The LSAT Reading Comprehension Questions
LSAT Reading Comprehension Questions
Every LSAT includes at least one Reading Comprehension (RC) section, and some tests may include two sections, depending on if the experimental section features Logical Reasoning or Reading Comprehension questions. It is imperative to prepare diligently for Reading Comprehension questions, as they can be quite challenging and are often more difficult than test takers anticipate. This isn't a section you want to lose valuable points on, so devoting ample study time to mastering Reading Comprehension techniques will significantly improve your performance.
Each Reading Comprehension section consists of four sets of passages. Three sets will feature a single passage while one set will feature two passages. Each set is followed by 5–8 questions that assess various reading and reasoning skills. Since you are given 35 minutes to complete a Reading Comprehension section, test prep experts recommend allotting approximately 8 minutes per set, and since 4 sets multiplied by 8 minutes comes out to 32 minutes, you will have roughly 3 minutes left to review any questions you flagged or simply check your answers in general.
To perform at your best on RC sections, you will need to be able to quickly and accurately identify the types of questions you are being asked. Once you know the type of question you've been given, you can employ the most effective strategy to arrive at the right answer.
It's important to remember that test prep materials provide general guidelines for identifying question types. Different test prep companies or professionals may refer to similar questions by different names, group several question types into a single category, or break down question types into more than a dozen categories. As you prepare for the Reading Comprehension section, notice the question types you see most frequently on practice exams and study materials and focus on those. The more frequently you encounter specific types of questions, the greater the likelihood you will see them again on exam day.
Below are the main types of RC questions you can expect to see on the LSAT:
Questions About the Passage as a Whole (Main Point or Primary Purpose)
These types of questions focus on the entire passage and are generally referred to as "Main Point" or "Primary Purpose" questions. The task here is to identify the central theme of the passage. Questions may be written as variations of:
Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?
Which of the following best describes the primary idea of the passage?
Which of the following most accurately expresses the central idea of the passage?
Questions About What the Passage Says or Implies (Recognition and Inference)
These are often referred to as "Recognition" or "Inference" questions, depending on what you are being asked.
Recognition Questions
Some questions may refer directly to something that was explicitly stated in the passage. In these instances, your task is to simply refer back to the passage, identify or recognize the requested information, and choose the correct answer. Questions will direct you back to the passage and ask you to find specific information. Questions may be written as variations of:
Which of the following does the passage list as a reason to visit a new country?
The passage includes all of the following types of stars in the solar system EXCEPT for…
The passage provides sufficient information to answer which of the following questions?
Inference Questions
Questions that ask you to make inferences require you to draw logical conclusions from the passage that are not explicitly stated in the text, but nonetheless must be true based on the provided information. Questions may be written as variations of:
The passage suggests which of the following about grey wolves?
Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the passage?
The passage suggests that which one of the following is most likely to be true about desert-dwelling plants?
Questions That Require Using Context to Refine Meaning (Clarifying Meaning)
These types of questions ask you to demonstrate your understanding of the use of a word or phrase in the context of the passage by choosing an alternative word or phrase with the same meaning. Questions may be written as variations of:
Which of the following comes closest to capturing what the term "associate" means in line 25?
The words "that kind of drive" in line 34 are primarily used to refer to which one of the following?
Questions About How Things the Author Says Function in Context (Organizing Information and Purpose of Reference)
These types of questions ask you to understand and identify the function of something within the context of the passage.
Organizing Information Questions
When it comes to "Organizing Information" questions, the task is to demonstrate your understanding of the structure of the passage and how the passage works, including the role each paragraph plays within the larger point being made. These types of questions may be written as variations of:
Which of the following most accurately describes the relationship between the first paragraph and the last paragraph?
Which of the following best describes the organization of the passage?
Purpose of Reference Questions
"Purpose of Reference" questions ask you to explain the why of something. This could include why the author referred to a specific point, or what function a reference serves within the larger point the author is making. These questions require you to understand the reason specific information was included in the passage. Questions may be written as variations of:
The primary purpose of the last sentence of the third paragraph is to…
Which of the following is the most likely reason the author mentions airplanes in the second paragraph?
The author quotes noted scientist Richard Dawkins in the first paragraph primarily to do which of the following?
Questions That Require the Recognition of Analogous Patterns or Principles in Different Settings (Applying Information in Passage to New Context and Parallel Reasoning)
In these types of questions, you are asked to take an idea or principle presented in the passage and apply it to a new context as presented in the choices, or identify another scenario featuring a similar reasoning structure as the one given.
Applying Information in Passage to New Context Questions
This task requires you to generalize ideas in order to use them in a broader context. Questions may be written as variations of:
Which of the following is most clearly an example of an application of the principle "the early bird gets the worm" as it is discussed in the passage?
Which of the following conforms to the policy advocated by the author?
The author would most likely regard which of the following as best exemplifying the narrative technique known as "Chekhov's gun"?
Parallel Reasoning Questions
The task here is to recognize the pattern of reasoning used in the passage and then identify a scenario featuring a similar reasoning pattern. These questions test your ability to think abstractly, extract important information, and distill essential principles or patterns from the passage. Questions may be written as variations of the following:
Which of the following contains reasoning most similar to the argument in the passage?
Which of the following situations is most analogous to that of Humpty Dumpty as he is described in the passage?
As described in the third paragraph of the passage, the marine biologists' approach to protecting endangered whales is most similar to which of the following?
Questions About the Author (Inferences About Views, Information, and Attitude)
With these types of questions, you are being asked to step into the mind of the passage author and answer the questions as they would. Questions may require you to make inferences about the author's views, inferences about the information the author chose to include or not include in a passage, and inferences about the author's attitude towards something mentioned in the passage or more generally towards an idea, person, or group. Questions may be written as variations of the following:
Which of the following best describes the author's attitude toward the preservation of wetlands?
The author's stance towards the argument in favor of adopting a 30-hour workweek could best be described by which of the following statements?
The author's view of recycling is most accurately reflected in the author's use of which one of the following words?
Questions About the Significance of Additional Information (Additional Evidence to Strengthen or Weaken Argument)
When faced with these types of questions, your task is to choose an answer that would either support (strengthen) or challenge (weaken) the argument made in the passage. You are being asked to evaluate the effect additional evidence has on a claim or argument the author has made. Questions may be written as variations of the following:
Which of the following would most strengthen the author's argument?
Which of the following, if true, would most seriously challenge the paleontologist's claim about the dietary habits of T. rexes?
Which of the following, if discovered, would help strengthen the geologists' theory about shifting tectonic plates?
Comparative Reading Questions
"Comparative Reading" is a term used to refer to the Reading Comprehension set that instead of being one passage followed by questions, contains two passages followed by questions. Out of the four sets you are asked to complete in a Reading Comprehension section, only one set will contain two passages.
There are no question types that are uniquely specific to Comparative Reading questions, although all such questions will require you to use information from both passages. Based on the question types we've previously reviewed, here are what different types of questions might look like when asked in the Reading Comprehension Comparative Reading set:
Main Point or Primary Purpose Questions:
Which of the following is a central topic to both passages?
Both of the given passages are attempting to answer which one of the following questions?
Which of the following best describes the main point of contention between the two passages?
Recognition Questions:
Which one of the following was mentioned as a favorable outcome in both Passage A and Passage B?
Which one of the following is discussed in Passage B, but not in Passage A?
Inference Questions:
Which of the following can be inferred from both Passage A and Passage B?
Which of the following is most strongly supported by both passages?
Passage A suggests that owls live longer in rural areas than cities, while Passage B suggests which of the following?
Clarifying Meaning Questions
The role of the word "exclusively" in Passage A (line 17) is most closely related to the role of which of the following words in Passage B?
In Passage A, which one of the following is an example of "data" as that term is used in the third paragraph of Passage B?
Organizing Information Questions:
Which of the following best characterizes the relationship between Passage A and Passage B?
Unlike Passage A, Passage B strives to advance its argument through which of the following?
Purpose of Reference Questions:
Both passages mention conservation in order to do which of the following?
The discussion of cellular mitosis in Passage B differs from that in Passage A in which of the following ways?
Applying Information in Passage to New Context Questions:
Which of the following adheres to the policy advocated by the author of Passage B, but not advocated by the author of Passage A?
Based on what can be inferred from the passages, which of the following acts would have been illegal in ancient Greece, but would not be illegal under U.S. common law?
Parallel Reasoning Questions:
Which one of the following plays a role in Passage A that is most analogous to the role played in Passage B by the mention of Derek's trampoline?
Which of the following contains reasoning most similar to that in Passage B, but not Passage A?
Which one of the following principles would the author of Passage A and the author of Passage B most likely agree on?
Questions About the Author (Inferences About Views, Information, and Attitude):
The authors of the two passages would most likely agree on which of the following?
The author of Passage B would most likely give which response to the question presented at the end of paragraph two in Passage A?
The author of Passage A would most likely raise which of the following objections to the overall argument made in Passage B?
Each passage provides information suggesting that which of the following statements is most likely to be true?
It can be inferred that the author of Passage A considers the approach of the author of Passage B to be which of the following?
Additional Evidence to Strengthen or Weaken Argument Questions:
Which of the following most strengthens the argument in Passage B while weakening the argument in Passage A?
Which one of the following best describes the effect the experimental results presented in Passage A will have on the scientific claims made in Passage B?
Conclusion
The sheer number of new terms you will encounter when preparing for the Reading Comprehension section of the LSAT may feel overwhelming, but this section can be mastered through concerted effort and consistent practice. Try not to get too caught up in the differences between the names of question types. Focus instead on understanding the differences between the questions, as well as the most effective strategies to use to answer them.
The more you practice answering Reading Comprehension questions and completing sets within the 35-minute time limit, the more comfortable you will feel on the day of your exam, and the higher both your RC and your total LSAT score will be.