The four shapes
| The question wants | The answer must | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| What the material states | Be found in it | Options that are true but absent |
| What follows from it | Be necessary, not merely likely | Options that go further than the evidence |
| What it assumes | Be needed for the conclusion to hold | Options that would merely help |
| What would change it | Act on the gap between evidence and conclusion | Options that dispute the evidence instead |
The method, for all four
- Read the question stem before re-reading the material.
- Name which of the four it is.
- Answer it in your own words.
- Then read the options, eliminating on grounds you can state.
Eliminating on a proved contradiction is faster and safer than selecting on a feeling. With single-choice items, two options you can disprove is most of the way to an answer.
Naming the question — FAQs
2 questions
What follows is a consequence of the material; what is assumed is something the material needs in order to work and never states.
No. Answer in your own words, then read them.
More general academic module question types
Sources
Written from the test board's own published material and checked on 1 October 2026.