READING COMPREHENSION: HOW LSAT PASSAGES ARE BUILT

LSAT reading comprehension passages aren't random. They cluster into recognizable types, and familiarity with those types helps you comprehend what you're actually reading.

The framework has four nested levels: claims, claim groups, paragraphs, and the passage as a whole. Each level is built from the level below it. The bottom three levels are universal — present in every passage regardless of subject matter or type. The top level is where passages diverge into distinct types.

Once you understand the building blocks, the passage types aren't arbitrary either. They're combinations of the same underlying structure, so two passages that look completely different on the surface can share the same architecture. Recognizing that architecture is what lets you read efficiently.

Single passages divide into argumentative and descriptive types, each with subtypes. The two-passage format adds a relational layer on top of that. We'll work through each in turn.

This post maps the entire structure explicitly.