This is a continuation of the Simple Guide on Paradox Questions. Take a look if you need a refresher. Also known as “Resolve, reconcile, explain” (RRE), each variant is slightly different, but the strategy is essentially the same. While paradox questions are one of the less common types on the LSAT, it would be unwise to neglect them if you are aiming for a top score.
Table of Contents:
Difficult Paradox questions tend to lack distinct traits from easier ones. Instead, the difficulty is ramped up in generic ways. There are two main patterns I noticed from our data on what trips students up the most. The first is the addition of an attractive wrong answer choice (AC) to an otherwise easy question. Often, our intuitions conflate simplicity with reasonableness. This leads us to incorrectly rank a large but simple assumption over a smaller one that is “out of the box”. Second, while many Paradox trap ACs will be wrong by virtue of contradicting the stimulus, these will be subtle and harder to spot in the toughest questions.
There is a specific “AC ranking mistake” trend I noticed when looking at our data on the Paradox questions with the lowest accuracy. I have already covered broad answer ranking strategies, so I will hone in on this; you can synthesize it with the information from the last section of this guide. First, a short example:
Which, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent conflict?
To my surprise, I just saw my cat, Jerome, run into the rain. Almost all cats hate water.
A) Jerome is different than many cats in many ways.
B) Jerome had never seen rain before.
Here is an exaggerated, flawed thought process I see among students:
A) “Ok, that’s simple. It suggests Jerome might be an outlier in regard to hating water. Let’s keep looking.”
B) “Hmm, ok, so the idea is that Jerome/cats in general might not know rain is wet without encountering it, I don’t know if this is true. We can’t bring in outside knowledge; it seems like a big assumption. We also don’t know if he immediately came back inside, if he didn’t, it's worthless, etc.”
Verdict: “B requires too many assumptions, A is the safer pick.”
I think students’ intuition may lead them astray to the thought process above due to subconsciously weighing how realistic/simple an assumption is in their assessment. However, in LSAT-world, the assumptions needed for A are a much bigger stretch than for B.
“Many” is so weak on the LSAT, technically meaning just > 2. Being “different” is so broad as to be almost useless. We are assuming that Jerome has a specific random trait, unique from “almost all” cats, solely from being different from… 2+ cats in 2+ ways.
B) does require an assumption, the first mentioned.
The correct AC may require a “creative” but smaller assumption. Difficult Paradox questions, in particular, can punish students for conflating the simplicity and realism of an assumption with its reasonableness.
I want to emphasize that any “traps to watch out for” are merely where data & my experience suggest our intuitions tend to lead us astray. Check if they apply to you; please do not mistake “I noticed people choose simple ACs on Paradox questions when they shouldn’t have” for “simple ACs tend to be incorrect”.
Refine your intuition so you don’t have any tips/tricks floating around your head on test day.
Now, try these and note the most selected wrong ACs:
One major trend I noticed on the hardest Paradox questions was the frequent selection of ACs that outright contradict the stimulus. Most of the Paradox questions with the lowest accuracy are neither abstract nor difficult conceptually. Instead, tons of students fall for an attractive AC that subtly contradicts the stimulus.
Try all of these first:
Only 1/3rd of students got that first question correct. The 2nd most chosen AC directly contradicts the stimulus! I don’t think any of these are nearly as complex as almost every other question with this low of a success rate.
On Paradox questions, take great care to ensure that your chosen AC is in full accordance with the facts of the stimulus. This is a simple rule that can be explained in a few sentences, yet it was the most common mistake I saw in the hardest Paradox questions. Most of the trap ACs above do a great job reconciling the facts, so I understand the temptation. Still, there is not much to say here beyond repeating that contradicting the stimulus 100% instantly disqualifies an AC. If you haven’t done the PT questions, take a look below.
Which of the following, if true, most helps resolve the apparent conflict?
Cat owners who try to stop their cat from getting fat are correct to do so; it hampers their day-to-day enjoyment and can take years off their lives. However, cat owners would be wrong to impose any food limitations. In the wild, cats can eat whatever they want.
A) Cat owners can change their cat’s diet if and only if a veterinarian has approved the diet and confirmed that their weight poses an imminent major health risk.
B) Cat owners should manage any weight issues with exercise, not food restriction.
Hopefully, you quickly noticed that:
1) Paradox is another question type where we spend time up-front on the stimulus to save time later.
2) Moving through the ACs can be tricky because it is not the time to be charitable.
3) Almost always, there is a clear case for the correct AC. Solving the hardest of these questions never felt like guessing. When I got them wrong, it was due to attention to detail.
