Main idea questions ask you to identify the "primary purpose" or "main point" of the passage. In order to answer these questions correctly, you must be able to identify the thesis of the passage and those ideas that support this thesis. The GMAT test-writers attempt to confuse you with a few answer choices that are supporting ideas.
Common Question Stems
- Which of the following most accurately states the main idea of the passage?
- The primary purpose of the passage is to
- The passage is primarily concerned with which of the following?
- The author of this passage is primarily concerned with
- The main point made by the passage is that
- How to Identify Correct Answer
Main point questions ask you to identify the crux of the author's point. You must identify which ideas in the passage play a supporting role and which idea is being supported. In many ways, this is similar to identifying the premises and conclusion to a critical reasoning argument. The correct answer to a main point question is often a paraphrase of the conclusion or thesis statement of the passage. Common incorrect answer choices are those that feature supporting ideas. These answer choices are appealing to many test-takers because the material presented in them is true and based upon the passage.