Most Strongly Supported

STEP 1

Identify the Question Stem

"most strongly supported"
"most logically follows"
"best supported by the statements above"

Key Insight: Same approach as Must Be True — treat everything as fact and connect the dots.

Key Insight: The stem says "most supported" — not "must be true." The bar is lower. The right answer doesn't need to be 100% guaranteed — just best supported.

STEP 2

Read & Connect the Dots

Same process as Must Be True:

1 Simplify as you read

Put each sentence in your own words. What is it really saying?

2 Connect each sentence to prior sentences

Do any ideas overlap? Can you combine facts to reach something new?

STEP 3

Answer Choice Strategy

For each answer choice, ask:

Could I make a reasonable argument that this is supported by the stimulus?

The right answer can have a small gap. It doesn't need to be 100% guaranteed — just strongly supported by the facts.

If you don't love it, don't eliminate it. If you can make a reasonable argument for it, keep it. Move on and compare.

STEP 4

Pick Through Process of Elimination

Compare remaining answers
Which one requires the least assumption?
Which has the smallest gap?

Correct answer: The answer with the strongest support and the smallest assumption.

MBT vs. MSS:

MBT = answer must be 100% supported, no gap allowed.

MSS = answer is best supported, small gap is okay.

WATCH OUT

Wrong Answer Patterns

✗ Flipping the conditional or negating the sufficient

If the stimulus says A → B, a wrong answer might say B → A or not A → not B.

✗ Strong answer for a weak inference

"All" or "always" when the stimulus only says "some" or "might."

✗ Too big of a gap

A small gap is okay. A large assumption that isn't supported at all is still wrong.