Rank 1 by frequency | 612 questions in corpus (24.7% of all questions)
The single most common RC question type. Asks the test-taker to draw a conclusion that is not explicitly stated in the passage but is logically supported by the passage's content. The correct answer must be something the passage's information makes probable or necessary, without being directly quoted. The inference must be warranted — not speculative, not a stretch, and not merely "not contradicted." It must follow from what is stated.
The ability to read between the lines — connecting stated premises to unstated but warranted conclusions. Specifically: - Recognizing logical consequences of stated facts - Identifying what an author's position entails even when not spelled out - Distinguishing between what the passage supports from what it merely doesn't contradict - Synthesizing information from different parts of the passage to reach a conclusion neither part states alone
The key cognitive demand is conservative extrapolation: the correct answer extends the passage's logic by the smallest defensible step.
Inference is the most diverse question type in the corpus, with 10+ distinct subtypes based on stem phrasing. Each subtype signals a slightly different cognitive task:
The classic, most common phrasing. Asks for a general inference from the passage. - "It can be inferred from the passage that..." - "It can be inferred that the author of the passage..." - "Which one of the following can most reasonably be inferred from the passage?"
What makes it distinct: The broadest framing — the inference can come from anywhere in the passage. No specific section or viewpoint is targeted.
Uses "suggest" language to signal a softer inference. - "The passage most strongly suggests that..." - "Which one of the following is most strongly suggested by the passage?" - "The passage suggests which one of the following about [X]?"
What makes it distinct: "Suggests" implies the answer is less directly deducible — it may require interpreting tone, emphasis, or implication rather than strict logical entailment.
Asks the test-taker to adopt the author's perspective and evaluate claims. - "The author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following?" - "With which one of the following statements would the author be most likely to agree?" - "Based on the passage, the author would be most likely to agree that..."
What makes it distinct: Requires the test-taker to construct a model of the author's worldview, then test each answer against it. The correct answer is consistent with the author's stated views but not explicitly stated by the author.
Frames the inference as a claim the passage provides evidence for. - "Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the passage?" - "Which one of the following inferences is most supported by the passage?"
What makes it distinct: The word "supported" suggests the passage provides evidence for the correct answer, rather than the answer being a logical consequence. This makes it feel closer to a Specific Reference question, but the answer is still not directly stated.
Asks about the author's likely beliefs on a specific topic. - "The author would be most likely to contend that..." - "Based on the passage, the author would be most likely to hold which one of the following views?"
What makes it distinct: Narrower than "would agree" — targets a specific belief or contention the author would likely hold, often about a topic the passage discusses tangentially.
Explicitly grounds the inference in passage information. - "Given the information in the passage, which one of the following...?" - "Which one of the following statements can most reasonably be inferred from the information in the passage?"
What makes it distinct: The "given the information" framing signals that the inference should be closely tied to specific stated facts, not general impressions.
The question writer reads the passage and identifies a conclusion that is strongly supported but not stated. This gap typically arises from: - Two premises in different paragraphs that, combined, yield a conclusion stated by neither - An author's position that has a clear logical consequence the author doesn't spell out - A comparison or contrast that implies something about one of the compared items - Background facts that constrain what must be true
The correct answer is the most conservative extension of the passage's logic. It: - Uses moderate language ("most likely," "probably," "tends to") rather than absolutes - Stays within the passage's domain — doesn't transfer to new contexts - Can be defended by pointing to specific passage text - Often paraphrases a combination of ideas from different passage locations
Each wrong answer exploits a specific error the test-taker might make:
Trap Type 1: Overstatement / Too Extreme Takes a supported idea and pushes it beyond what the passage warrants. If the passage says "some critics question the theory," a wrong answer might say "the theory has been widely discredited."
Average 21.0 words. Moderate length — longer than Main Point or Primary Purpose stems because they often specify whose view or which part of the passage to draw from.
Stems range from 8 words ("It can be inferred from the passage that") to 50+ words (when specifying a comparative-passage scenario with conditions).
Average 16.3 words per choice. Choices are typically declarative statements. The correct answer is usually conservative — the most modestly stated claim that the passage supports.
Key pattern: When two answers seem plausible, the more cautiously worded one is almost always correct. The LSAT rewards the inference that goes exactly one step beyond the text, not two.
Source: PT27, Q4 > "It can be inferred from the passage that the author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following statements about the relationship between commercial success and artistic merit?"
This is a hybrid stem combining "inferred" + "would agree" — it asks the test-taker to infer the author's position on a specific relationship. The inference must synthesize the author's views expressed across the passage about commerce and art.
Source: PT75, Q12 > "The passage most strongly suggests that..."
The "suggests" framing signals a softer inference — the answer may require reading the author's tone or emphasis rather than strict deduction.
Source: PT85, Q27 A higher-difficulty inference requiring multi-step reasoning. The test-taker must connect premises from different passage sections to reach a conclusion neither section states alone.
Source: PT55, Q9 Asks what can be inferred about the relationship between the two passages' arguments — requires holding both perspectives simultaneously and finding an unstated implication.
On comparative passages, inference questions often ask what both authors would agree on, what one author's view implies about the other's subject, or where the two perspectives diverge.