LSAT and Law School Admissions Forum

Get expert LSAT preparation and law school admissions advice from PowerScore Test Preparation.

General questions relating to the LSAT or LSAT preparation.
User avatar
 parisielvirac
  • Posts: 30
  • Joined: Jan 20, 2021
|
#86175
Hello
can I get a thorough explanation on how to answer and the difference between a MP question with and without MBT

Two examples (December 1991 RC London Pianoforte school)
#1 Which one of the following most accurately states the author’s main point? (GR, MP)


Very similarly June 2005 (Lesson 2 HW Reading Comprehension Passage #1)
#2 Which one of the following most accurately states the main point of the passage? (GR, Must, MP)

the difference in language is author and passage, but how do you answer it differently? how would one recognise the difference? and what can I get a description on how to thoroughly answer both and their differences
User avatar
 parisielvirac
  • Posts: 30
  • Joined: Jan 20, 2021
|
#86179
I also found a question along the lines of " what was the authors main point in the passage? which was (GLOBAL; MUST;MP)

so what's the focus for each? I thought main point was addressing the authors view and making your own conclusion and not based on the fact test.
User avatar
 parisielvirac
  • Posts: 30
  • Joined: Jan 20, 2021
|
#86180
the in question stem drill in lesson two,

the second question I posted is described as a GLOBAL, MP
so why in the practice homework is it listed as a MUST? nobody has taught me this
User avatar
 parisielvirac
  • Posts: 30
  • Joined: Jan 20, 2021
|
#86224
[url]file:///Users/carmelaparisi/Desktop/Screenshot%202021-04-09%20at%2011.15.20.png[/url]

I am a bit stuck on this, may somebody please kindly explain this contradiction? is a MP a MBT? and how come the same exact question is written as a MP in the reading compression workbook online, but in the homework section the question is labeled differently. aren't we supposed to be attacking them differently?
This is where it shows the second question I posted which was a (GR,MP,MUST) as a (GR,MP)
User avatar
 parisielvirac
  • Posts: 30
  • Joined: Jan 20, 2021
|
#86225
parisielvirac wrote: Wed Apr 07, 2021 8:22 am Hello
can I get a thorough explanation on how to answer and the difference between a MP question with and without MBT

Two examples (December 1996 RC London Pianoforte school)
#1 Which one of the following most accurately states the author’s main point? (GR, MP)


Very similarly June 2005 (Lesson 2 HW Reading Comprehension Passage #1)
#2 Which one of the following most accurately states the main point of the passage? (GR, Must, MP)

the difference in language is author and passage, but how do you answer it differently? how would one recognise the difference? and what can I get a description on how to thoroughly answer both and their differences
User avatar
 Ryan Twomey
PowerScore Staff
  • PowerScore Staff
  • Posts: 141
  • Joined: Mar 04, 2021
|
#86247
Hey parisielvirac,

I personally would just call both of these questions in reading comp main point questions. Now with main point questions in reading comp, they must be correct for a must be true question as well. So everything in a main point answer choice must be true in the passage.

The things I look for first in a main point question:

1. Does the answer choice accurately address the main topic of the passage.
2. Does the answer choice contain the author point of view if there was a clear author point of view in the passage
3. Does the answer choice have any incorrect elements (if so it is wrong, and this is the MBT part of the process)

I hope this helps.

Best,
Ryan
User avatar
 parisielvirac
  • Posts: 30
  • Joined: Jan 20, 2021
|
#86296
thanks so much, Ryan! cleared everything up
so main point doesn't have to pass the fact check but the incorrect answers do ?
 Adam Tyson
PowerScore Staff
  • PowerScore Staff
  • Posts: 5153
  • Joined: Apr 14, 2011
|
#86538
A Main Point answer in Reading Comp does have to pass the Fact Test in that the correct answer must be pulled from the stimulus, even if it is a paraphrase of what the author said. The correct answer cannot be some new idea that we infer based on the text, but must be what the author either explicitly stated as their conclusion or must otherwise summarize the key information that the passage presented. It has to follow the tone of the passage, express the author's viewpoint if they have one, and not be either too broad or too narrow to accurately reflect the big picture that the author was going for.

In other words, your answer choice for the Main Point must not bring up new information that is not found in the stimulus, nor be stronger than that evidence will support.

Wrong answers to Main Point questions will either violate the Fact Test by bringing up something new or overstating the author's position, or they will follow the Fact Test but be too narrow, such as an answer that gives only the main point of one paragraph or which presents one fact from the passage that is not broad enough to encompass the main point.
User avatar
 Dave Killoran
PowerScore Staff
  • PowerScore Staff
  • Posts: 5853
  • Joined: Mar 25, 2011
|
#86550
Hi!

I'll have this looked at, but there is no difference between "MP" and "Must, MP." A Main Point question is a subvariant of Must Be True questions, so it's always the case that "MP" implies "Must, MP." I'm thinking that what has occurred here is that in our backend technical setup—which counts MP under Must as a secondary counting—that the "hidden" code got transferred over to some of these classifications. So, I'll flag that for them and have them look at it. But, any time you see "Must, MP" or "MP" the process is the same—the correct answer must pass the fact test AND capture the main point of the argument :-D

Thanks!

Get the most out of your LSAT Prep Plus subscription.

Analyze and track your performance with our Testing and Analytics Package.