Analyzing the Question Stem

Make sure to read the question stem very carefully. Some stems direct you to
focus on certain aspects of the stimulus and if you miss these clues you make
the problem much more difficult.
When examining a typical Logical Reasoning section, you may come to the
conclusion that there are dozens of different types of question stems. The test
makers create this impression by varying the words used in each question
stem. As we will see shortly, even though they use different words, many of
these question stems are identical in terms what they ask you to do.
In order to easily handle the different questions, we categorize the question
stems that appear on the LSAT. Fortunately, every question stem can be
defined as a certain type, and the more familiar you are with the question
types, the faster you can respond when faced with individual questions. Thus,
one of your tasks is to learn each question type and become familiar with the
characteristics that define each type. We will help you accomplish this goal by
including a variety of question type identification drills, and by examining
each type of question in detail. This leads to the fifth Primary Objective:
Primary Objective #5: Carefully read and identify the question
stem. Do not assume that certain words are automatically
associated with certain question types.
You must correctly analyze and classify every question stem because the
question stem ultimately determines the nature of the correct answer choice. A
mistake in analyzing the question stem invariably leads to a missed question.
As we will see, the test makers love to use certain words—such as
“support”—in different ways because they know some test takers will
automatically assume these words imply a certain type of question. Properly
identifying the question stem type will allow you to proceed quickly and with
confidence, and in some cases it will help you determine the correct answer
before you read any of the the five answer choices.