How to Solve LSAT “Supported” Questions

"Supported" questions appear in the Logical Reasoning section of the LSAT.

This article will guide you through the process of solving Supported Logical Reasoning questions, including how to make your best prediction, the questions to ask yourself to determine whether you’;re dealing with a Supported question or a Must Be True question, and what to look for in the answer choices.

What Are “Supported" Questions in the LSAT?

Supported questions on the LSAT require you to determine which answer choice is most likely to be true based on the information provided in a passage. These questions often ask you to identify a statement that the passage most strongly supports, though it doesn't need to be 100% proven.

Your job is to infer the best possible conclusion or restate a fact suggested by the evidence, making sure the selected answer aligns closely with the information presented. Unlike Must Be True questions, Supported questions allow for a bit more flexibility in interpretation but still rely heavily on the passage’s content.

Types of "Supported" Questions

On a Supported question stem, you must figure out which answer is most likely to be true given what was said in the passage. Here are some ways these questions might be phrased:

• Which one of the following is most strongly supported by the information above?
• The statements above, if true, would most strongly support which one of the following?
• If the editorialist’s statements are true, they provide the most support for which one of the following?
• Which one of the following best completes the passage?
• Which one of the following most logically completes the argument?
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Make Your Best Prediction

Supported questions are sometimes hard to predict—the same evidence could be used to support various conclusions. But you should still predict a possible answer as a litmus test for whether you’ve understood the facts of the passage.

Treat everything in the passage as evidence. Assume that all the statements in the passage are true, regardless of whether they are true in the real world. Although it could be a full-blown argument with premises and a conclusion, the passage for a Supported question is usually just a bunch of facts.

Based on that evidence, predict what else must be true. To figure out what else must be true, examine how each statement in the passage relates to the other statements. Can you combine any of them to infer something new? Let’s say a passage tells you that “some cats love ice cream” and that “ice cream is a carcinogen.” Since “ice cream” appears in both statements, you can link them to infer that “some cats love a carcinogen.”

Some Supported questions show a blank line (________________) in the passage and ask you to complete the argument. After you read the premises, briefly pause to predict the type of answer that could fill in the blank. Do this before you read the answer choices.

Two Key Questions You Should Ask Yourself

The difference between a Supported question and a Must Be True question is in the wording of the question, but both types of questions usually end up being something that must be true.

As you read each answer choice, ask yourself:

1. Does the answer absolutely have to be true?
2. Is it at least the answer that is most likely to be true?

Remember that LSAT questions only have one answer that's objectively correct. But Supported questions differ slightly from other types of questions because the correct answer doesn't have to be 100% proven; it just needs to be the most strongly supported by the information in the passage. In most cases, however, it is proven.

What to Look For in the Answer Choices

The correct answer in a Supported question will either restate a fact from the passage or combine facts from the passage to infer something new.

When an answer accurately restates a fact from the passage, don’t hesitate to select that answer. Restatements, which have to be true, are great answers.

On Must Be True and Supported questions, weakly worded answers are generally preferable. It’s easier to prove, for example, that some people like ice cream than it is to prove that most or all people like ice cream.

Content is more important than word strength, but be wary of answers that use all, any, each, every, only, most, and other strong words. While these could be correct answers, they require stronger evidence to prove.

More on Supported Questions

How to approach Most Strongly Supported questions in LSAT?

To approach "Most Strongly Supported" questions on the LSAT, start by getting a thorough understanding of the passage, treating every statement as true within the context provided. Predict a possible answer before looking at the options, using the passage's information to infer what else must be true. As you evaluate each answer choice, ask yourself whether it absolutely must be true or, at the very least, is the most likely to be true based on the evidence provided. Typically, the correct answer will either restate a fact from the passage or combine facts to infer something new.

What is a Supporting Principle question on the LSAT?

A "Supporting Principle" question on the LSAT requires you to identify a principle or general rule that, if true, would most strongly support or justify the argument or conclusion presented in the passage. Unlike "Most Strongly Supported" questions, which ask you to infer what's most likely true based on the information given, Supporting Principle questions ask you to find an underlying principle that solidifies the argument. The correct answer choice typically strengthens the connection between the evidence and the conclusion, strengthening the argument.

What's an example of a Strongly Supported question?

Take a look at this page for our sample Strongly Supported question, which is written as it would appear on the LSAT.