Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT) Inference Flashcards

24 sample cards from the Inference deck

Sampled from the end of the deck, so these are different cards from the ones shown on the syllabus page.

1. You personally know a fact that contradicts the passage. How should this affect your inference rating?

   It should not affect it at all. You must reason as if the passage is true and ignore contradicting outside knowledge.

2. What three-step process is recommended for tackling a Watson Glaser Inference item?

   1) Read the passage and accept it as true; 2) Read the proposed inference; 3) Decide how strongly the passage alone supports or contradicts it, then map that strength onto the five-point scale.

3. When an inference goes beyond the passage but is not contradicted by it, which rating is usually correct?

   Insufficient Data (ID), unless the passage provides indirect evidence making it more likely true or false (then PT or PF).

4. A passage says 'The library is open from 9am to 5pm on weekdays.' Inference: 'The library is closed on Sunday.' Rating?

   Insufficient Data (ID). The passage only mentions weekday hours and says nothing about Sunday, so its weekend status is unknown.

5. A passage says 'The library is open from 9am to 5pm on weekdays.' Inference: 'The library is open at 6pm on a Monday.' Rating?

   False (F). Monday is a weekday and the stated hours end at 5pm, so being open at 6pm is contradicted.

6. Why can the same factual passage yield 'True' for one inference and 'Insufficient Data' for another almost-identical one?

   Because small differences in scope, time, or wording change whether the passage actually entails the claim. Inference rating depends on exact logical fit, not general topic.

7. What self-correction question should you ask before marking an inference 'True'?

   'Could this inference be false while every statement in the passage is still true?' If yes, it cannot be 'True'; it is at most 'Probably True'.

8. What self-correction question should you ask before marking an inference 'False'?

   'Could this inference be true while the passage is still true?' If yes, it cannot be 'False'; it is at most 'Probably False' or Insufficient Data.

9. How do you distinguish 'Insufficient Data' from 'Probably False'?

   Choose 'Probably False' only if the passage contains some evidence tilting against the inference. If there is genuinely no evidence either way, choose 'Insufficient Data'.

10. A passage states 'Sales rose every year from 2010 to 2020.' Inference: 'Sales rose in 2021.' Rating?

    Probably True (PT) at most, or Insufficient Data. A consistent past trend makes continuation plausible but does not guarantee it; many graders treat it as ID since 2021 is outside the stated period.

11. A passage states 'Sales rose every year from 2010 to 2020.' Inference: 'Sales in 2015 were higher than in 2014.' Rating?

    True (T). The passage states sales rose every year in that span, which directly entails the 2014-to-2015 increase.

12. What is the danger of inferences that contain absolute words like 'always', 'never', 'all', or 'definitely'?

    They demand conclusive support. Unless the passage establishes the absolute claim completely, such inferences are usually only 'Probably True' or are 'Insufficient Data'/'False'.

13. Why might a plausible, sensible inference still be rated 'Insufficient Data'?

    Because plausibility from general experience is not evidence from the passage. If the text itself gives no supporting facts, the correct rating is 'Insufficient Data'.

14. A passage says 'Dr. Lee published more papers than any other researcher in the department.' Inference: 'Dr. Lee is the best researcher in the department.' Rating?

    Probably False (PF) or Insufficient Data. Quantity of papers does not establish quality or 'best'; this imports an unwarranted value judgement, so it is not supported.

15. What is the comparison between 'Probably True' and 'Insufficient Data' in terms of evidence balance?

    'Probably True' means the passage's evidence tips the balance toward truth (more likely true than false); 'Insufficient Data' means the evidence does not tip the balance at all.

16. If a passage strongly suggests but does not state an outcome, and nothing contradicts it, which two ratings are you choosing between?

    'Probably True' versus 'Insufficient Data', depending on whether the suggestion is strong enough to make truth more likely than not.

17. A passage says 'No member of the choir can read sheet music.' Inference: 'The choir's tenor, John, can read sheet music.' Rating?

    False (F), provided John is a choir member. 'No member can' directly contradicts any individual member being able to.

18. What is the key risk of 'misreading scope' with the word 'only'?

    'Only X' restricts a claim to X and excludes others. Overlooking 'only' can make you accept inferences about excluded cases that the passage actually rules out.

19. In Watson Glaser Inference, how should you treat an inference that merely restates a fact explicitly given in the passage?

    Rate it 'True' (T), since a direct restatement of a given fact is conclusively supported.

20. Summarise the decision rule mapping evidence strength to the five ratings.

    Conclusively supported = True; tilted toward truth = Probably True; balanced/no evidence = Insufficient Data; tilted toward falsity = Probably False; conclusively contradicted = False.

21. Why is 'the passage doesn't mention it, so it's False' a flawed reasoning pattern?

    Absence of mention is not contradiction. Lack of information supports 'Insufficient Data', not 'False'; 'False' requires the passage to actively contradict the inference.

22. A passage says '60% of voters supported the proposal; the rest opposed it.' Inference: 'A majority of voters supported the proposal.' Rating?

    True (T). $60\% > 50\%$ is a majority, and the figure is given directly, so the inference is conclusively supported.

23. A passage says '60% of voters supported the proposal.' Inference: 'Nearly all voters supported the proposal.' Rating?

    Probably False (PF) or False. 'Nearly all' overstates a $60\%$ majority; $40\%$ opposed, so the strong claim is not supported and is more likely false.

24. What final self-check should you run across an entire Inference test before submitting?

    Confirm that each answer used only passage facts, that you did not confuse 'some/most/all' scope, and that you did not over-rate likely claims as certain ('True'/'False') when 'Probably' or 'Insufficient Data' fits better.

What this deck covers

Inference flashcards FAQ