GRE RC: How to Solve Fact-Based Questions

The video lesson and the theory that follows give you a quick recap of the Mind Map Approach for solving RC, help you understand how to use it for fact-based GRE reading comprehension questions, and then apply it to GRE-style questions with representative answer choices so you gain first-hand experience. Take your time, pause the video to apply the approach yourself, study the explanation carefully, and by the end, grasp how to apply the Mind Map Approach to fact-based reading comprehension and carry the learning forward into your GRE practice exercises, GRE sectional mocks, and GRE full=length mocks.

End-to-End GRE Preparation Online by Experts’ Global

Recap of the Mind Map Approach for Reading Comprehension

In one of the earlier lessons, we learnt the Mind Map Approach for handling any GRE reading comprehension question. This lesson continues from that base. A part of the Experts’ Global GRE prep online course, the Mind Map Approach has helped tens of thousands of students worldwide since 2008, and with proper understanding and practice, it helps you approach GRE reading comprehension in a methodical way that supports both accuracy and pace.

Summary: Mind Map approach (MMA) for attempting all GRE RCs

Before we go further, here is a quick recap of the Mind Map Approach –

Start by skimming the first byte of the passage, meaning one logical piece you can process in one look, without focusing on details. Ask yourself what this byte does, and keep your takeaway short. Skim the next byte, ask the same question, and keep its takeaway short as well. Link the takeaways from the two bytes, and repeat this process for each new byte to build a clear mind map. Finally, read the question and eliminate wrong answer choices.

Using the Mind Map Approach for Solving Fact Based GRE RC Questions

The 3 broad categories of GRE RC questions

GRE reading comprehension questions broadly fall into three categories: structure-based, fact-based, and inference-based. The Mind Map Approach supports you on all three. In this lesson, we focus on applying the Mind Map Approach to fact-based reading comprehension questions. This approach works very well with fact-based questions because these questions test what the passage explicitly states, and the mind-map you build keeps the passage organized in your head so you know where each key detail belongs. As a result, you process the passage in a clean, structured way, and you move through fact-based questions with strong control over what the passage says.

GRE-Style Fact-Based RC Practice Question

Below is a snapshot of the GRE style fact based Reading Comprehension question discussed in the video, along with the Mind Map approach used to solve it and the Mind Map created for the passage.

GRE RC question

Correct Answer: A and B

For a detailed explanation of this question, please refer to the video presented earlier on this page.

Following is a step-wise written explanation, using our Mind Map Approach…

Step 1 and 2: First Byte

Byte: “Can we consider Carl Sagan a remarkable scientist? One’s immediate reaction may be to dismiss this question as superfluous.”
- What it did: It raised a question about whether Sagan is truly a remarkable scientist.

Step 3 and 4: Subsequent Bytes

Second Byte: “A gifted astronomer… key role in understanding the atmosphere of Venus… search for extraterrestrial life… widely recognized.”
- What it did: It developed a case for YES by highlighting his specific scientific achievements and roles.
Third Byte: “However… incongruent with his standing among scientists… unwilling to group him alongside… Ghez or Drake… liaison between the sciences.”
- What it did: It developed a case for NO by explaining why some scientists hesitate to rank him among the top specialists.

Step 5: Read the Question

Question: According to the passage, which of the following can be said to have contributed to the perception of Carl Sagan as a remarkable scientist?

Step 6: Eliminate

His contributions to the study of Venus’s atmosphere.
(Keep: The passage explicitly mentions his “key role in understanding the atmosphere of Venus” as a reason for his recognition.)
His role in the search for extraterrestrial life.
(Keep: The passage states he became a “central figure in the search for extraterrestrial life” as part of his scientific gifts.)
Recognition afforded by scientists.
(Eliminate: The passage actually states there is an “unwillingness” among scientists to group him with top specialists like Ghez or Drake.)