LSAT Inference Questions: The "Must Be True" Test That Works Every Time
LSAT Perfection
LSAT Expert
Inference questions are where smart students go to make dumb mistakes. You read the passage, understand it perfectly, then pick an answer that sounds reasonable but isn't actually supported by the text. Sound familiar?
The problem is that "inference" in everyday life means "educated guess." On the LSAT, inference means "the smallest possible logical step from what's explicitly stated." Big difference.
Here's the test that will save you from inference question heartbreak: the "Must Be True" test. Once you master this, you'll never pick a "sounds good but wrong" answer again.
What LSAT Inferences Actually Are
LSAT inferences aren't creative leaps or sophisticated interpretations. They're boring, obvious logical conclusions that MUST be true based on what the passage explicitly states.
The "Must Be True" Test:
- Read the answer choice
- Ask: "Based ONLY on what's in the passage, must this be true?"
- If you need to add outside knowledge or make assumptions = WRONG
- If it's definitely true based on the text = RIGHT
Common Inference Traps
Trap #1: The Reasonable Assumption
Just because something makes sense doesn't mean it's inferable from the passage.
Example: Passage mentions "expensive restaurants." You can't infer "people who eat there are wealthy" - maybe they're splurging, using gift cards, etc.
Trap #2: The Extreme Extrapolation
Taking a limited statement and making it universal.
Example: "Some dogs are friendly" doesn't support "Dogs are generally friendly animals"
What Good Inferences Look Like:
- Contrapositive statements: If passage says "All X are Y," you can infer "Anything not Y is not X"
- Combination facts: If A>B and B>C, then A>C
- Definitional implications: If someone is a "pediatrician," they're also a "doctor"
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