Best Supported / Inference

Every technique so far has given you a clear starting point: a keyword from the question stem, the first sentence of each paragraph, or the intro and conclusion. Best Supported questions give you nothing.

The stem is vague:

• "Which of the following is best supported by the passage?"
• "Which of the following can most reasonably be inferred?"
• "The passage most strongly suggests that..."

No keyword to scan for. No paragraph to target. You have to work from the answer options instead, checking each one against the passage. That takes longer and is less predictable.

These make up roughly 5% of VR questions - rare, but when they appear, they eat time. If you're behind on pace, they're the first to skip or guess on.

Since the question stem doesn't point you anywhere, you scan the passage using keywords from the answer options instead. But you don't check all four blindly - you prioritise. Target 30-45 seconds (guess and move on if you're struggling after 45s):

1. Read all four answer options.
2. Prioritise which to check first:
3. Take your chosen option's keywords and scan the passage for them.
4. Found support? Select it. No support? Try the next option.

The contradictory-pair shortcut is the biggest time saver. If option A says the drug is safe and option C says the drug is dangerous, one of them is almost certainly correct. Check those two first and ignore the rest.

A valid inference must be very close to what the passage says - no huge logical leaps.

The exam rewards caution, not creativity. The best-supported answer is always the one that stays closest to the text.

Passage excerpt:

"The new drug reduced blood pressure by an average of 15% in patients aged 40-60 during the six-month trial. No significant side effects were observed in this group."

Question: "Which of the following is best supported by the passage?"

Answer: C

A is too broad (all age groups vs 40-60). B predicts the future. D makes a comparison the passage never makes. C sticks close to what the passage actually says, just rephrased in general terms.

With inference questions, you're often not looking for the one that's definitely right - you're looking for the one that's least wrong.

Three options will overshoot: too broad, too certain, or not in the passage. One will stay close to the text. Pick that one, even if it feels underwhelming. The correct answer to a "best supported" question is almost always the boring, cautious option - not the dramatic one.

Reject any option that:

• Goes beyond the passage's scope
• Predicts the future
• Makes a comparison the passage doesn't make
• Uses "all" or "always" when the passage is more limited

The option that survives = your answer.

Trap 1: The Plausible Overreach

Option sounds reasonable and you'd agree with it in real life - but the passage doesn't support it. "The drug is safe for all age groups" is a perfectly sensible thing to believe, but the passage only tested one age group. Stick to the text.

Trap 2: Strong Language

Watch for absolute words: "always," "never," "all," "none," "will." The passage almost never uses these, and if the option does, it's probably overreaching. The supported answer usually uses hedged language: "may," "suggests," "could," "some."

Trap 3: Confusing "True in Real Life" with "Supported by the Passage"

You might know from outside knowledge that option A is factually correct. Doesn't matter. The question asks what the passage supports. Your real-world knowledge is irrelevant.

Next lesson: Except questions - where the logic inverts completely and you're looking for the one answer the passage does NOT support.