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SCOPE: STAY WITHIN THE LINES
Scope pertains to a range of possibility, and has two elements:
1. The answers
to most GMAT questions will be of a middle scope. Don’t
choose overly broad answers that the passage can’t support. Take a look
at this example.
The author is primarily concerned with:
A) Penguin mating patterns
B) Antarctic Penguins
C) Birds of the world
D) Penguin behavior and life cycle
E) Animals of the southern hemisphere
B) is likely to be correct as it is closest to middle scope. It deals with an
animal and its habitat, but is not too narrow and also not too broad. It fits
nicely in between:
Broad:
Animals of the southern hemisphere
Birds of the world |
Narrow:
Penguin behavior and life cycle
Penguin mating patterns |
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Watch out for words like all, never, always, only. These
qualifiers are strong, usually outside a passage’s scope. Just think how
hard it would be to write a short passage that argued:
- All climate change is a result of human activities.
(Really, all of it? Every last bit?)
- Every new medical treatment improves the quality
of medical care (No screw ups at all, huh?)
- Only the federal government can improve public
school education (What about states? Individuals?)
Look for answers that use “some”, “most”, “many”.
That’s the GMAT style, because it is more reasonable and professional.
These qualifiers indicate a limited scope.
2. Avoid using personal
knowledge to answer questions.
Outside knowledge is beyond the scope of the GMAT and all answers will be found
within the passage itself. The test writers try to trick you into using outside
knowledge by making passage topics familiar, but using prior knowledge can cause
you to fall into their trap and answer questions incorrectly. Be careful to
stay within the scope of the passage and its information!
Note: Scope is even more important for critical reasoning questions, so this
topic is addressed in our critical reasoning section as well.
CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER
True or false, every reading comprehension question has one correct answer and
4 incorrect answers?
True, you say? Well . . . . not exactly. Rather, there is one best answer and
four not-best answers. For example, main idea questions generally have 1-2 answers
that are partly correct, but flawed in some way. A wrong answer to the question
“What is the main idea?” might summarize the main idea of only part
of the passage.
Your goal is to pick the best answer to the question, not the One True
Answer.
Unless you are highly pressed for time, always read all answer choices before
making a decision. An answer that seems right could be beaten by a better choice.
Therefore, don’t answer the question until you have read every answer
choice and are sure you have found the best answer. Do not ask yourself if an
answer is correct. Ask yourself if it is better than the other choices.
When you reach choice E, you may discover that your previous choice, B, was
merely the second best answer.
EXCEPT / LEAST / NOT QUESTIONS
Presto, one word turns the question on its head. Say you’re asked:
Which of the following assertions in the passage is supported by an example?
Now, turn it on its head:
Which of the following assertions in the passage is NOT supported by an example?
What can you do?
Practice! You have to learn to reverse your thinking and practice really helps
getting in that mindset. One pitfall is to overlook the critical reversal word
and then wonder why all the choices seem correct. NOT, LEAST, AND EXCEPT will
be used in caps to indicate you’re looking for the reverse answer. Rephrasing
the question before you answer it is helpful.
Summary
- Scope is important: Don’t choose an answer that
exceeds the scope of the passage's discussion. Also be wary
of choices that use words like all and never.
- Choose the best answer. Every passage will have answers that seem correct.
However, one answer is the best at answering the question. Make sure to
read all the choices and think clearly about which one answers the question.
- Practice Except / Least / Not questions to avoid getting mixed up. |
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