Kuwait University English Aptitude Test cheat sheet

Main-idea questions ask for the passage's central claim, not its first sentence; the correct answer covers the whole passage, while distractors restate one supporting detail.

Detail questions are answered by locating a paraphrase in the text; if a choice adds information absent from the passage, it is wrong even when factually true in general.

Inference answers must be logically forced by the text: a valid inference needs only one small step beyond what is stated, never outside knowledge.

Vocabulary-in-context items are solved by substituting each option into the sentence and checking grammatical fit and surrounding logic, not by recalling the word's most common meaning.

Tone and attitude questions are signalled by evaluative adjectives and adverbs (e.g., 'remarkably', 'merely', 'unfortunately'); neutral reporting words indicate an objective tone.

Reference questions (what does 'this' or 'they' refer to) are resolved by matching number and gender and by testing the substitute in the sentence for sense.

Purpose questions about a sentence or paragraph ask why the author included it (to illustrate, to contrast, to concede), which may differ from what it says.

EXCEPT and NOT questions are answered by eliminating the three choices that the passage supports; the remaining choice is the answer.

Subject-verb agreement: the verb agrees with the head noun, ignoring prepositional phrases; 'each', 'every', 'either', 'neither', 'everyone', 'nobody' are singular, while 'both', 'few', 'many', 'several' are plural.

Collective and quantity nouns: 'the number of' takes a singular verb, 'a number of' takes a plural verb; 'none of' may be singular or plural, so prefer the choice matching the nearer noun.

Tense sequencing: use past perfect for the earlier of two past actions, present perfect for past action with present relevance, and never use present perfect with a specific finished past time ('yesterday', 'in 1990').

Conditionals: real (present + will), unreal present (past simple + would), unreal past (had + would have); 'if I were' is standard in hypothetical clauses.

Relative clauses: use 'who' for people, 'which' for things, 'whose' for possession; 'that' is preferred after superlatives and after 'all', 'only', 'the first'.

Parallel structure: items joined by 'and', 'or', 'not only...but also', 'either...or' must share the same grammatical form (all nouns, all infinitives, all gerunds).

Modals: 'must' expresses strong obligation or logical certainty, 'should' advice, 'could/might' possibility; 'must have + past participle' expresses certainty about the past.

Vocabulary strategy: use collocation and register as filters (e.g., 'make a decision', 'do research', 'conduct a study'); a synonym that does not collocate with the surrounding words is wrong.