How to Spot Incorrect Answer Choices in RC and CR


I try to comprehend RC very accurately and timely but I still used to get the question wrong. I thought Why is it happening to me? Feeling crestfallen and demotivated, I assumed that there is some problem in me. May be I do not have a good habit of reading. When I googled how to improve RC, the first answer that pops up is "read as much as you can". Aha... I thought may be if I read newspapers, books, magazines, I could improve comprehension and will do good in RC. Unfortunately, I got the questions wrong again.

If someone feels like this, you are not alone.

After doing many questions of RC, I came to a understanding that focusing much on a passage is not that much important than comprehending answer choices. We think that we are fighting passage. But actually, we are fighting answer choices. RC wants us to use as much as our brain in the passage so that we cannot infer answer choices. (Ever found in a situation wherein you start crossing out answer choices A, B,C,D and while you are at answer choice E, your mind stops and you feel like a headache. Happened to me in real GRE Test). That's what RC wants. And that's the main key. We need to fight answer choices.

So, the basic comprehending process is look for subject and verb in each sentence. As you move on, watch what that subject is doing.

For example, Let's take a random RC:

"While most scholarship on women’s employment in the United States recognizes that the Second World War (1939–1945) dramatically changed the role of women in the workforce, these studies also acknowledge that few women remained in manufacturing jobs once men returned from the war. "

You should infer like this , "While most scholarship see WW2 changed the role of women, but they also agree that few women remained in manufacturing jobs." - fair enough

"But in agriculture, unlike other industries where women were viewed as temporary workers, women’s employment did not end with the war."

In agriculture, women’s employment did not end. - This means that women's work ended in other industries after the war.
After having the main idea and the scope in mind, try to eliminate the answer choices. Process of elimination is one of the best tool in RC. Period

There are basically 4 types of Incorrect answer choices:

1. Out of Scope (OOS): These answer choices go beyond the scope of the passage and lists things that may be related to the subject of the passage but are not discussed in the passage. OOS answer choice aims to try to exploit your common knowledge about the topic to force you to choose it as the correct answer. OOS choices may seem an attractive option if you have not read the passage well or understood it completely. However, OOS answer choices are relatively easy to discard if you have understood the passage well. Moreover, if you encounter trap words like " most, least, many, some", then go back to that point in the passage and cross verify it.
   
   
2. Partially scope (PS): This answer choice will list some things that are relevant and mentioned in the passage. However, the scope of this answer choice will not cover the entire passage or author’s intent for that matter and will be limited to one or more, but not all, paragraphs. Note this choice may seem extremely attractive since it may present information that is factually consistent with the passage. But remember – Main Point needs to encompass the scope of entire passage.
   
   
3. Opposite: This answer choice states the answer choice but in reverse order.
   
   
4. Inconsistent: Test makers will sometimes create an answer choice that will embody the purpose of the passage but will add a modifier to that purpose that makes the entire answer choice inconsistent with the passage.

Every wrong answer choice would fall in one of those categories. We just need to read, infer and place the wrong answer choice in one of the categories (For cross verification, it would not be backed up by the passage)
Hope, these tips help students who are struggling in RC like me.
Feedbacks are much appreciated.
Please add some of your tips that could help others.