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Anyone else think that grouping games are easiest?

Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 10:20 am
by caminante
I've never posted here before, but I was curious to see if this is more common than it seems.

As I've been going through my prep it seems like most of the ordering/sequencing games are considered easier while the grouping games are considered more challenging. However, for me it's the complete opposite. The games that are considered super challenging with multiple types of grouping involved only take me about 4-6 minutes to complete. The games that are supposedly easy and involve only ordering take sometimes take me up to 10-12 minutes!!

Am I making the ordering games harder than they should be? Or does anyone else have a brain that seems to work like this?

It's frustrating! :?

Re: Anyone else think that grouping games are easiest?

Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 11:27 am
by Tom Joad
I would guess it is probably just the way your brain works, but maybe research different ways of diagramming and really try to visualize ordering games and apply your spatial reasoning skills.

Re: Anyone else think that grouping games are easiest?

Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 12:13 pm
by barnum
Mathematically speaking, you are not insane.

Before any rules are presented, a sequencing game with seven variables, with each variable going in one position has 5040 different ways that you could place the variables.

A two group game with 8 variables and no rules would only have 256 possible scenarios.

Obviously rules in the games drastically reduce the number of possible scenarios in both types, but since there are so many fewer possibilities to start with in a grouping game there is a lot less that the LSAT can do in creating grouping related questions.

That said, many people find sequencing games easier to understand and therefore classify them as "easier" but because there is more possibly going on, it could take longer. Time is not the only factor in assessing difficulty.

Re: Anyone else think that grouping games are easiest?

Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:06 pm
by glucose101
It depends which grouping games you're talking about. There are some grouping games that are so easy. Then again, there are some that are extremely difficult, and require heavy deductions.

Re: Anyone else think that grouping games are easiest?

Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 1:35 pm
by LSATPREPPER
I find In-Out games (Perfect on the CD game on the first try) to be easier than basic sequencing but the hardest grouping games are generally more difficult than the hardest linear games.

Re: Anyone else think that grouping games are easiest?

Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 12:10 am
by TMC116
I actually prefer undefined grouping games (i.e. birds in the forest). When the rules are the only thing you have to go by, there's a lot less to worry about. You just need a solid understanding of conditional reasoning...

Re: Anyone else think that grouping games are easiest?

Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2011 3:21 pm
by caminante
TMC116 wrote:I actually prefer undefined grouping games (i.e. birds in the forest). When the rules are the only thing you have to go by, there's a lot less to worry about. You just need a solid understanding of conditional reasoning...
Yes! I was an Econ major, so I'm a conditional reasoning master :) Sequencing drives me nuts! The first game I ever tried was the one with the clowns exiting the car (preptest 38). It still boggles my mind... but I'm getting better!