OAT Reading Comprehension flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Main idea

The central point the entire passage develops. It is broader than any single paragraph's topic and is usually stated in the introduction or conclusion, or implied by the pattern of supporting details.

Supporting detail question

A question asking for a fact explicitly stated in the passage. The answer is located by scanning for a keyword from the question and reading the surrounding sentence or clause.

Inference question

A question requiring a conclusion logically forced by two or more stated facts. The correct answer adds no assumption beyond what the passage states, and extreme wording usually signals a wrong choice.

EXCEPT question

A question whose correct answer is the one option not supported by the passage. Strategy: verify three choices against the text and eliminate them, leaving the unsupported statement.

Tone question

A question about the author's attitude toward the subject. Tone is judged from evaluative adjectives, hedges, concessions, and emphatic words rather than from the topic itself.

Author's purpose

The reason the author wrote the passage, expressed as a verb phrase such as to explain, to argue, to compare, or to correct a misconception. Purpose is broader than the main idea.

Vocabulary in context

A question type testing a word's meaning as used in a specific sentence. The correct option preserves both the sentence's meaning and its tone when substituted back in.

Transitional words

Signal words that reveal passage structure: however and although signal contrast, therefore and consequently signal causation, for example signals illustration, and in addition signals continuation.

Paragraph function map

A mental outline labeling each paragraph's role, such as background, hypothesis, evidence, counterargument, or conclusion. It speeds locating answers for detail and inference questions.

Scope error

A distractor that is true but too narrow or too broad for the question. It often restates one paragraph's detail when the question asks about the passage as a whole.

Absolute language trap

An answer choice using all, none, never, or prove. Such wording is correct only if the passage itself is equally absolute; academic passages usually qualify claims instead.

Reversed causation distractor

A wrong answer that swaps cause and effect relative to the passage. It is detected by checking which variable the passage identifies as producing the other.

Outside knowledge trap

A distractor that is scientifically accurate but not stated in the passage. Reading comprehension answers must be supported by the text alone, regardless of real-world truth.

Paraphrase accuracy

The requirement that a correct answer preserve the passage's meaning, including qualifiers and the difference between causal claims and mere correlations, while changing only the wording.

Paired passages

Two passages on the same topic presenting different perspectives. Questions often ask where the authors agree or disagree, so tracking each author's stance is essential.

Connotation

The evaluative shading a word carries beyond its literal meaning, such as regime versus government. Connotation reveals the author's stance toward the subject.

Context clue types

Four common ways a passage defines an unfamiliar term: restatement of the definition, an example, contrast with an antonym, and general knowledge implied by the surrounding sentence.

Line-reference question

A question citing specific lines of the passage. It can be answered by reading only the cited lines plus adjacent context, so it may be tackled before the full passage is read.

Chronological organization

A passage pattern presenting events in time order. Questions about sequence, dates, and before-after relationships are answered by tracking the order of stated events.

Comparison-contrast organization

A passage pattern setting two subjects side by side. Questions test which attribute belongs to which subject, so attribution must be tracked carefully.

Cause-effect organization

A passage pattern linking a cause to its result. Questions test which variable produces which outcome and often use reversed-causation distractors to catch careless reading.

Problem-solution organization

A passage pattern stating a problem, proposing solutions, and evaluating them. Questions often ask which solution the author favors and on what stated grounds.

Hedging language

Qualifiers such as may, suggests, and appears that soften a claim. Their presence signals the author's caution, and answers must not overstate the passage's certainty.

Evidence question

A question asking which statement supports a given claim. The correct answer is a fact from the passage that logically implies the claim, not a restatement of the claim itself.

Elimination strategy

The process of striking answer choices contradicted by the passage or requiring unstated assumptions, then choosing among the remainder. It is essential for EXCEPT and inference items.

Pacing rule

A budgeting guideline of roughly 1.5 minutes per question including reading time. It prevents a single hard passage from consuming time needed for later questions.

Guessing policy

Because the OAT applies no penalty for incorrect answers, every question should be marked, with flagged uncertain items revisited after the passage is completed.

Numerical detail question

A question targeting a figure, date, or measurement in the passage. The correct answer matches the passage exactly, including units and the direction of comparison.

Competing explanations

A passage structure presenting two hypotheses for one phenomenon. Questions test which evidence supports which explanation, so each finding's attribution must be tracked.

Computer-delivered format

The OAT is taken at a computer, so passages scroll on screen and on-screen tools allow highlighting and striking through choices instead of writing in margins.

Reading section scoring

The Reading Comprehension section is scored on a standardized scale and contributes to the Academic Average along with the science sections of the OAT.

True-but-not-answering distractor

A choice stating something accurate about the passage that does not respond to the specific question asked. It is eliminated by re-reading the question's exact wording.