LSAT flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Sufficient assumption

An answer that, when added to the premises, makes the conclusion logically follow. Test by asking whether premises plus the answer guarantee the conclusion.

Necessary assumption

A condition without which the argument cannot succeed. The negation test: if negating the answer destroys the argument, the answer is necessary.

Negation test

A technique for necessary assumptions: negate the candidate answer and check whether the argument collapses. If it does, the answer is required.

Strengthen question

Asks which answer makes the conclusion more likely. Correct answers typically support the assumption linking evidence to conclusion, not an irrelevant background fact.

Weaken question

Asks which answer undermines the reasoning. The best answer attacks the inference's assumption or offers an alternative explanation for the evidence.

Flaw question

Asks for the reasoning error. The correct answer describes the specific gap or invalid move, such as confusing correlation with causation.

Must be true

The answer must follow from the stimulus. Eliminate choices that require extra assumptions or go beyond what is stated.

Parallel reasoning

Match the stimulus's logical structure, including conditional direction, quantifiers, and conclusion type. Topic and wording are irrelevant.

Resolve the paradox

Explain how two apparently conflicting facts can both be true. The correct answer accounts for both sides, not just one.

Conditional only if

'Only if' introduces a necessary condition. 'X only if Y' means X implies Y; Y is required for X, not sufficient for X.

Conditional unless

'Unless' means 'if not.' 'X unless Y' translates to not-Y implies X, equivalently not-X implies Y.

Method of reasoning

Describe how the argument is built: which statements are premises, concessions, counterexamples, or conclusions. Avoid restating the content.

Point at issue

The answer must be a statement one speaker affirms and the other denies. A topic both discuss but do not dispute is wrong.

Role of a statement

Identify the function of a quoted sentence: premise, conclusion, intermediate conclusion, counterexample, or concession within the argument.

Sufficient vs necessary

Sufficient condition guarantees the outcome; necessary condition is required but may not guarantee it. Confusing the two is a common flaw.

Correlation to causation flaw

Treating an observed association as proof of a causal relationship. The argument ignores reverse causation, coincidence, or a common cause.

Sampling flaw

Drawing a conclusion about a population from an unrepresentative or too-small sample. The argument overlooks bias in how the sample was selected.

Ad hominem flaw

Rejecting a claim by attacking the person who made it rather than addressing the claim's evidence or reasoning.

Main point

The passage's central claim or thesis. Correct answers cover the whole passage rather than a single detail or an overbroad inference.

Primary purpose

What the author aims to do, such as explain, evaluate, or challenge. It differs from the topic, which is what the passage is about.

Detail question

Asks about information explicitly stated. Return to the relevant lines and choose a paraphrase that adds no new scope.

Inference question

Asks what must be true given the text. The answer requires only minimal logical entailment, not outside knowledge or speculation.

Author's attitude

The author's stance toward the subject, indicated by tone words. The correct answer matches both direction (positive/negative) and degree.

Comparative passages

Two passages on the same topic. Identify whether they agree, disagree, or one qualifies the other before answering relationship questions.

Analogy question

Asks you to apply a principle or relationship from the passage to a new situation. Map the underlying structure, not surface similarity.

EXCEPT question

Four answer choices are supported by the passage; the correct answer is the one that is contradicted or not supported.

Scope trap

An answer choice that is too broad, too narrow, or too extreme relative to the passage. It often uses words like all, never, or proves.

Passage map

A mental outline of each paragraph's function: thesis, evidence, counterargument, concession, or conclusion. It guides detail and inference questions.

Tone words

Adjectives and verbs that reveal the author's attitude, such as qualified, skeptical, or enthusiastic. They help distinguish attitude answer choices.

Function question

Asks why a detail or paragraph is included. Answer in terms of its role in the passage's argument, not its literal content.

Inference vs detail

Detail answers restate explicit text; inference answers follow from text plus minimal logic. Both must stay within the passage's scope.

True but irrelevant

A choice that is accurate according to the passage but does not answer the specific question asked. It is common in main point and purpose questions.