you spend diagramming? When do you give up trying to find those really "key" inferences and move on to questions? Do you have any rules or "signals" that it's time to move on and start answering questions?

[confusedlawyer]

I spend about 30 seconds understanding the game to make sure I am not missing anything, if you go to quickly and miss even 1 minor detail, you will mess up a majority of the game or not be able to use the clues to figure out the questions.

Then I spend about 1 to 1:30 writing out the rules in simple terms and making and connections/inferences as I think are relevant/important. The first 2 questions are usually easy so you can just use the rules to eliminate the wrong answers. So that leaves you about 5 minutes to finish the other 3-5 questions. I usually always finish unless I get a tough hybrid game but if I saved time on the other games I can use the extra time to complete the hard game

[WWAD]

It is harder than RC to put an actual time on the set up. RC you can bread the passage down to about 2:30-3:30. With logic games, if it is a game that lends itself to a more extensive set up you might be able to answer the questions in 30 sec each. I have practiced the ability to leave a game and come back if I know 8m isn't going to be enough because that kicked my ass before. The last thing you want to do is take down another game because of a tough one. confusedlawyer plan sounds like a solid plan though.