PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test) Critical Reading Syllabus

What is the key constraint on a valid reading inference?

It must be grounded in and supported by the text—reasonable given the evidence—not based on speculation, personal opinion, or information beyond the passage.

Why are "extreme" inference answers (using always, never, all, none) often incorrect?

Texts rarely support absolute universal claims; correct inferences are usually moderate and qualified, matching the limited scope the evidence actually warrants.

What is the difference between an inference and a prediction?

An inference is a conclusion about what is implied now in the text; a prediction is an inference projected forward about what is likely to happen next.

What does "author's purpose" refer to?

The author's reason for writing—what they intend the text to accomplish for the reader.

Name the four most common general authorial purposes.

To inform/explain, to persuade, to entertain, and to describe (sometimes remembered with the acronym PIE&D or PIED).

What is "tone" in a piece of writing?

The author's attitude toward the subject or audience, conveyed through word choice (diction), style, and detail (e.g., objective, sarcastic, sympathetic, critical).

How does tone differ from mood?

Tone is the author's attitude toward the subject; mood is the emotional atmosphere or feeling the text creates in the reader.

What textual features most reveal an author's tone?

Diction (connotation of word choices), imagery, sentence style, and selection of details—especially emotionally loaded or evaluative language.

What is the difference between denotation and connotation, and why does it matter for tone?

Denotation is a word's literal dictionary meaning; connotation is its emotional/associative meaning. Authors signal tone through connotation, so the same denotative idea can read positive or negative.

What is an objective tone versus a subjective tone?

An objective tone presents information neutrally without personal feelings or bias; a subjective tone reflects the author's personal opinions, emotions, or judgments.

How can you distinguish a passage meant to persuade from one meant to inform?

Persuasive passages take a position and use evidence, appeals, and charged language to convince; informative passages present balanced facts neutrally without advocating a stance.

What does "text structure" (organizational pattern) describe?

The way an author arranges and orders ideas and information to convey relationships between them.

List five common text-structure (organizational) patterns.

Chronological/sequential, cause and effect, compare and contrast, problem and solution, and order of importance (also description/spatial).

What signal words indicate a cause-and-effect structure?

"Because," "since," "therefore," "thus," "as a result," "consequently," "leads to," and "due to."

What signal words indicate a compare-and-contrast structure?

Similarity: "likewise," "similarly," "both," "in the same way." Difference: "however," "on the other hand," "whereas," "unlike," "in contrast."

What signal words indicate a chronological or sequential structure?

"First," "next," "then," "after," "before," "finally," "meanwhile," and explicit dates or time markers.

What is the function of a problem-solution text structure?

It identifies an issue and its significance, then proposes one or more solutions and their effects, often evaluating their feasibility.

Why does recognizing text structure improve comprehension?

It reveals how ideas relate (sequence, causation, comparison), helps predict content, and makes it easier to locate and remember key information.

In analyzing an argument, what is a claim (conclusion)?

The main point the author asserts and wants the reader to accept as true.

What are premises (in an argument)?

The reasons, evidence, or supporting statements offered to justify the conclusion.

What distinguishes a fact from an opinion in argument evaluation?

A fact is verifiable through objective evidence; an opinion is a personal judgment, belief, or interpretation that cannot be definitively proven.

What makes an argument's evidence strong?

It is relevant to the claim, sufficient in quantity, representative, accurate, current, and drawn from credible sources.

What is a logical fallacy?

A flaw in reasoning that weakens an argument, such as an irrelevant, unsupported, or deceptive inferential move.

Identify the fallacy: attacking the person rather than their argument.

Ad hominem.

Identify the fallacy: assuming that because one event followed another, the first caused the second.

Post hoc ergo propter hoc (false cause / correlation mistaken for causation).

Identify the fallacy: presenting only two options when more exist.

False dilemma (either/or fallacy).

What is the three-part classical model of persuasive appeals, and what does each mean?

Ethos (appeal to credibility/character), pathos (appeal to emotion), and logos (appeal to logic/reason).

What does it mean to evaluate a source's credibility?

Judging how trustworthy and reliable a source is based on factors like author expertise, accuracy, evidence, publication, currency, and absence of bias.

Name several criteria used to assess source credibility (e.g., the CRAAP test).

Currency (how recent), Relevance, Authority (author's credentials), Accuracy (verifiable, supported), and Purpose (intent and bias).

What is bias in a source, and what are common signs of it?

Bias is a one-sided slant favoring a particular view; signs include loaded/emotional language, omission of opposing evidence, unsupported generalizations, and a financial or ideological stake in the conclusion.

What is the difference between a primary and a secondary source?

A primary source is firsthand/original evidence (e.g., an experiment, original data, eyewitness account); a secondary source interprets, analyzes, or summarizes primary sources (e.g., a review article).

In synthesis questions, what does it mean to "apply" information from a passage?

Taking a principle, finding, or idea stated in the text and using it to evaluate a new situation, example, or scenario not discussed in the passage.

What is synthesis in critical reading?

Combining information, ideas, or evidence from multiple parts of a text (or multiple sources) to form a new, integrated understanding or conclusion.

How do you evaluate which new evidence would strengthen or weaken an author's argument?

Strengthening evidence supports the conclusion or its premises and closes assumption gaps; weakening evidence contradicts a premise, undermines an assumption, or offers a competing explanation.