Implicit Information | The Complete SAT Course - Class 10 PDF Download

What's on the test?

Implicit information questions will ask you to draw logical conclusions based on stated evidence. They often begin in the following ways:

• Based on the passage. . .
• It can reasonably be inferred that. . .
• The author implies that. . .

The answer won't be directly stated in the passage, but it will be clearly implied or suggested. In fact, there will usually be one or two specific lines in the passage that come very close to providing the answer outright.

Common Errors

• Misplaced information: Wrong choices will often refer to information that is present in the passage, but is unrelated to the question being asked. The inferences made in implicit information questions are usually supported by one particular part of the passage (a sentence or paragraph). Choices that depend on information from other parts of the passage are often incorrect.
• Unsupported claims: Wrong choices might make statements that sound good or make sense, but they aren't supported by the passage. The passage won't state the answer to an implicit information question directly, but it will provide clear evidence. Any choice that extends beyond that evidence will likely be wrong.

Tips and Strategies

• While implicit information questions require you to make inferences, those inferences won't involve big leaps in reasoning. The answers to these questions will be very clearly implied in the passage!

Top tip: Don't use your imagination

• This is really just another way of saying the same thing: the correct choice must have evidence to support it.
• If you're not sure whether an idea is implied, it probably isn't.
• If you need to stretch to make the choice work ("ooh, I can see how this choice miiight be right"), it's probably wrong.

Top tip: RIP RAP—Rephrase (if possible), then Read Around and Predict

• If you learn only one technique for approaching the entire Reading Test, it should be this one! We repeat this advice frequently throughout our SAT materials.
• Rephrase questions using your own words when you can. This is a great way to gain control when you're confused.
• Then, go back to the text and read around to find the answer.
• Express the answer to the question in your own words.
• Find a match to your prediction in the choices.

Top tip: Search for keywords

• If we can't remember exactly what the passage said, that's OK. We might still remember where in the passage a certain topic was discussed. Did the question mention "smartphones"? Then go find the part of the passage that discussed "smartphones"!
• If we go back through the passage and look for keywords from the question, we'll be able to find the evidence that supports our answer. 

Note: the answer will be clearly implied by the text!