Answer Key
All answer keys in this book will indicate the source of the question by giving the month and year the
LSAT was originally administered, the Logical Reasoning section number, and the question number within
that section. Each LSAT has two Logical Reasoning sections, and so the Section #1 and Section #2
designators will refer to the first or second Logical Reasoning section in the test, not the physical section
number of the booklet.
Question #1. Must. October 2003 LSAT, Section #2, #6. The correct answer choice is (A)
Unlike many Must Be True question stimuli, this stimulus contains an argument. The conclusion is in the
second sentence: “the primary function of law is surely to help order society so that its institutions,
organizations, and citizenry can work together harmoniously, regardless of any further moral aims of the
law.” The stimulus also begins with the “Some argue that...” construction, and as usual, is followed by a
conclusion that argues against the position established in the first sentence (see “A Commonly Used
Construction” in Chapter Two if this sounds unfamiliar). The last sentence is a premise that proves to be
key for choosing the correct answer.
Answer choice (A): This correct answer is largely a paraphrase of the last sentence.
Answer choice (B): While the author certainly agrees with the first part of the sentence, in the second part
the phrase “devoid of moral aims” is too strong to be supported by the information in the stimulus. The last
sentence indicates that morality has some effect on the law and invalidates the “devoid” claim.
Answer choice (C): This is an Exaggerated answer. Although the last sentence indicates that religious faith
has been grounds for making exceptions in the application of law, the stimulus does not indicate that
actions based on religious or moral belief tend to receive the protection of the highest courts.
Answer choice (D): The author indicates that the “primary function” of law is to help order society; the
author does not indicate that this is the one and only function of law. The answer choice overstates the case
by saying that a society ordered by law should not reflect any moral convictions about the ordering.
Answer choice (E): No mention is made of the “best way” to promote cooperation, only that the primary
function of law is to promote such cooperation.
Question #2. Must. June 2002 LSAT, Section #1, #7. The correct answer choice is (B)
The stimulus tells the story of recent physics theories: Newtonian physics was preeminent for over two
centuries, and despite widespread acknowledgment and confirmation it was surpassed by Einsteinian
physics in the early 1900s.
Answer choice (A): The two theories cited in the stimulus are not sufficient to form a pattern, which is the
basis of answer choice (A).
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer. As shown by the case of Newtonian physics, success and
substantiation is no guarantee of dominance.
Answer choice (C): This is an Exaggerated answer that takes one instance and exaggerates it into a pattern.
Although Newtonian physics was surpassed, this does not prove that every theory of physics will be
eventually surpassed. The answer goes farther than the facts of the stimulus and fails the Fact Test.
Answer choice (D): Like answer choice (C), this answer goes too far. Although some theories of physics
have been dominant for centuries, there is no guarantee that every theory will be dominant for that long.
Answer choice (E): Even though Einsteinian physics has enjoyed wide success in surpassing Newtonian
physics, nowhere in the stimulus is there evidence to prove that each theory must be surpassed by an
equally successful theory.
Question #3. Must. June 2002 LSAT, Section #1, #2. The correct answer choice is (E)
This interesting stimulus contains two definitions of “refusal:” an initial definition that implies refusal is a
point at which pilings will go no further, and then a second, contemporary standards definition of refusal
that reveals that refusal is a point at which additional penetration into the ground is no greater than two
inches after twenty-four hammer blows. The stimulus is a fact set, and thus there is no conclusion present.
Answer choice (A): Although there was an inquiry into the solidity of the piers of the Rialto Bridge, the
results of that inquiry are not disclosed. The only other information we are given is that the pilings of the
Rialto Bridge met the contemporary standard of refusal, but this is not sufficient to indicate whether the
pilings of this particular bridge were safe. Hence, this answer fails the Fact Test and is incorrect.
Answer choice (B): Similar to answer choice (A), we have insufficient information to make this judgment.
Answer choice (C): This answer is somewhat opposite of the information in the stimulus, which states that
Da Ponte had met the contemporary standard of refusal.
Answer choice (D): This is another Opposite answer. The stimulus indicates that bridges built prior to
1700 were driven to the point of refusal.
Answer choice (E): This is the correct answer. As stated in the stimulus, “he had caused the pilings to be
driven until additional penetration into the ground was no greater than two inches after twenty-four
hammer blows.” The statement indicates that additional penetration was possible with a sufficient number
of hammer blows.
Question #4. Must. October 2000 LSAT, Section #2, #10. The correct answer choice is (C)
This is a fact set. Note the strength of the modifiers in this stimulus—“every,” “most,” and “any.” We
should be able to use this narrow scope to support a fairly strong statement, but be careful: the test makers
know this too and they will supply several answer choices that are worded strongly. Make sure you select
an answer that conforms to the facts.
Answer choice (A): The phrase “better than a merely good life” goes beyond the statements in the
stimulus.
Answer choice (B): This answer is incorrect because we are not given information about how the moral
theories are different, or if they different at all. The only detail we are told is that the theories all have one
thing in common—they tell us what a good life is. Since the answer choice makes a claim based on
differences between theories, it cannot be correct.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer. At first glance, this answer choice may seem a bit strong in
saying the conception would not match that of any moral theory. But, as discussed above, we can support
this because the stimulus uses very strong language, specifically stating “most people would judge
someone who perfectly embodied the ideals of any one of these theories not to be living a good life.”
(italics added).
Answer choice (D): This answer is worded strongly but it quickly fails the Fact Test. Nothing is said to
indicate that the life described by one of the moral theories cannot be realized.
Answer choice (E): This answer also has strong language, but it goes too far in saying that it is impossible
to develop a theory that accurately describes a good life.
Question #5. Must. October 2002 LSAT, Section #1, #15. The correct answer choice is (C)
The last sentence contains a conclusion, and this conclusion is the primary evidence that supports answer
choice (C).
Answer choice (A): The word “often” in the first sentence is the key to this answer choice. “Often” means
frequently, but frequently is not the same as “most.” Had the stimulus said “more often than not,” that
would mean “most” and this answer choice would be correct.
Answer choice (B): We cannot determine if readers of mystery stories solve the mystery simply by spotting
the errors of the dull companion.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer. The second sentence indicates that “clues are presented in
the story...the detective uses to deduce the correct solution.” Combined with the last sentence, which states
“the author’s strategy...gives readers a chance to solve the mystery,” this answer choice is proven by facts.
Answer choice (D): Look for the facts in the stimulus—do they support this answer? Although the dull
companion diverts readers from the correct solution, we do not know if actions of the brilliant detective
rarely divert readers from the actions of the dull companion.
Answer choice (E): This is a tricky answer choice if you do not read closely. The stimulus states that the
dull companion infers a wrong solution from clues that the brilliant detective ultimately uses to solve the
mystery. Answer choice (E) states that the dull companion uncovers misleading clues. This is incorrect; the
interpretation of the clues is misleading, not the clues themselves.
Question #6. Must. December 2002 LSAT, Section #2, #16. The correct answer choice is (C)
The final three problems in this section are harder than the previous five. This problem is answered
correctly by about 45% of test takers and is classified as difficult (the hardest LSAT questions have success
rates under 20%. Fortunately, questions this difficult appear infrequently). Students can miss questions for
a variety of reasons:
1. The stimulus is difficult to understand.
2. The question stem is difficult to classify (very rare) or confusing.
3. The correct answer is deceptive, causing students to avoid it.
4. One (or more) of the incorrect answers is attractive, drawing students to it.
Given that the stimulus is a simple fact set and that none of the incorrect answers attracted more than 15%
of test takers, the difficulty in this problem apparently lies in the correct answer.
Answer choice (A): The controversy in the stimulus is about the categorization of Cézanne as an artist, not
about Cézanne’s work. Further, even if the answer did correctly reference the categorization controversy,
the answer would still be suspect because of the word “highly.” The stimulus indicates that only a small
few reject the categorization of Cézanne as an early modernist and most experts accept it.
Answer choice (B): The stimulus asserts that Cézanne inspired the creators of abstract art, not that
Cézanne himself created abstract art.
Answer choice (C): This correct answer is a paraphrase of the first sentence. The deceptiveness of this
answer lies in two areas:
1. The substitution of “develop” for “inspire.” Some students feel the word “develop” is too strong,
but if Cézanne inspired the creators of the next generation of art then he helped develop it.
2. The use of the word “modernism.” Some students are thrown off by “modernism” because they
expect to see “abstract” instead. The stimulus is careful about saying “twentieth-century
modernist creators of abstract art.” Notice how the test makers use answer choice (B)—which
mentions “abstract”—to subtly prepare you to make this error.
Answer choice (D): The first sentence indicates that Cézanne inspired the modernist creators. The rest of
the stimulus discusses a disagreement about the categorization of Cézanne that is not resolved in favor of
either group. Hence, there is no way for us to determine if modern art owes less to Cézanne than many
experts believe.
Answer choice (E): The word “tends” is the problem in this answer choice. Logically, “tends” means
“most.” So, according to answer choice (E), Cézanne’s work is usually misinterpreted as modernist. The
stimulus disagrees with this view: only a “small few” reject the categorization of Cézanne as a modernist
whereas the majority accepts it. Further, the disagreement in the stimulus involves art experts, and from
their view we would dispute answer choice (E). Answer choice (E) can also be understood as involving all
interpretation of Cézanne’s work—whether by art expert or not—and from this perspective the answer is
still unsupported since the views of others are not discussed in the stimulus.
Question #7. Must. June 2001 LSAT, Section #2, #19. The correct answer choice is (B)
The stimulus is a fact set. Part of the difficulty with this problem is the scientific subject matter. Many
people are intimidated by the mention of rhodopsin, with which they are unfamiliar. As with the flavonoids
in problem #1 of the chapter text, you do not need to know what rhodopsin is to complete the problem.
The stimulus can be broken into several easily digestible parts:
Premise: Light is registered in the retina when photons hit rhodopsin molecules and the molecules
change shape.
Premise: Due to normal molecular motion, rhodopsin molecules sometimes change shape without
having been hit by light. This change causes errors in the visual system.
Premise: The amount of molecular motion is directly proportional to the temperature of the retina.
Answer choice (A): The stimulus does not indicate that the temperature of the retina depends on the
amount of light. It could easily be affected by other factors, such as body temperature. About 15% of test
takers fell prey to this answer.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer and just over 40% of test takers correctly choose this
answer. To prove this answer you must link together several pieces of information. First, the last sentence
of the stimulus shows that the amount of rhodopsin molecular motion is directly proportional to the
temperature of the retina, and the second sentence of the stimulus shows that this motion causes visual
errors, so the higher the retinal temperature, the more errors in the visual system. The answer choice ties
body temperature (remember, the retina is a body part) to the temperature of the surroundings and then
rightly notes that hot surroundings would cause more visual errors than cold surroundings if body
temperature matched those surroundings.
Answer choice (C): This was the most popular incorrect answer, and just under a quarter of test takers fell
for this answer. The answer is wrong because we do not know that temperature causes the rhodopsin to
react more slowly. Higher retinal temperature causes the rhodopsin molecules to change shape, but no
mention is made of reaction time. This answer falls under the “New information” category.
Answer choice (D): Another New Information answer choice. Similar to answer choice (C), this answer
fails the Fact Test because no information is given about the surface area of the retina. Answer choices (C)
and (D) are great examples of how an answer can contain information unmentioned by the stimulus. These
answers are somewhat attractive because there is nothing actively wrong about them and thus they could
be true. To avoid them, always keep in mind that your goal is to find the answer that must occur based on
the information in the stimulus.
Answer choice (E): While the stimulus focuses on rhodopsin, no indication is given that rhodopsin is the
only naturally occurring pigment molecule—there could be others.
Question #8. Must. June 2000 LSAT, Section #1, #20. The correct answer choice is (B)
This is a very challenging problem, and only about a quarter of students answer this problem correctly.
The stimulus is a fact set and offers a solution for dating an event when the usual sources offer conflicting
chronologies:
1. Minimize the number of competing sources, possibly by eliminating the less credible ones.
2. Independent of the usual sources, determine which date is more likely to be right.
Notice how the test makers throw in the word “historiography” in order to be intimidating. As usual, you
do not need to know the meaning of this word (or any unusual word) in order to continue with the
problem. The remainder of the sentence makes clear that dating an event is the point of discussion, and
you can comfortably connect the “historio” word root to “date an event” and “historians” and confidently
move on with a good idea that historiography is connected to history in some way. By definition,
historiography is the writing of history.
Answer choice (A): The stimulus discusses dates where there is conflict between sources. In no way does
the stimulus support answer choice (A).
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer. As stated in the last sentence, historians are on occasion
unsuccessful in determining independently the date of an event. If the usual sources offered are in conflict
about the date of a particular event and an analysis independent of the usual sources fails to confirm a date,
then a date cannot be reliably determined for the event.
Answer choice (C): About one-third of all test takers choose this answer. The stimulus speaks specifically
of dating an event when the usual sources offer conflicting chronologies. The stimulus does not discuss
dating an event when there is no conflict of chronologies, and most likely many dates could be set with
certainty in the absence of any conflict. With this in mind, the language of the answer choice becomes
problematic because “attaching a reliable date to any event” would not “require determining which of
several conflicting chronologies is most likely to be true.”
Answer choice (D): The language of the answer choice is too strong in saying that an independent
determination is an ineffective way of dating events. There is simply not enough information about what
constitutes a “determination independent of the usual sources” to say it is ineffective.
Answer choice (E): This is another tricky answer, and just under a quarter of test takers incorrectly select
this answer. The answer claims that the soundest approach to dating an event is to undermine the
credibility of as many of the competing sources as possible. First, the stimulus suggests that the historian
should, perhaps, eliminate the less credible ones. No mention is made of eliminating as many as possible,
and the stimulus indicates that several remaining sources are to be expected. Second, that same section
discusses eliminating less credible sources, not undermining the credibility of those sources.
All answer keys in this book will indicate the source of the question by giving the month and year the
LSAT was originally administered, the Logical Reasoning section number, and the question number within
that section. Each LSAT has two Logical Reasoning sections, and so the Section #1 and Section #2
designators will refer to the first or second Logical Reasoning section in the test, not the physical section
number of the booklet.
Question #1. Must. October 2003 LSAT, Section #2, #6. The correct answer choice is (A)
Unlike many Must Be True question stimuli, this stimulus contains an argument. The conclusion is in the
second sentence: “the primary function of law is surely to help order society so that its institutions,
organizations, and citizenry can work together harmoniously, regardless of any further moral aims of the
law.” The stimulus also begins with the “Some argue that...” construction, and as usual, is followed by a
conclusion that argues against the position established in the first sentence (see “A Commonly Used
Construction” in Chapter Two if this sounds unfamiliar). The last sentence is a premise that proves to be
key for choosing the correct answer.
Answer choice (A): This correct answer is largely a paraphrase of the last sentence.
Answer choice (B): While the author certainly agrees with the first part of the sentence, in the second part
the phrase “devoid of moral aims” is too strong to be supported by the information in the stimulus. The last
sentence indicates that morality has some effect on the law and invalidates the “devoid” claim.
Answer choice (C): This is an Exaggerated answer. Although the last sentence indicates that religious faith
has been grounds for making exceptions in the application of law, the stimulus does not indicate that
actions based on religious or moral belief tend to receive the protection of the highest courts.
Answer choice (D): The author indicates that the “primary function” of law is to help order society; the
author does not indicate that this is the one and only function of law. The answer choice overstates the case
by saying that a society ordered by law should not reflect any moral convictions about the ordering.
Answer choice (E): No mention is made of the “best way” to promote cooperation, only that the primary
function of law is to promote such cooperation.
Question #2. Must. June 2002 LSAT, Section #1, #7. The correct answer choice is (B)
The stimulus tells the story of recent physics theories: Newtonian physics was preeminent for over two
centuries, and despite widespread acknowledgment and confirmation it was surpassed by Einsteinian
physics in the early 1900s.
Answer choice (A): The two theories cited in the stimulus are not sufficient to form a pattern, which is the
basis of answer choice (A).
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer. As shown by the case of Newtonian physics, success and
substantiation is no guarantee of dominance.
Answer choice (C): This is an Exaggerated answer that takes one instance and exaggerates it into a pattern.
Although Newtonian physics was surpassed, this does not prove that every theory of physics will be
eventually surpassed. The answer goes farther than the facts of the stimulus and fails the Fact Test.
Answer choice (D): Like answer choice (C), this answer goes too far. Although some theories of physics
have been dominant for centuries, there is no guarantee that every theory will be dominant for that long.
Answer choice (E): Even though Einsteinian physics has enjoyed wide success in surpassing Newtonian
physics, nowhere in the stimulus is there evidence to prove that each theory must be surpassed by an
equally successful theory.
Question #3. Must. June 2002 LSAT, Section #1, #2. The correct answer choice is (E)
This interesting stimulus contains two definitions of “refusal:” an initial definition that implies refusal is a
point at which pilings will go no further, and then a second, contemporary standards definition of refusal
that reveals that refusal is a point at which additional penetration into the ground is no greater than two
inches after twenty-four hammer blows. The stimulus is a fact set, and thus there is no conclusion present.
Answer choice (A): Although there was an inquiry into the solidity of the piers of the Rialto Bridge, the
results of that inquiry are not disclosed. The only other information we are given is that the pilings of the
Rialto Bridge met the contemporary standard of refusal, but this is not sufficient to indicate whether the
pilings of this particular bridge were safe. Hence, this answer fails the Fact Test and is incorrect.
Answer choice (B): Similar to answer choice (A), we have insufficient information to make this judgment.
Answer choice (C): This answer is somewhat opposite of the information in the stimulus, which states that
Da Ponte had met the contemporary standard of refusal.
Answer choice (D): This is another Opposite answer. The stimulus indicates that bridges built prior to
1700 were driven to the point of refusal.
Answer choice (E): This is the correct answer. As stated in the stimulus, “he had caused the pilings to be
driven until additional penetration into the ground was no greater than two inches after twenty-four
hammer blows.” The statement indicates that additional penetration was possible with a sufficient number
of hammer blows.
Question #4. Must. October 2000 LSAT, Section #2, #10. The correct answer choice is (C)
This is a fact set. Note the strength of the modifiers in this stimulus—“every,” “most,” and “any.” We
should be able to use this narrow scope to support a fairly strong statement, but be careful: the test makers
know this too and they will supply several answer choices that are worded strongly. Make sure you select
an answer that conforms to the facts.
Answer choice (A): The phrase “better than a merely good life” goes beyond the statements in the
stimulus.
Answer choice (B): This answer is incorrect because we are not given information about how the moral
theories are different, or if they different at all. The only detail we are told is that the theories all have one
thing in common—they tell us what a good life is. Since the answer choice makes a claim based on
differences between theories, it cannot be correct.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer. At first glance, this answer choice may seem a bit strong in
saying the conception would not match that of any moral theory. But, as discussed above, we can support
this because the stimulus uses very strong language, specifically stating “most people would judge
someone who perfectly embodied the ideals of any one of these theories not to be living a good life.”
(italics added).
Answer choice (D): This answer is worded strongly but it quickly fails the Fact Test. Nothing is said to
indicate that the life described by one of the moral theories cannot be realized.
Answer choice (E): This answer also has strong language, but it goes too far in saying that it is impossible
to develop a theory that accurately describes a good life.
Question #5. Must. October 2002 LSAT, Section #1, #15. The correct answer choice is (C)
The last sentence contains a conclusion, and this conclusion is the primary evidence that supports answer
choice (C).
Answer choice (A): The word “often” in the first sentence is the key to this answer choice. “Often” means
frequently, but frequently is not the same as “most.” Had the stimulus said “more often than not,” that
would mean “most” and this answer choice would be correct.
Answer choice (B): We cannot determine if readers of mystery stories solve the mystery simply by spotting
the errors of the dull companion.
Answer choice (C): This is the correct answer. The second sentence indicates that “clues are presented in
the story...the detective uses to deduce the correct solution.” Combined with the last sentence, which states
“the author’s strategy...gives readers a chance to solve the mystery,” this answer choice is proven by facts.
Answer choice (D): Look for the facts in the stimulus—do they support this answer? Although the dull
companion diverts readers from the correct solution, we do not know if actions of the brilliant detective
rarely divert readers from the actions of the dull companion.
Answer choice (E): This is a tricky answer choice if you do not read closely. The stimulus states that the
dull companion infers a wrong solution from clues that the brilliant detective ultimately uses to solve the
mystery. Answer choice (E) states that the dull companion uncovers misleading clues. This is incorrect; the
interpretation of the clues is misleading, not the clues themselves.
Question #6. Must. December 2002 LSAT, Section #2, #16. The correct answer choice is (C)
The final three problems in this section are harder than the previous five. This problem is answered
correctly by about 45% of test takers and is classified as difficult (the hardest LSAT questions have success
rates under 20%. Fortunately, questions this difficult appear infrequently). Students can miss questions for
a variety of reasons:
1. The stimulus is difficult to understand.
2. The question stem is difficult to classify (very rare) or confusing.
3. The correct answer is deceptive, causing students to avoid it.
4. One (or more) of the incorrect answers is attractive, drawing students to it.
Given that the stimulus is a simple fact set and that none of the incorrect answers attracted more than 15%
of test takers, the difficulty in this problem apparently lies in the correct answer.
Answer choice (A): The controversy in the stimulus is about the categorization of Cézanne as an artist, not
about Cézanne’s work. Further, even if the answer did correctly reference the categorization controversy,
the answer would still be suspect because of the word “highly.” The stimulus indicates that only a small
few reject the categorization of Cézanne as an early modernist and most experts accept it.
Answer choice (B): The stimulus asserts that Cézanne inspired the creators of abstract art, not that
Cézanne himself created abstract art.
Answer choice (C): This correct answer is a paraphrase of the first sentence. The deceptiveness of this
answer lies in two areas:
1. The substitution of “develop” for “inspire.” Some students feel the word “develop” is too strong,
but if Cézanne inspired the creators of the next generation of art then he helped develop it.
2. The use of the word “modernism.” Some students are thrown off by “modernism” because they
expect to see “abstract” instead. The stimulus is careful about saying “twentieth-century
modernist creators of abstract art.” Notice how the test makers use answer choice (B)—which
mentions “abstract”—to subtly prepare you to make this error.
Answer choice (D): The first sentence indicates that Cézanne inspired the modernist creators. The rest of
the stimulus discusses a disagreement about the categorization of Cézanne that is not resolved in favor of
either group. Hence, there is no way for us to determine if modern art owes less to Cézanne than many
experts believe.
Answer choice (E): The word “tends” is the problem in this answer choice. Logically, “tends” means
“most.” So, according to answer choice (E), Cézanne’s work is usually misinterpreted as modernist. The
stimulus disagrees with this view: only a “small few” reject the categorization of Cézanne as a modernist
whereas the majority accepts it. Further, the disagreement in the stimulus involves art experts, and from
their view we would dispute answer choice (E). Answer choice (E) can also be understood as involving all
interpretation of Cézanne’s work—whether by art expert or not—and from this perspective the answer is
still unsupported since the views of others are not discussed in the stimulus.
Question #7. Must. June 2001 LSAT, Section #2, #19. The correct answer choice is (B)
The stimulus is a fact set. Part of the difficulty with this problem is the scientific subject matter. Many
people are intimidated by the mention of rhodopsin, with which they are unfamiliar. As with the flavonoids
in problem #1 of the chapter text, you do not need to know what rhodopsin is to complete the problem.
The stimulus can be broken into several easily digestible parts:
Premise: Light is registered in the retina when photons hit rhodopsin molecules and the molecules
change shape.
Premise: Due to normal molecular motion, rhodopsin molecules sometimes change shape without
having been hit by light. This change causes errors in the visual system.
Premise: The amount of molecular motion is directly proportional to the temperature of the retina.
Answer choice (A): The stimulus does not indicate that the temperature of the retina depends on the
amount of light. It could easily be affected by other factors, such as body temperature. About 15% of test
takers fell prey to this answer.
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer and just over 40% of test takers correctly choose this
answer. To prove this answer you must link together several pieces of information. First, the last sentence
of the stimulus shows that the amount of rhodopsin molecular motion is directly proportional to the
temperature of the retina, and the second sentence of the stimulus shows that this motion causes visual
errors, so the higher the retinal temperature, the more errors in the visual system. The answer choice ties
body temperature (remember, the retina is a body part) to the temperature of the surroundings and then
rightly notes that hot surroundings would cause more visual errors than cold surroundings if body
temperature matched those surroundings.
Answer choice (C): This was the most popular incorrect answer, and just under a quarter of test takers fell
for this answer. The answer is wrong because we do not know that temperature causes the rhodopsin to
react more slowly. Higher retinal temperature causes the rhodopsin molecules to change shape, but no
mention is made of reaction time. This answer falls under the “New information” category.
Answer choice (D): Another New Information answer choice. Similar to answer choice (C), this answer
fails the Fact Test because no information is given about the surface area of the retina. Answer choices (C)
and (D) are great examples of how an answer can contain information unmentioned by the stimulus. These
answers are somewhat attractive because there is nothing actively wrong about them and thus they could
be true. To avoid them, always keep in mind that your goal is to find the answer that must occur based on
the information in the stimulus.
Answer choice (E): While the stimulus focuses on rhodopsin, no indication is given that rhodopsin is the
only naturally occurring pigment molecule—there could be others.
Question #8. Must. June 2000 LSAT, Section #1, #20. The correct answer choice is (B)
This is a very challenging problem, and only about a quarter of students answer this problem correctly.
The stimulus is a fact set and offers a solution for dating an event when the usual sources offer conflicting
chronologies:
1. Minimize the number of competing sources, possibly by eliminating the less credible ones.
2. Independent of the usual sources, determine which date is more likely to be right.
Notice how the test makers throw in the word “historiography” in order to be intimidating. As usual, you
do not need to know the meaning of this word (or any unusual word) in order to continue with the
problem. The remainder of the sentence makes clear that dating an event is the point of discussion, and
you can comfortably connect the “historio” word root to “date an event” and “historians” and confidently
move on with a good idea that historiography is connected to history in some way. By definition,
historiography is the writing of history.
Answer choice (A): The stimulus discusses dates where there is conflict between sources. In no way does
the stimulus support answer choice (A).
Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer. As stated in the last sentence, historians are on occasion
unsuccessful in determining independently the date of an event. If the usual sources offered are in conflict
about the date of a particular event and an analysis independent of the usual sources fails to confirm a date,
then a date cannot be reliably determined for the event.
Answer choice (C): About one-third of all test takers choose this answer. The stimulus speaks specifically
of dating an event when the usual sources offer conflicting chronologies. The stimulus does not discuss
dating an event when there is no conflict of chronologies, and most likely many dates could be set with
certainty in the absence of any conflict. With this in mind, the language of the answer choice becomes
problematic because “attaching a reliable date to any event” would not “require determining which of
several conflicting chronologies is most likely to be true.”
Answer choice (D): The language of the answer choice is too strong in saying that an independent
determination is an ineffective way of dating events. There is simply not enough information about what
constitutes a “determination independent of the usual sources” to say it is ineffective.
Answer choice (E): This is another tricky answer, and just under a quarter of test takers incorrectly select
this answer. The answer claims that the soundest approach to dating an event is to undermine the
credibility of as many of the competing sources as possible. First, the stimulus suggests that the historian
should, perhaps, eliminate the less credible ones. No mention is made of eliminating as many as possible,
and the stimulus indicates that several remaining sources are to be expected. Second, that same section
discusses eliminating less credible sources, not undermining the credibility of those sources.
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