LSAT Reading Comprehension Question Types

The LSAT Reading Comprehension section features 18 distinct question types across its four passages. Inference questions alone make up nearly 25% of all RC questions. Each guide below covers identification strategies, common patterns, and effective approaches.

Comprehension Questions

These question types test your understanding of what the passage says, means, and how it is organized.

Inference
Draw a conclusion supported but not explicitly stated in the passage. The most common RC question type at 24.7% of all questions.
Specific Reference
Locate and interpret specific details stated in the passage. Often points you to a particular line or paragraph.
Main Point
Identify the central thesis or main argument of the passage as a whole.
Primary Purpose
Determine the author's main goal in writing the passage (to argue, explain, compare, critique, etc.).
Organization of Passage
Describe the structure and logical flow of the passage or a specific paragraph.
Author's Attitude
Identify the author's tone, perspective, or opinion toward the subject matter.
Defining Meaning
Determine what a word or phrase means in the specific context of the passage.

Application & Reasoning Questions

These question types require you to go beyond the passage by applying its ideas to new situations or evaluating its arguments.

Application to New Context
Apply principles or ideas from the passage to a new, hypothetical situation.
Analogy
Identify a scenario or relationship that parallels one described in the passage.
Weaken
Find information that would undermine an argument or claim made in the passage.
Strengthen
Find information that would support an argument or claim made in the passage.
Discerning Principles and Analogies
Identify the underlying principle that governs an argument or position in the passage.
Adapting to New Context
Predict how an author or theory from the passage would respond to a new scenario.
Additional Evidence
Identify what further information would support or clarify a claim in the passage.

Structural & Special Questions

These question types focus on argument structure or use special formats.

Identify the Role
Determine the logical function a specific statement or paragraph plays within the passage.
Method of Reasoning
Describe the argumentative technique or strategy used in the passage.
Point of Disagreement
Identify the specific claim on which two authors in a comparative passage disagree.
Except / Not / Least
Identify the one answer choice that does NOT satisfy the question's criteria.