Bolded statement questions require a very different approach from all other critical reasoning problems on the GMAT. Rather than attempting to find the assumption in the stimulus, or looking to the answer choices for an inference, you must determine the role being played by two statements that are in boldface. Before entering a discussion on the best way to do this, I should note that bolded statement questions are not as common as many of the other question types, such as weaken or inference questions, and tend to be at the more advanced end of the test. Thus, while everyone should be prepared to see them, you should only spend a large chunk of time practicing them if you are already at the 600+ score level.
With that in mind, when you do see a bolded statement question you need to start by determining the role the first statement in boldface is playing. Often it is a piece of evidence or a conclusion, but it can also be something more specific such as a commonly held belief or conjecture that supports the author’s main point.
Once you have determined the role of the first bolded statement, look at the second bolded statement. Determine not only what role it plays, as we did with the first bolded statement, but also what its relationship to the first is. Thus, for the second bolded statement you will identify it along the lines of ‘it is additional evidence that refutes the first’ or ‘it is conjecture in support of the first.’
Once you have identified the roles of both statements, simply look for the answer choice that matches your prediction. Once you have done so, you can select and move on to your next question in the verbal section. For some examples in action, see the Kaplan GMAT Video on Bolded Statement Questions.
~Bret Ruber
