Detail and Fact-based Questions

Detail (fact-based) questions ask for information stated explicitly in the passage. They are the easiest RC marks — the answer is right there — provided you scan efficiently instead of re-reading everything.

Method

• Identify a keyword or name from the question stem.
• Scan the passage for that keyword and read the surrounding sentence.
• Match the option that paraphrases the text; beware options that twist a detail.
• Distinguish "According to the passage" (stated) from "It can be inferred" (implied).

Signal in stem	Answer source
"According to the passage"	a directly stated line
"The author states/mentions"	explicit text
"Which is true"	verify each option against the text
"EXCEPT / NOT"	the odd one out that isn't supported

Exam Tricks & Tips

• 🎯 Scan for the stem's keyword rather than rereading the whole passage.
• 🎯 The right option usually PARAPHRASES the text — don't demand identical words.
• 🎯 Watch distractors that change a number, name or qualifier from the passage.
• 🎯 For EXCEPT/NOT questions, eliminate the three supported options; the odd one is the answer.
• 🎯 "According to the passage" means stated — do not infer.
• ❌ Don't pick a detail from the wrong part of the passage — confirm the exact line.

Expected exam pattern: "according to the passage…", "which of the following is true", and EXCEPT questions. 1 to 2 per passage, ~40 seconds.

Quick recap: scan for keywords, read the line, match the paraphrase, and for EXCEPT/NOT eliminate the supported options.

Q1. What do detail questions ask for?
A1. Information stated explicitly in the passage.

Q2. Fastest way to locate a detail?
A2. Scan for the stem's keyword.

Q3. Does the answer use identical words?
A3. Often it's a paraphrase, not a copy.

Q4. "According to the passage" means?
A4. Directly stated — do not infer.

Q5. How to solve an EXCEPT question?
A5. Eliminate the three supported options; the odd one is the answer.

Q6. A common distractor trick?
A6. Changing a number, name or qualifier from the text.

Q7. Detail vs inference stem difference?
A7. "States" = explicit; "inferred" = implied.

Q8. Where should you confirm a detail?
A8. At the exact line containing the keyword.

Q9. Why are detail questions the easiest?
A9. The answer is explicitly in the passage.

Q10. "Which of the following is true" approach?
A10. Verify each option against the text.

Q11. Risk of scanning too loosely?
A11. Picking a detail from the wrong part of the passage.

Q12. Should you reread the whole passage per detail?
A12. No — targeted keyword scanning is faster.

Detail questions ("According to the passage, which of the following is true?") are the most answerable RC type — the answer is stated in the text. The skill is locating it fast and rejecting options that twist the wording.

What this topic tests: finding explicitly stated facts and distinguishing them from close-but-distorted options.

The method

Beginner — scan for keywords

Detail questions usually contain a keyword (a name, number, term). Scan the passage for that keyword and read the sentence around it. The answer is right there — no inference needed.

Intermediate — match meaning, not just words

Correct options often paraphrase the passage; wrong options often reuse the passage's exact words but change the meaning. Match the idea, and beware options that swap a subject, reverse a cause, or add "only/all/always".

Advanced — the classic distortion traps

• Extreme wording: the passage says "some", the option says "all".
• Reversed relationship: the passage says A caused B, the option says B caused A.
• Out of scope: true-sounding but never mentioned.
• Half right: one clause matches, the other contradicts the text.
  Verify every part of the option against the passage, not just the first half.

Illustrative passage and technique

"The survey found that most employees preferred hybrid work, though a significant minority wanted to return to the office full-time."

Question: "According to the passage, which is true?" A correct option: "A majority favoured hybrid work." A trap option: "All employees preferred hybrid work" (the passage says most, not all) — extreme wording. Another trap: "Most employees wanted full-time office work" — reverses the fact. Checking against the exact line rejects both.

Where it appears

TCS NQT, Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, Capgemini, Accenture verbal; detail questions are the highest-accuracy RC items when read carefully.

Speed tricks and shortcuts

• Scan for the question's keyword and read that sentence.
• Match the meaning; distrust options that copy exact words.
• Kill options with all/never/only unless the passage is that absolute.
• Mnemonic: "Find the line, check every clause, reject the twists."

Worked Example

Problem: Read the passage.
"A 2019 survey covered 1,200 small businesses across four regions. Of these, 62% reported difficulty hiring skilled staff, while 18% cited access to capital as their main obstacle. The remaining firms named regulation as their chief concern."
What percentage of the firms named regulation as their chief concern?

Solution: Detail questions are answered by scanning for the exact figures, not by reasoning about themes.

The three concerns are stated to partition all firms:

• Skilled staff: 62%
• Access to capital: 18%
• Regulation: "the remaining firms"

Since the percentages must total 100%, the regulation share is:
100 − 62 − 18 = 20%.

(Optional check in counts: 20% of 1,200 = 240 firms named regulation.)

Answer: 20%.