Ace GMAT RC Detail Questions
A student recently asked me:
I’m in your RC course and have been applying your methods to PREP, GWD, and MANHATTAN practice tests. My main idea questions are solid, but lately, I’m missing almost all the specific detail and inference questions on the Manhattan tests. My IELTS READING score is 9.0, but I’m really struggling with GMAT detail questions. What should I do?
I suspect this is a common issue, so I’m posting my answer here for everyone. For GMAT detail questions, you absolutely must consistently apply the three principles we covered in class:
(1) Carefully read and understand exactly what the question is asking.
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Detail questions come in many flavors, asking about all sorts of logical connections. Using RC passage introduction as an example, here are just some of the things these questions might probe:
- What are the premises of an argument?
- What is the author’s actual attitude (e.g., what was someone refuted by)?
- What examples did someone use to support their argument or to cast doubt on it?
- What background information was provided to set up an argument?
- Specific pieces of information within an explanation or description.
- What are the thoughts of the person being commented on by the author?
- What information is used to strengthen a conclusion?
- Possible causes.
- Possible consequences.
- Inferences from general to specific (e.g., if the passage states “All reptiles have a certain characteristic” and “Crocodiles are reptiles,” you can infer that “Crocodiles have that characteristic.”)
- Which statement is the author likely to support or oppose?
- What is the author’s implied attitude toward a certain statement?
- What is the underlying meaning behind a specific word or a passage?
These are all considered detail questions, but they focus on wildly different aspects. It’s easy to get tripped up if you’re not reading carefully.
If you don’t read the question carefully and only rely on keywords to locate information, you’re likely to choose an answer that is factually correct but doesn’t answer the question (i.e., answering the wrong question). The OG introduction for this section also specifically reminds us: you can only make inferences based on the information specified in the passage. Therefore, even a true statement might not be the correct answer (it might not be inferable from the information specified in the question); conversely, a false statement could be the correct answer (for example, if the question asks you to infer something from a scholar’s refuted idea).
(Original: You should not expect to be able to tell which answer choice is correct on the basis of whether it is true or false. Incorrect answers are often true even though they are not supported by the information in the passage. In other cases, the correct answer could be a false statement that is implied by false information in the passage.)
(2) Treat the question like an essay prompt: force yourself to answer it in your own words before looking at the answer choices.
When you review, don’t just look at the answer choices. Instead, ask yourself:
a. What’s the gap between my answer and the correct answer choice? b. How did the correct answer rephrase the original passage?
Here’s the thing about supporting idea questions: Correct answers almost never consist of verbatim quotations from the passage. They rarely copy the exact wording. If you skip the step of digesting the information and answering in your own words first, you’ll likely fall into the trap of just looking for copied wording. If you think, “I did this step! But I still chose the wrong answer,” then the next question is, “Was your answer off track?” Try to observe the gap between your answer before looking at the choices and the correct answer choice. Also, note how the correct answer rephrases the original passage. This will help you improve next time.
(3) When reading the answer choices, don’t pick one halfway through. You MUST read all five before deciding. Use two rounds of screening: first, eliminate choices that are absolutely contradictory or not mentioned at all. Second, go back to the passage to re-compare the subtle logical points.
When you return to the passage in the second round, you can focus on keywords and phrases, but be careful not to “miss the forest for the trees.” Constantly remind yourself to think about:
- How objective facts lead to subjective arguments.
- How arguments shift from one point to another.
- Which are the main conclusions and which are supporting arguments.
- How the conclusion is derived.
“Specific problems require specific analysis.” The key to that analysis is you, the student. Recall your process for tackling these questions. If necessary, consider recording yourself as you work through problems, speaking out your process and your thoughts at each step, and then reviewing the recording. Compare this with the potential problems and solutions I’ve outlined above. That’s how you prepare efficiently. Deeply digging into the problem is the first step in analyzing and designing a solution. Clearly defining the problem leads to efficient solutions. And this task is yours to undertake. :)
