Must Be True Questions

Because Must Be True is the first question type under discussion, we will 
make testtaking comments that relate to other question types as well.
Remember, “infer” means “must be true.”
Must Be True questions require you to select an answer choice that is proven by
the information presented in the stimulus. The correct answer choice can be a
paraphrase of part of the stimulus or it can be a logical consequence of one or
more parts of the stimulus. However, when selecting an answer choice, you
must find the proof that supports your answer in the stimulus. We call this the
Fact TestTM:
The correct answer to a Must Be True question can always be proven
by referring to the facts stated in the stimulus.
The test makers will try to entice you by creating incorrect answer choices that
could possibly occur or are likely to occur, but are not certain to occur. You
must avoid those answers and select the answer choice that is most clearly
supported by what you read. Do not bring in information from outside the
stimulus (aside from commonsense assumptions); all of the information
necessary to answer the question resides in the stimulus.
Must Be True question stems appear in a variety of formats, but one or both of
the features described below appear consistently:
1. The stem often indicates the information in the stimulus should be
taken as true, as in:
“If the statements above are true...”
“The statements above, if true...”
“If the information above is correct...”
This type of phrase helps indicate that you are dealing with a First
Family question type.
2. The stem asks you to identify a single answer choice that is proven
or supported, as in:
“...which one of the following must also be true?”
“...which one of the following conclusions can be properly
drawn on the basis of it?”
“...most strongly support which one of the following?”
“Which one of the following can be properly inferred...”
In each case, the question stem indicates that one of the answer
choices is proven by the information in the stimulus.
Here are several Must Be True question stem examples from actual LSATs:
“If the statements above are true, which one of the following must also
be true?”
“If the information above is correct, which one of the following
conclusions can be properly drawn on the basis of it?”
“The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the
following?”
“Which one of the following can be properly inferred from the
passage?”
“Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the
information above?”
The majority of the questions in the Reading Comprehension section are Must
Be True questions.
Although difficult questions can appear under any type, Must Be True questions
are often considered one of the easier question types.
Must Be True questions are considered the foundation of the LSAT because the
skill required to answer a Must Be True question is also required for every other
LSAT Logical Reasoning question. Must Be True questions require you to read
text and understand the facts and details that logically follow. To Weaken or
Strengthen an argument, for example, you first need to be able to ascertain the
facts and details. The same goes for every other type of question. Because every
question type relies on the fact-finding skill used to answer Must Be True
questions, your performance on Must Be True questions is often a predictor of
your overall Logical Reasoning score. For this reason you must lock down the
understanding required of this question category: what did you read in the
stimulus and what do you know on the basis of that reading?