ACCUPLACER Reading cheat sheet

Central idea = topic + the author's claim about that topic; it must be broad enough to cover the whole passage, not just one paragraph.

Supporting details answer who, what, when, where, why, or how; a detail's importance is determined by what claim it advances.

An inference is valid only if the text could not be true while the inference were false; plausibility alone is not enough.

Stated detail is explicit in the text; implied detail is unstated but logically entailed by what is written.

A correct summary matches the passage's level of generality; too-broad and too-narrow options are both wrong even when factually true.

Ask what a sentence does for its paragraph (supports, qualifies, illustrates, contrasts) rather than only what it says.

Sequence questions are solved by tracking signal words such as first, then, meanwhile, after, and ultimately.

Wrong answers commonly reverse a relationship, overstate certainty, or are true but fail to answer the question asked.

Purpose answers why the author writes (to persuade, explain, compare, criticize); topic answers only what the passage is about.

Point of view is signaled by pronouns and by whose experience, judgments, and information the text presents.

Denotation is dictionary meaning; connotation is the positive, negative, or neutral charge a word carries in context.

Loaded language reveals bias; track both the strength of the wording and its target (the subject or the audience).

Common structures include cause-effect, compare-contrast, problem-solution, chronological, and claim-evidence.

Transitions map structure: however signals contrast, therefore signals conclusion, for example signals illustration, moreover signals addition.

Argument parts: claim, evidence, warrant (the assumption linking evidence to claim), counterargument, and rebuttal.

Evaluate evidence for relevance, sufficiency, and representativeness; a single anecdote cannot establish a general trend.

Common fallacies include ad hominem, false dilemma, hasty generalization, circular reasoning, and appeal to emotion.

For paired passages, identify the shared topic first, then locate exactly where the authors agree, qualify, or conflict.

Partial agreement occurs when authors accept the same fact but dispute its cause, importance, or implication.

Contradiction means both claims cannot be true; differing emphasis means both are true but weighted differently.

A response question ('how would author 2 react to author 1's claim?') must be answered from passage 2's stated position, not from the reader's opinion.

A synthesis answer requires both texts; if one passage alone supports the choice, it is likely incorrect.

Check scope: a claim true for one population, region, or time period may not transfer to the other passage's context.

When sources conflict on a fact, look for differing definitions, dates, sample sizes, or populations as the source of the disagreement.

Compare evidence quality: data versus anecdote, primary versus secondary source, current versus dated information.

Context clue types: definition or restatement, example, contrast (antonym signal), cause-effect, and inference from tone.

Substitution test: insert each option into the sentence and confirm both meaning and grammar still work.

Words with matching denotation can differ in connotation (thrifty vs. stingy), which changes the sentence's evaluation and tone.

For multiple-meaning words such as run, the intended sense is fixed by nearby nouns, verbs, and the sentence's logic.

Figurative expressions must be translated into literal meaning while preserving the original tone and degree.

Pronoun referents are found by matching number, gender, and logic with a nearby noun or phrase.

Function words carry meaning too: notwithstanding, nonetheless, albeit, and whereas signal logical relationships.

'Most nearly means' questions ask for the contextual sense, not the most familiar dictionary definition.

Match word choice to register: the option must fit the passage's level of formality and its intended audience.