Inference questions
Last updated: 13 Oct 2008
These are probably the most difficult type of reading comprehension problem you will face in the GMAT.
An inference question will ask generally ask you identify an assumption that the author is making.
The question might look like this:
- "It can be inferred that the author makes which of the following assumptions?"
- "Which is an assumption underlying the last sentence of the passage?"
- "Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the hypothesis mentioned in the highlighted section of the text?"
- "With which of the following statements regarding chaos theory would the author be most likely to agree?"
Strategy
- First, treat this type of problem as a specific target question. Look for a target in the question, find it in the text, and then look above and below it. Often you do not have to infer very much, the answer remains within the text.
- If the answer must be inferred and is not stated explicitly within the text, then choose the answer choice that can be inferred or assumed from the information given. Again, you should not have to infer very much - only one or two logical steps removed from the information in the passage.
- Make sure that the answer choice you decide on does not violate or contradict the main idea of the passage - if it does, the answer choice is probably wrong.
