Critical and Inferential Comprehension for Praxis I: Pre-Professional Skills Test Study Guide

Whereas literal comprehension questions are straightforward, critical and inferential comprehension questions ask you to read between the lines of a text. These questions are about what is implied in the passage or statement. They ask you to identify the author's assumptions and attitudes and evaluate the weaknesses and strengths of the author's argument or logic. Critical and inferential comprehension questions include three types:

1. Evaluation. This question type asks you to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the argument presented in a passage. Evaluation questions will ask you to judge whether something is fact or opinion, or whether the evidence presented supports the message of the passage.

Examples

• In order to evaluate the validity of the author's claim regarding Jackson Pollock, it would be most helpful to know which of the following?
• Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as a weakness in the new law?
• Which of the following numbered sentences of the passage expresses a fact rather than an opinion?
2. Inference. This type of question asks you to make an inference (draw a logical conclusion) based on the content of the passage. Inference questions will ask you to determine an author's underlying assumptions or attitude toward the subject of the passage.

Examples

• Which of the following is an unstated assumption made by the author of the passage?
• It can be inferred from the passage that the art of Picasso and Matisse differ in all of the following ways EXCEPT…
• This passage suggests that Greek tragedies are still so powerful because…
• The author would be least likely to agree with which of the following statements?
3. Generalization. This question type requires you to apply the ideas of a passage to new situations, recognize similar situations, and draw conclusions about the content of the passage.

Examples

• Which of the following conclusions can you make based on the passage?
• Given the information in the passage, what appeared to be an important post–World War II trend in the United States?

Now that you are have a better idea of what to expect on the PPST Reading test, you can begin to review some reading comprehension skills and test-taking strategies. By honing these skills, you will be better equipped to understand reading passages and to do your best on the exam.