GMAT Critical Reasoning: Find The “Cleat” In Inference Questions
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Inference Questions are unique. Inference questions are the only question sub-type to show up in a major way in both Critical Reasoning and Reading Comprehension questions on the GMAT. Between the two, you can expect to encounter seven to eight inference questions on Test Day, comprising about 18% of the verbal section. So inference questions are important. However, inference questions are also outliers. On most critical reasoning and reading comprehension questions, GMAT takers can triangulate on the correct answer by systematically analyzing either the content or structure of the stimulus/passage. Not so on Inference Questions.
On most questions in CR and RC, astute test-takers can use on specific cues such as repetition, identification of evidence and conclusion, or keywords, to move efficiently to a pre-phrased answer. The beauty of a pre-phrase (a prediction) is that you can scan the answer choices for a match. You don’t need to consider each answer on its own merits; an answer choice either matches your pre-phrase or it doesn’t.
Answers to inference questions, on the other hand, usually can’t be predicted. There are just too many possible inferences. That doesn’t mean you’re up a creek without a paddle, however. There are guidelines for selecting the correct answer to inference questions. Briefly, the first thing you’re looking for is an answer that must follow from the information in the stimulus. Any uncertainty is grounds for elimination. We also dismiss answers that make extreme statements with no corroboration in the stimulus. Now the final test for a correct inference question answer is to make sure you can tie the answer back to a specific point in the text. Because we’re drawing an inference, the correct answer won’t appear explicitly in the stimulus or passage. Nonetheless, because we’re looking for an answer the must follow from the text, we need something to anchor the answer to. One way of visualizing this connection calls on the earlier canoe metaphor.
Think of the stimulus/passage as a dock.
And the correct answer choice as a canoe.
The canoe and the dock are separate entities. The trick to keeping your canoe is to find a place on the dock to tie it up to. On a real dock, that point is a cleat, but whatever you call it, if you don’t tie the canoe up at the appropriate spot, you’ll lose it.
The same relationship applies to inference questions. You’ve got to find the specific material in the text to tie the correct answer back to. If you’ve done the prior steps correctly, this is your proof step. If you find you can’t tie back the answer to a specific section of the text, you’ve got the wrong answer; try again.
Let’s take a look at an example:
A well-run non-profit organization (NPO) is characterized by several factors. Adequate funding, mission effectiveness and organization are chief among them, but ability to establish a rapport with donors is also important. NPO’s A, B, C, and D all are well-run non-profits but none have more than 15 volunteers, and, as a matter of fact, NPO’s B and D have only 3 volunteers each.
The information above, if true, most support which of the following statements?
(A) Some well-run non-profits are particularly adept at connecting with their clients.
(B) Many well-run NPO’s are successful because of the personal rapport they have established with their donors.
(C) An NPO with fewer than 15 volunteers is often more effective and better-organized then a comparable one with 15 or more volunteers
(D) An NPO with fewer than 4 volunteers, despite the difficulty of managing growth and donor relationships, may be effective and have strong donor relationships.
(E) Effectiveness and organization are sure indicators of an NPO that is well-run, though it does not indicate the number of volunteers.
To begin with, we paraphrase the stimulus and understand that we can recognize a well-run NPO by, effectiveness, adequate funding, good organization and rapport with donors. Four well-run NPO’s are cited that have 15 or fewer volunteers. Two of the four have only 3 volunteers.
Now we look for an answer choice that must follow from the stimulus. (A) refers to clients, which are never mentioned in the text, and is therefore out of scope. (B) suggests that personal rapport with donors is the proximate cause of an NPO’s success; the stimulus describes rapport as only a contributing factor. Answer (C) goes much further than the stimulus; there is no discussion of NPO’s with more than 15 volunteers. (D) sounds interesting; let’s hold on to it for now. Finally, answer choice (E) refers to organization and effectiveness, suggesting that these factors are “sure indicators” of a well-run NPO. While effectiveness and organization are described as some of the key factors signaling a well run NPO, nowhere do we see the author suggesting that these alone guarantee a well-run organization. So answer (E) looks extreme.
Now, let’s go back to (D) and see if we can find a cleat to tie it back to. The second sentence tells us that of the four well run NPO’s mentioned B and D have only three volunteers, i.e. fewer than four. Answer choice D ties up nicely with this information and is, therefore, the correct answer.
4 comments
Farooq Farooqui on September 12th, 2009 at 5:25 am
Very helpful tip. I am eager to read such kinds of post, especially for CR.
I'll appreciate if you can post blogs on each questions type of CR section such as, main point, weaken, strengthen.
Thanks
Farooq
saurabh on September 12th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
Very good tip...this tip shows how important basics are in GMAT.
arun on September 18th, 2009 at 6:03 am
i muust say..... this is an excellent way to get ur CR accuracy up... thnx a ton... will do my best to apply this.
have the gmat this december...
gautam on October 19th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Dear sir, inference questions are the only ones that make me sweat to toe. I have to appear for gmat in a few days. pls help me with some more details and examples for inference qs even the harder ones. I beg you for this.