Understanding the Basic Components of the Text
The most fundamental questions on the Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills section ask about the basic
components of the passages. Comprehension questions at this level may ask you to provide a general
overview of the passage or to focus on specific portions of the text. You may be asked to recognize the
literal meaning of a particular word or phrase. You may be asked to identify the author’s thesis, the main
point or theme of the passage, or specific examples. In responding to these questions, you need to be
able to recognize the purpose of particular sentences and rhetorical labels such as “for example,”
“therefore,” or “consequently.”
Inferring Meaning or Intent From Immediate Sentence Context
Questions may also require you to infer meanings that can’t be determined from a literal reading of the
text, such as meanings the author has implied but did not state directly. Comprehension questions at
this level may ask you to interpret the meaning of words or expressions, or the author's intent, using the
immediate sentence context. These questions may ask you to interpret rhetorical devices or word
choice. Or, you may have to consider how the author has structured the text — for example, through
cause-and-effect relationships for discussions in the behavioral sciences, chronologically for historical
discussions, or point-and-counterpoint for political science pieces. Identifying the basic structure should
help you understand the passage and determine its general purpose.
You may also need to attend to specific subtle and nuanced rhetorical decisions an author has made to
shape his or her ideas, arguments, or discussions and perhaps to complicate a passage’s meaning. For
example, questions may ask you to explain a highlighted word or phrase or an unexpected transition in
ideas. To answer these questions, look for clues in the context around the specific sections of the
passage. An author’s choice about tone (e.g., humorous, authoritative, satirical) also contributes to — or
obscures — meaning, and tone can often communicate the purpose for which a passage is written (e.g.,
to persuade, instruct, inform, entertain). For example, a satirical piece may at first seem merely
entertaining, but a closer examination often reveals that its purpose is actually to persuade.
Some questions at this level may ask about information not specifically stated in the passage, and you
must make assumptions based on what the author merely hints at through his or her use of connotative
language or figures of speech.
The beginning and ending of passages are two specific sections where the author often provides
important information about the general theme, message, or purpose for the work. Does the author
state their main point in an introductory or closing sentence? Does the passage end with a definitive
solution, a partial resolution, or a call for additional research? Does it end with a dramatic rhetorical
statement or a joke that leaves unanswered questions? Again, considering these specific sections can
help inform your basic understanding of the passage.
Reasoning Within the Text
Questions that test Reasoning Within the Text rely on many of the same activities required for
Foundations of Comprehension questions. One key difference is in the scope of the information needed
to answer the question. The Foundations of Comprehension questions mainly focus on inferring