This is a continuation of the Simple Guide on Agree or Disagree Questions. Please familiarize yourself with the concepts discussed there before moving on. This guide is dedicated to identifying and avoiding the pitfalls present on the hardest Agree or Disagree (A/D) Questions.
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Test-writers can make these questions more difficult in a variety of ways. The hardest questions will usually involve subtle shifts in wording, a trait we are familiar with across question types. However, A/D Questions can have specific curveballs that the advanced test-taker may wish to familiarize themselves with.
Many difficult A/D Questions involve instances where one or both of the author's stances toward the correct answer are not outright stated. It is common for students to cross out every answer choice (AC) upon initial examination. A second look often leaves us with a few ACs that seem partially supported but require inferences. Here, we have to carefully rank the textual support for each AC, which can be subtle. The rest of this guide will hone in on how test-writers make it difficult to correctly rank ACs.
Many trap ACs try to get us to erroneously assume an author has a certain stance on a topic. One way they can use our intuitions against us involves stimuli where the Author’s Purpose and Main Conclusion are clear. Take a hypothetical point of disagreement question:
John: “Dogs are clearly better pets than cats, as my family's dog, Fido, is friendlier, more loyal, and smarter than our cat, Lisa.”
Jane: “Cats are among the best pets to have. Why? To start, they are good with kids. House cats are also independent and low-maintenance. Cats intuitively use litter-boxes and are easy to train; studies show that even the cats with the smallest, most primitive brains lead all other domesticated mammals in learning, memory, and pattern recognition tasks.”
The dialogue provides the most support for the claim that John and Jane disagree over whether...
A) Dogs are often better pets than cats.
B) Lisa is less intelligent than Fido.
The subject of dog/cat overall value as pets is clearly the main point of both passages, and probably what we quickly concluded as the link between the two. This will be on our minds as we head to the ACs.
When we read B), our first thought is probably to cross it out upon recalling that Jane gave no opinion on the matter. However, the subtle premise at the end of Jane’s passage actually provides explicit support that she disagrees.
This is just an example that attempts to point out how we tend to be biased toward ACs that relate to the Main Conclusion as they “feel” more fitting. The correct answer can actually relate to a minor point amidst the premises.
Be wary of choosing an AC that fits the “vibe” the author seems to be giving off over an AC with subtle but explicit textual support. Sometimes our brains will read a passage and, upon recognizing the overarching point the author is making, subconsciously attribute to the author a stronger/expanded version of their stance. To avoid this pitfall, remain hyper-critical of wording and do not unjustifiably choose an AC because it “feels” right/relevant.
Consider:
Another way test writers can make agree/disagree questions difficult is by forcing us to infer an author’s stance on a generalization of their position. The first step is simply noticing the shift in scope, as it can be subtle.
In some questions, a general principle will be correct, as support for an author’s agreement/disagreement with it can be provided. However, it is not always reasonable to infer from a specific statement that the author would stand by a broader or generalized version of that statement.
Consider that if I were to tell a friend, “Do not buy that shirt; it is a size small,” it is not reasonable to infer I would agree that “nobody should buy that shirt”. However, if I tell a friend, “Do not buy that shirt; the manufacturer uses child labor,” we can infer I would agree that nobody should buy the shirt.
In these situations, we must use our best judgment to determine if the nature of an author’s statement lends itself to broad applicability or if any variables render the generalization crucially different.
PT 152 S1 Q17
After solving, consider the second most commonly selected AC in light of the above.
More difficult stimuli can provide a distinct challenge in A/D questions compared to other question types. They require a slower and closer read for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, A/D Questions can hinge on small details amidst the premises, as previously mentioned. Second, there are three sources of information (Speaker 1, Speaker 2, and the AC) that we have to consider and relate to each other. The second speaker often very vaguely references something in the first passage, leaving us to decipher what they meant based only on context. Passages can also seem unrelated, where we are unsure of the overlap in content. A lack of relation between information makes it harder for our brains to remember. These factors can all result in repeated trips back to the stimulus, using up our precious time.
Thus, slowing down a bit and taking a mental note of details can save us time when we need to relate information from both speakers and the ACs. There is no unique strategy to do so; reading actively and thinking about how each piece of information relates to each other is an important general skill to develop.
