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LSAT Reading Comprehension question types
The 13 types of RC questions on the LSAT
What is Reading Comprehension?
One of your three scored sections on the LSAT will be Reading Comprehension (RC). Each RC section contains four passages, each followed by 5 to 8 questions, for a total of 26 to 28 questions. The section is designed to assess your ability to read and understand materials that are similar to those you’ll encounter in law school.
Why Question Types Matter
The RC section asks the same kinds of questions about every passage: What does the passage state? What does the author imply? Why was a detail included? How is the passage organized? Each question type rewards a specific approach. When you understand the different question types, you know exactly what to look for—and what traps to avoid.
The 13 Question Types
RC questions fall into 13 types, grouped here by what aspect of a passage they ask you to think about:
Overall structure: Main Point, Purpose of Passage, Describe Organization
Internal structure: Purpose of Paragraph, Meaning in Context, Purpose in Context
Stated/Implied: Stated, Implied, Author's Attitude
Other: Application, Analogy, Logical Continuation, Weaken/Strengthen/Evaluate
How to Use This Page
The information below breaks down effective approaches to the different RC question types. Don't try to memorize everything on this page at once. Instead, use this page after you've studied for a little bit to quiz yourself or refresh your memory on tips and patterns for different question types. With consistent practice, what's on this page will become second nature.
RC Cheat Sheet
Application
Author’s attitude
Describe organization
Implied
Logical continuation
Main point
Meaning in context (of word, phrase, or idea)
Purpose in context (of word, phrase, or idea)
Purpose of paragraph
Purpose of passage
RC analogy
Stated
WSE
Application
Avg. 1.1 per section
According to the description of the passage, which one of the following best illustrates the concept of self-similarity? Which one of the following would most likely be an example of one of the "rituals, ceremonies, and traditions" mentioned in the second sentence of the second paragraph?
Reading Comprehension: Application Question (Greek Dramas)
Reading Comprehension: YOU TRY: Application Question (Stealing Thunder)
Correct answer criteria
- Describes example of thing we're asked about
Key tactics
- Define up front the key elements required to constitute an example
Answer choice tips
- Wrong answers often meet some, but not all of the key elements we're looking for
Most similar LR type
Describe organization
Avg. 0.4 per section
Which one of the following most accurately describes the organization of the passage?
Correct answer criteria
- Describes what passage does in correct sequence
- Does not contain anything unsupported
Key tactics
- Rely on low-res summaries
- Answers tend to be long; be ready to eliminate quickly once any part of it is inaccurate
Answer choice tips
- Wrong answers often leave out a key part of the passage
- Need for process of elimination is common, since correct answers are often difficult to predict
Most similar LR type
Implied
Avg. 13.5 per section
Which one of the following statements is most strongly supported by the passage? Which one of the following is most strongly implied by the passage?
Correct answer criteria
- Strongly supported by passage
- Does not contain anything unsupported
Key tactics
- Rely on understanding of main point and low-res summaries for initial reaction to answers
- Go back to passage if you know where to look
Answer choice tips
- Wrong answers often (1) sound reasonable, but aren't stated, or (2) twist, reverse, or go beyond what is stated
- Be careful about extreme answers; they can be correct, but you want to be confident they're actually supported
- Need for process of elimination is common, since correct answers are often difficult to predict
Most similar LR type
Logical continuation
Avg. 0.0 per section
Which one of the following sentences would most logically conclude the final paragraph of the passage? Which one of the following is the most logical continuation of the last paragraph of the passage?
Correct answer criteria
- Fits the reasoning flow of the last paragraph and the passage
Key tactics
- Rely on low-res summaries and understanding of MP
Answer choice tips
- Wrong answers often sound like something author supports, but don't fit with the point made at the end
- Need for process of elimination is common, since correct answers are often difficult to predict
Most similar LR type
Main point
Avg. 2.9 per section
Which one of the following most accurately states the main point of the passage?
Correct answer criteria
- Captures author's perspective about the subject (or, if author is neutral, the perspective(s) the passage focuses on); AND
- Does not contain anything unsupported
Key tactics
- Ask what the author would tell you if (s)he only had 10 seconds to speak
- Keep in mind the different passage styles. Is the author critiquing a view, explaining a phenomenon, presenting a solution to a problem, drawing attention to an interesting artist?
- Think about the whole passage as an LR stimulus. What's other people's view? What's the author's?
Answer choice tips
- Wrong answers often (1) take author's opinion too far, (2) describe only a supporting point, or (3) sounds similar to the main point, but includes something unsupported
- The correct answer does not need to summarize the whole passage; it just needs to capture author's perspective (or, if author is neutral, the perspective the passage focuses on)
Most similar LR type
Meaning in context (of word, phrase, or idea)
Avg. 1.9 per section
Which one of the following most closely expresses the author's intended meaning in using the word "initiatory" (first sentence of last paragraph)?
Correct answer criteria
- Captures author's intended meaning of the word/phrase/sentence; AND
- Does not contain anything unsupported
Key tactics
- Rely on low-res summary of paragraph containing the word/phrase/sentence
- Ask about relationship of the word/phrase/sentence to paragraph containing it
- Define referential words and phrases
Answer choice tips
- Wrong answers often describe a meaning that's divorced from the context in which the word/phrase/sentence was used
- Be careful about answers that merely match the dictionary definition of a word; the contextual meaning is what matters
Most similar LR type
Purpose in context (of word, phrase, or idea)
Avg. 2.5 per section
The author's discussion of nuclear fusion in the last paragraph serves primarily to. The author mentions "crimes of passion" (first sentence of first paragraph) primarily in order to
Correct answer criteria
- Captures why author wrote the word/phrase/sentence; AND
- Does not contain anything unsupported
Key tactics
- Rely on low-res summary of paragraph containing the word/phrase/sentence
- Ask about relationship of the word/phrase/sentence to paragraph containing it
Answer choice tips
- Wrong answers often describe purpose of a different word/phrase/sentence
Most similar LR type
Purpose of paragraph
Avg. 0.6 per section
The main function of the third paragraph of the passage is to. The primary purpose of the first paragraph in relation to the rest of the passage is to describe
Correct answer criteria
- Captures why author wrote paragraph; AND
- Does not contain anything unsupported
Key tactics
- Rely on low-res summaries
- Ask about paragraph's relationship to main point
Answer choice tips
- Wrong answers often (1) describe something author does in paragraph, but not author's motivation, or (2) describe purpose of a different paragraph
Most similar LR type
Purpose of passage
Avg. 1.4 per section
The primary purpose of the passage is to
Correct answer criteria
- Captures why author wrote the passage; AND
- Does not contain anything unsupported
Key tactics
- Ask whether author's goal is to persuade or to inform
- Keep in mind the different passage styles. Is the author critiquing a view, explaining a phenomenon, presenting a solution to a problem, drawing attention to an interesting artist?
Answer choice tips
- Wrong answers often (1) describe something author does in the passage, but not author's motivation, or (2) describe purpose of one paragraph, but not overall passage
Most similar LR type
RC analogy
Avg. 1.4 per section
Which one of the following is most analogous to the process, described in the last paragraph, by which the spread of thistles can be curtailed?
Reading Comprehension: Analogy Question (Custom Illustrations)
Reading Comprehension: YOU TRY: Analogy Question (Natives and Cameras)
Correct answer criteria
- Describes something analogous to the thing we're asked about
Key tactics
- Define up front the key elements required to be analogous
- Ask about the broader point supported by the part we're asked about
Answer choice tips
- Wrong answers often meet some, but not all of the key elements we're looking for
- Need for process of elimination is common, since correct answers are often difficult to predict
Most similar LR type
Stated
Avg. 5.9 per section
The passage indicates which of the following? The passage provides enough information to answer which one of the following questions?
Correct answer criteria
- Stated in the passage
- Does not contain anything unsupported
Key tactics
- Rely on understanding of main point and low-res summaries for initial reaction to answers
- Go back to passage if you know where to look
Answer choice tips
- Wrong answers often (1) sound reasonable, but aren't stated, or (2) twist, reverse, or go beyond what is stated
- Be careful about extreme answers; they can be correct, but you want to be confident they're actually stated
- Need for process of elimination is common, since correct answers are often difficult to predict
Most similar LR type
WSE
Avg. 1.4 per section
Which one of the following, if true, would provide the most support for Emeagwali's prediction mentioned in the last paragraph? Which one of the following would, if true, most weaken the author's argument as expressed in the passage?
Correct answer criteria
- Strengthens, weakens, or identifies a question whose answer would strengthen or weaken the position or argument we're asked about
Key tactics
- Identify conclusion, premises, assumptions
Answer choice tips
- Wrong answers often (1) sound like something that would be correct if we were asked what passage supports, (2) do the opposite of what we want, or (3) seem relevant, but aren't strong enough to impact the argument