Information Gathering
Information Gathering
The information-gathering subtest measures how efficiently you locate and interpret information from reference-like materials: indexes, tables, graphs, schedules, directories, dictionaries, and catalogs. It tests method, not memorized facts.
Core rules
- Identify the source type first. An index gives page locations; a dictionary gives pronunciation, part of speech, and meanings; a table gives values by row and column.
- Read headings and units before numbers. A column labeled “mg/kg” is not the same as “mg.”
- Follow alphabetical and numerical order. In an index, use the first letter, then the second, and so on; in a directory, use the exact category and cross-reference.
- Cross-reference. A “see also” entry or footnote may point to the needed table.
- Read across and down. For a table, locate the row category, then the column category, then read the intersection.
Worked example
A drug reference table lists pediatric doses by weight. To find the dose for a 20 kg child, first find the row for 20 kg, then read the column headed “dose per kg,” then multiply if the table gives a per-kilogram value. If the table instead gives a total dose range for 15–25 kg, use the range row, not the per-kg column. The step that prevents error is checking the column heading and units before calculating.
Traps
Using the first number seen; ignoring a footnote that changes the value; confusing an index entry with the page number; and reading a graph’s axis labels after estimating the value.