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Inferences
I worked these out from the practice questions. Each code says where to start reading, where to stop, what you can skip, and why it is safe.
1. Read the blank sentence first
- Start:
- Start with the sentence that has the blank and the signal word before it.
- Stop:
- Stop at the end of the passage; there is nothing to read after the blank.
- Skip:
- Skip the options until you have a small next step in mind.
- Why:
- Words like therefore and suggests tell me exactly what the passage is building toward. This held in questions 3, 5 and 7.
Used in questions 3, 5, 7
2. Find what was changed
- Start:
- Start with the sentence that says what was different between two groups or cases.
- Stop:
- Stop at the sentence that gives the result.
- Skip:
- Skip background details such as names and places.
- Why:
- In questions 1, 2 and 3 only one thing differed, so that one thing explains the result.
Used in questions 1, 2, 3
3. Add up totals
- Start:
- Start at the numbers or the totals in the passage.
- Stop:
- Stop when you know which part stayed the same and which part changed.
- Skip:
- Skip options that need a new fact, such as price or route changes.
- Why:
- Question 5 is solved by total equals old plus new. Whatever did not change cannot be the reason.
Used in question 5
4. Test the whole option, not the start
- Start:
- Start with the first word of an option, then read to its end.
- Stop:
- Stop at the first part that has no clue in the text.
- Skip:
- Skip the rest of that option and cross it out.
- Why:
- Half-right options such as C in question 8 look good for the first part and fail on the second.
Used in questions 8, 7
5. Behavior shows feeling
- Start:
- Start with what the person does, such as pretending, waiting or hoping.
- Stop:
- Stop at what the person knows or avoids.
- Skip:
- Skip any feeling that no action supports.
- Why:
- Question 6 never says Ravi is hesitant. His actions show it.
Used in question 6
6. Choose small and careful over big and exciting
- Start:
- Start by marking words like may, suggests and likely in the options.
- Stop:
- Stop when one option fits and is no bigger than the clues.
- Skip:
- Skip options with must close, harmful, no longer or never.
- Why:
- In questions 2, 3 and 4 the correct option was careful, and the wrong ones jumped far ahead.
Used in questions 2, 3, 4
7. Compare with the group that did not get it
- Start:
- Start by finding the comparison group, such as the clinics without the program or the tanks without cleaners.
- Stop:
- Stop when you know how much that group changed too.
- Skip:
- Skip the option that gives all the credit to the thing being tested.
- Why:
- In questions 13, 14 and 15 the control group changed too, so the answer had to be careful: not the only cause, or not the cause at all.
Used in questions 13, 14, 15
8. Do the subtraction in the table
- Start:
- Start with the table and find the rise or fall in each row.
- Stop:
- Stop when you have compared the changes, not the final values.
- Skip:
- Skip any option that talks about a group, a cause or a number that the table does not show.
- Why:
- In question 12 the turning point at 600 mm and in question 15 the 19 versus 18 point rises decided the answer.
Used in questions 12, 15
9. Words say one thing, actions say another
- Start:
- Start with what the person says, then the actions that follow yet or but.
- Stop:
- Stop at the last action in the text.
- Skip:
- Skip options that accept the person's words without checking the actions.
- Why:
- In questions 11 and 16 the best answer used the actions to explain the words, and the tempting option took the words at face value.
Used in questions 16, 11, 6