The paragraphs to the right help explain why test preparation works: the more you know about the exam before you walk in to take the test, the less time you have to waste during
the exam thinking about these issues.
In logic there are many more recognized forms of invalid argumentation than
there are forms of valid argumentation. The test makers, being human (yes, it’s
true), tend to repeat certain forms when creating stimuli and answer choices,
and you can gain a demonstrable advantage by learning the forms most often
used by the test makers. Applying the knowledge you acquire in this chapter
will take two avenues:
1. Identifying errors of reasoning made in the stimulus
If you learn the mistakes that are often made by authors, then you will
be able to quickly identify the error in the argument and accelerate
through the answer choices to find the correct answer. Students without
this knowledge will be forced to work more slowly and with less
confidence.
2. Identifying answer choices that describe a common error of reasoning
In Flaw in the Reasoning questions, the test makers tend to use certain
types of answers again and again. Depending on the reasoning used in
the stimulus, these answers can describe the correct answer, but more
often than not they are used as “stock” wrong answers. Familiarizing
yourself with these answer choices will give you an advantage when
you encounter similar answer choices in the future. For example,
“attacking the source of an argument, not the argument itself” has
appeared as the correct answer in several LSAT questions. But, it has
appeared in many more questions as a wrong answer choice. If you are
familiar with a “source” argument, you can then make an immediate
determination as to whether that answer is correct or incorrect.
Given the immense advantage you get by knowing the flawed reasoning that
appear most frequently on the LSAT, the following section will detail a variety
of errors of reasoning and provide examples of actual LSAT answer choices
that describe the error under discussion. We strongly recommend that you spend
a considerable amount of time learning these forms of flawed argumentation. It
will definitely help you on the LSAT!
the exam thinking about these issues.
In logic there are many more recognized forms of invalid argumentation than
there are forms of valid argumentation. The test makers, being human (yes, it’s
true), tend to repeat certain forms when creating stimuli and answer choices,
and you can gain a demonstrable advantage by learning the forms most often
used by the test makers. Applying the knowledge you acquire in this chapter
will take two avenues:
1. Identifying errors of reasoning made in the stimulus
If you learn the mistakes that are often made by authors, then you will
be able to quickly identify the error in the argument and accelerate
through the answer choices to find the correct answer. Students without
this knowledge will be forced to work more slowly and with less
confidence.
2. Identifying answer choices that describe a common error of reasoning
In Flaw in the Reasoning questions, the test makers tend to use certain
types of answers again and again. Depending on the reasoning used in
the stimulus, these answers can describe the correct answer, but more
often than not they are used as “stock” wrong answers. Familiarizing
yourself with these answer choices will give you an advantage when
you encounter similar answer choices in the future. For example,
“attacking the source of an argument, not the argument itself” has
appeared as the correct answer in several LSAT questions. But, it has
appeared in many more questions as a wrong answer choice. If you are
familiar with a “source” argument, you can then make an immediate
determination as to whether that answer is correct or incorrect.
Given the immense advantage you get by knowing the flawed reasoning that
appear most frequently on the LSAT, the following section will detail a variety
of errors of reasoning and provide examples of actual LSAT answer choices
that describe the error under discussion. We strongly recommend that you spend
a considerable amount of time learning these forms of flawed argumentation. It
will definitely help you on the LSAT!
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