For most types of critical reasoning questions the specifics are very important, especially when it comes to the conclusion and the most important premise.
But for the inference question, focusing too much on the specifics as you are reading the stimulus can be a poor strategy. One reason for this is that inference question stems can be among the longer question stems of any critical reasoning type. More to read means more chances to get lost. Another reason is that because inference questions usually do not have a conclusion they do not have the inherent order of, for example, a good strengthening question. So that further increases the chances of getting lost in an inference stimulus. Finally, and most importantly, it is very difficult to accurately predict what the correct answer to an inference question will be.
Instead treat an inference as you would a reading comprehension passage. Focus on the scope of the stimulus and on what is being said in general. Just like in a reading comprehension passage if you need to check the specifics you can look back to the passage.
Then when you move to the answer choices you can focus on eliminating the 4 answer choices that COULD BE FALSE. Here are the 3 main ways that answers choices COULD BE FALSE:
1) Beyond the scope. So many inference choices are beyond the scope of the stimulus. This is by far the biggest category
2) Predictions. Predictions are future-oriented and the future is not something that "must be true."
3) Must be False. Some answer choices actually contradict what has been said.
Try the following question LSAT question and see if you can place the incorrect answer choices into the above categories. OA to follow.
- 10. Twelve healthy volunteers with the Apo-A-IV-1 gene
and twelve healthy volunteers who instead have the
Apo-A-IV-2 gene each consumed a standard diet
supplemented daily by a high-cholesterol food. A high
level of cholesterol in the blood is associated with an
increased risk of heart disease. After three weeks, the
blood cholesterol levels of the subjects in the second
group were unchanged, whereas the blood cholesterol
levels of those with the Apo-A-IV-1 gene rose
20 percent.
Which one of the following is most strongly supported
by the information above?
(A) Approximately half the population carries a gene
that lowers cholesterol levels.
(B) Most of those at risk of heart disease may be able
to reduce their risk by adopting a low-
cholesterol diet.
(C) The bodies of those who have the Apo-A-IV-2
gene excrete cholesterol when blood cholesterol
reaches a certain level.
(D) The presence of the Apo-A-IV-1 gene seems to
indicate that a person has a lower risk of heart
disease.
(E) The presence of the Apo-A-IV-2 gene may inhibit
the elevation of blood cholesterol.
