"Scope" refers to
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

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, or many". These qualifiers indicate a limited scope.

Scope also refers to:
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 detail in our critical reasoning section as well.

Does every reading comprehension question have one correct answer and four incorrect answers?

Yes, you say? Well . . . . not exactly. Rather, there is one best answer and four not-so-good answers. For example, main idea questions generally have one of two 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 hunt for the One True Answer.

Unless you are highly pressed for time, always read all answer choices before making a decision. An answer that seems basically right could be rendered incomplete 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.

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 assists in getting to 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.

5. Diagnose Author's Purpose

Sample Questions