Infer Questions on GRE vs GMAT

[kginena]

I am wondering if infer questions on the GRE are different than those on the GMAT. On the GMAT these questions are looking for specific information listed in the text of the article; however, I noticed that on the GRE this may not be the case.

Here is an example from the first CAT:

Which of the following statements can be most properly inferred from the passage about the weak nuclear force?

(E) CORRECT. Because the strong force does grow with increasing distance, and the other fundamental forces (including the weak force) are unlike the strong force in this respect, we can conclude that the weak force does not grow with increasing distance.

So, does this mean that infer questions on the GRE are looking for you to make your own inferences rather than search for details found in the article?

[zaur]

this is not right. The 'inference' type questions in critical reading section of the verbal in GRE behave as almost any type of the inference based on factual information contained in text of a passage given. The only difference with GRE and GMAT too, some complex 'inference' type questions may challenge us with scrutinizing over wide range of alternative meanings of the conclusion. That is we would need to find not the restatement of a conclusion, but we would have to look for the alternatives of conclusion given.

Example: Uncle Sam uses his car to commute to work every day. If the car of uncle Sam gets broken, he will have difficulty commuting to work.

Analysis: the conclusion given is when a car is broken uncle Sam has trouble to get to work. The alternative to this conclusion may be, uncle Sam has difficulty in finding other means of transportation to his work destination. Another alternative could be, commuting to work not by car is difficult for uncle Sam, therefore he may miss some days in a week when not having car to work properly.

P.S. in the very essence of critical reading stands action followed by reading. That is we read to act-to think-to argue-to grasp the idea and understand the situation. We don't read for reading and searching in text, it's not editorial office assignment, this is graduate exam assignment.

[esledge]

Hi kginena,

The GRE and GMAT define "inference" similarly: steer clear of speculating, bringing in outside information, or imposing your own views. On both tests, a good inference is a restatement of what the passage said, often from a viewpoint that is "reversed." That is not to say it conflicts with the passage! A good inference agrees with the passage, just states a given fact in a reversed way.

For example, if a passage said "There are 10 marbles in a box, and exactly 3 of these marbles are blue," a reversed viewpoint inference would be that "7 of the marbles are NOT blue." Notice that this focuses on the marbles that were not defined in the passage, and the inference is that they don't have the quality that the 3 marbles were defined to have.

Bad answers would be things like:
"the marbles are glass" (likely true, but the passage doesn't say so)
"7 of the marbles are red" (could be true, but not blue doesn't necessarily mean red)

The same thing is going on in the question you cited (Strong Force - Weak). The passage says that strong force, unlike the other forces mentioned, "grows with increasing distance." Thus, the reversed viewpoint inference is that the other forces mentioned (including the weak nuclear force) don't grow with increasing distance.

I hope this helps!