Rank 10 by frequency | 90 questions in corpus (3.6% of all questions)
A reversal question — instead of finding the one correct answer, the test-taker must find the one answer that is NOT supported by or consistent with the passage. Four of the five choices are correct (according to the passage), and the one "odd one out" is the right answer. The logic is inverted: the test-taker must verify and eliminate supported choices to find the unsupported one.
The reversal keyword determines the subtype, and each signals a slightly different task:
The dominant variant by a wide margin. Four choices are supported; one is not. - "According to the passage, all of the following are true EXCEPT:" - "Each of the following is [X] EXCEPT:" - "The author mentions each of the following EXCEPT:" - "According to the passage, [person] believed that each of the following would [Y] EXCEPT:" - "The passage supports all of the following claims EXCEPT:"
What makes it distinct: "EXCEPT" typically appears at the end of the stem, in capital letters. It's a hard stop — the test-taker must notice it and reverse their selection logic. The underlying task is usually detail recall (checking what the passage says) but can also be inference-based.
Uses "NOT" instead of "EXCEPT." Functionally similar but often embedded mid-stem. - "Which one of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as [X]?" - "Which one of the following questions is NOT characterized by the passage as [X]?" - "Which claim about [X] is NOT made in passage A?" - "The passage does NOT provide evidence that [X] exhibits which attitude?"
What makes it distinct: "NOT" can appear in the middle of the stem rather than at the end, making it easier to miss. More commonly paired with specific factual claims.
The most nuanced variant. Implies a matter of degree rather than a binary yes/no. - "The information provides the LEAST support for which claim?" - "Which scenario is LEAST compatible with [X]?" - "Which one of the following, if true, is LEAST consistent with the hypothesis mentioned in [X]?" - "The author would be LEAST likely to endorse which one of the following?"
What makes it distinct: All five choices may have some degree of support/consistency, but the correct answer has the least. This makes LEAST questions harder because the test-taker must rank rather than simply classify.
Various "NOT" constructions: - "Which is NOT identified by the author as characteristic of [X]?" - "The passage does NOT provide evidence that [X] exhibits which attitude?"
The reversal can wrap around any skill: - Detail-EXCEPT (most common): Pick 5 claims; 4 are in the passage, 1 isn't - Inference-EXCEPT: Pick 5 inferences; 4 are supported, 1 isn't - Attitude-EXCEPT: Pick 5 evaluative claims; 4 the author would endorse, 1 they wouldn't - Application-EXCEPT: Pick 5 scenarios; 4 are consistent with the passage's theory, 1 isn't
The four "wrong" answers (which are actually correct per the passage) must each be clearly verifiable: - For detail-EXCEPT: Each should be paraphrasable from a specific passage sentence - For inference-EXCEPT: Each should be supportable by pointing to specific passage evidence - They should be spread across different parts of the passage to prevent the test-taker from finding them all in one location
The correct answer — the one NOT supported — must be: - Plausible: It should sound like something the passage might have said, so it's not obviously wrong - Related to the passage topic: It shouldn't be so off-topic that it stands out - Specifically unsupported: There should be no passage text that supports it, or it should subtly contradict something the passage says
The trap is reversed — the test-taker might mistakenly select one of the four supported choices because:
Trap Scenario 1: Overlooked Detail One of the four correct-per-passage answers comes from an easily missed section. The test-taker doesn't find it and mistakenly thinks it's unsupported.
Average 17.4 words. Standard length — the reversal keyword doesn't add much bulk. The keyword (EXCEPT, NOT, LEAST) is almost always capitalized to ensure visibility, but test-takers under time pressure may still miss it.
Average 11.9 words — relatively short because the choices are typically straightforward factual claims or brief descriptions that can be quickly checked against the passage.
Key pattern: All five answer choices are constructed to look similarly plausible. The four passage-supported choices and the one unsupported choice should be of similar length, complexity, and topic relevance.
Source: PT7, Q6 > "According to the passage, many working parents may be forced to make any of the following types of career decisions EXCEPT"
Five career decisions are listed. Four are described in the passage; one (A) — "Declining professional positions for nonprofessional ones, which typically have less conventional work schedules" — is not mentioned. The test-taker must check each choice against the passage and find the one with no textual support.
Source: PT43, Q8 > "Which one of the following questions is NOT characterized by the passage as a question to which linguists sought answers in their code-switching studies?"
See Variation B above for full analysis.
Source: PT33, Q21 > "Which one of the following, if true, is LEAST consistent with the hypothesis mentioned in lines 22-25 of the passage?"
See Variation C above for full analysis. The highest difficulty because it requires evaluating degrees of consistency rather than binary support/non-support.
Rare on comparative passages because verifying four correct claims across two passages is extremely time-intensive for the test-taker.