- A student arrives at Room 204 on Thursday morning expecting English class. What is most likely true?
Answer: She should go to the first floor computer lab because Thursday class meets there instead.
When reading a schedule or reminder notice, your job is to match the day to the location. The passage gives you a clear pattern: Room 204 is for Monday and Wednesday, and the computer lab on the first floor is for Tuesday and Thursday. Friday has no class this week.
Since the student arrives on Thursday, you need to find what the schedule says about Thursday. The passage states directly that "Tuesday and Thursday, class meets in the computer lab on the first floor." That makes B the correct answer — she is in the wrong place and needs to go to the first floor computer lab.
A is tempting because Room 204 is the English classroom — but only on certain days. The word "always" makes this wrong. The schedule clearly shows the room changes depending on the day, so "always" is too strong and inaccurate.
C is a misreading of the Friday information. The passage says there is no class on Friday this week, not Thursday. Thursday still has class — just in a different location. Be careful not to mix up which day the exception applies to.
D has no support in the passage at all. Nothing says the teacher might move the class to Room 204 later. When a reading question offers an answer with no evidence in the text, it is almost always wrong.
Study tip: On schedule-reading questions, slow down and match each detail (day, room, time) carefully. Writers of wrong answers often mix up details that are in the passage — they just don't go together.
- A tenant wants to do laundry at 2:00 PM on Saturday, after the water is back on. What should she expect?
Answer: She cannot do laundry at 2:00 PM because the laundry room is closed all day Saturday.
When a passage contains multiple rules or restrictions, you need to track each one separately — even if they seem related. This question tests whether you carefully read all the details in an announcement, not just the main topic.
The announcement gives two distinct pieces of information: (1) water will be shut off from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM for pipe repairs, and (2) the laundry room will be closed all day Saturday for a separate maintenance issue. That second detail is the key. Even though the water returns at 1:00 PM, the laundry room closure has nothing to do with the water — it's an independent problem. So at 2:00 PM, the water may be back, but the laundry room is still closed. The tenant cannot do laundry, making D the correct answer.
Choice A is tempting because the logic sounds reasonable — water is back, laundry needs water, so laundry should work. But this ignores the second restriction about the laundry room being closed all day. Choice C makes the same mistake, assuming that restoring water "restores all building services." The passage never says that. Choice B gets the outcome right (she can't do laundry) but gives the wrong reason — it incorrectly claims the water is still off after 1:00 PM, which contradicts the passage.
A useful strategy: when reading announcements or notices, slow down and make a quick mental list of every rule mentioned. Questions like this are designed to see if you caught the second or less obvious detail, not just the headline information.
- A student attends the February 5th meeting and submits a signed permission form to the main office on February 10th, but she does not have the $20 fee yet. What will most likely happen?
Answer: She will not be placed on the team unless she also submits the $20 fee by February 12th.
When a passage lists requirements — things you must do — pay close attention to words like "both," "and," and deadline language. These signal that every condition is required, not just some of them.
The announcement is very clear: students must bring both a signed permission form and a $20 registration fee to the main office by February 12th. The word "both" is the key. The final sentence reinforces this: students without both items by February 12th will not be placed on the team. The student in the question attended the meeting and submitted her form on time — but she is missing the fee. Since she hasn't met all the requirements, the most likely outcome is that she won't be placed on the team unless she pays the $20 before the February 12th deadline. That makes C the correct answer.
A is incorrect because attending the meeting and submitting the form are not enough on their own — the passage explicitly requires both the form and the fee. Meeting only part of the requirements doesn't satisfy the rule.
B is incorrect because the passage sets a firm deadline of February 12th. It says nothing about accepting payment "any time during the spring season." You cannot assume flexibility that the passage doesn't mention.
D is incorrect because the passage never mentions a waiting list. This option sounds reasonable, but you should only choose answers supported by what the text actually says — not what seems fair or logical.
Study tip: On reading questions, stick strictly to what the passage states. If the text doesn't say it, don't assume it — especially when deadlines or requirements are involved.
- A parent knows her child will be absent on October 10th. She plans to use the makeup day on October 24th. When must she submit the order form and payment?
Answer: By October 8th.
When reading notices or announcements, pay close attention to rules that apply to everyone, not just certain groups. Sometimes a rule looks like it only applies to one situation, but the passage explicitly states it covers all cases.
In this passage, the key sentence is: "Please return the photo order form with payment by October 8th, even if your child will use the makeup day." The phrase "even if" is doing important work here — it tells you that the October 8th deadline applies to all parents, including those whose children will not be photographed until October 24th. So the correct answer is C: the form and payment are due by October 8th, no exceptions.
Choice A is a trap because it states forms are due on October 10th, but the passage clearly says October 8th — two days before picture day. Don't confuse the photo date with the form deadline. Choice B sounds logical — why pay before your child's photo is even taken? — but it ignores the explicit instruction in the passage. The announcement directly addresses this situation and overrules what might seem "reasonable." Choice D is incorrect because the passage requires payment before any picture is taken, not after. Waiting until after the makeup day would violate the stated deadline entirely.
A useful strategy: when a passage includes a phrase like "even if," "regardless of," or "in all cases," that is a signal that a universal rule is being stated. On reading comprehension questions, those qualifying phrases often contain the most important information — slow down and read them carefully.
- The first Monday of next month falls on the 7th. A new student wants to join. What is the latest day she can register online?
Answer: The 4th.
When a notice says something must happen "at least three days before" a date, you need to count backwards carefully — and this is where many students make mistakes. The phrase "at least three days before the 7th" means the registration day itself cannot count as one of those three days.
Here's how to count correctly: starting from the 7th and going back, the 6th is one day before, the 5th is two days before, and the 4th is three days before. That makes the 4th the latest acceptable registration date, which confirms that D is correct.
Choice A is tempting because it feels logical — why not register the same day? But registering on the 7th gives zero days of advance notice, which completely ignores the three-day requirement. Choice B sounds reasonable, but registering on the 6th is only one day before the class, not three. The word "enough" in that option is misleading — one day is never "close enough" when the rule clearly states three. Choice C is the trickiest trap: the 5th is two days before the 7th, not three. Students often miscount by starting their count on the wrong day, accidentally counting the class day itself as "day one."
A useful strategy: when counting days backwards from a deadline, start your count with the day after your target date. So from the 7th, day one back is the 6th, day two is the 5th, and day three is the 4th. Whenever you see "at least X days before," practice this countdown to avoid off-by-one errors.
- An employee forgets her badge on a Tuesday. She signs in at the security desk but does not report it to HR that day. She forgets her badge again the following Monday. Which of the following best describes her situation after the second forgotten badge?
Answer: She has two violations: she broke the same-day HR reporting rule on Tuesday, and her access may be reviewed for forgetting her badge twice in one month.
When a workplace policy lists multiple rules, each rule stands on its own — breaking one does not cancel or replace another. This question tests whether you can track separate requirements and identify which ones were violated independently.
Look carefully at what the policy requires: (1) sign in at the security desk if you forget your badge, (2) report the forgotten badge to HR the same day, and (3) staff who forget their badge more than twice in one month face an access review. These are three distinct obligations, not one.
On Tuesday, the employee signed in at the security desk — that satisfies rule one. But she did not report to HR that same day — that breaks rule two. Then on Monday, she forgets her badge again. Tuesday and Monday fall within the same calendar month, giving her two forgotten badges, which triggers rule three: her building access may be reviewed. So she has accumulated two separate problems, making A the correct answer.
B is wrong because it assumes signing in at the security desk fulfills all requirements. It only fulfills one of them — the HR reporting rule is completely separate.
C makes the same mistake as B but goes further, claiming there are no violations at all. This ignores both the HR reporting failure and the access review trigger.
D invents a rule that doesn't exist. The policy does not say improperly reported badges are erased from the monthly count — both forgotten badges still count.
Strategy tip: When a passage lists multiple rules, make a quick mental checklist and ask whether each rule was followed — not just one.
- A student borrowed two books from the library. She wants to borrow more books next Monday. What must she do?
Answer: Return her books by Thursday at 5:00 PM so she can borrow again on Monday.
When a reading passage gives you specific rules and deadlines, your job is to connect those rules to the situation in the question. Ask yourself: "What does this person need, and what does the passage say she must do to get it?"
The student wants to borrow books on Monday. The passage clearly states that students who do not return books on time "will not be able to borrow new books next week." So returning books on time is the key to borrowing again. The passage also tells you the deadline: Thursday at 5:00 PM. That makes B correct — she must return her books by Thursday at 5:00 PM to be allowed to borrow again on Monday.
Now let's look at why the other choices fail. A says she can return books "before Friday at any time." This sounds close, but it misses the specific deadline — Thursday at 5:00 PM, not Friday. The library is closed on Friday, so returning books on Friday is impossible. C says she should wait until Saturday to return books and get new ones. The passage never mentions Saturday hours, and waiting means she misses the Thursday deadline entirely, which would prevent her from borrowing on Monday. D suggests asking the librarian for special permission. Nothing in the passage offers this as an option — you should only use information the passage actually provides, not guess at possibilities outside the text.
A good reading strategy: when a passage has specific rules with deadlines or conditions, underline them. Then match the question carefully to those exact details — small differences like "Friday" vs. "Thursday" can change everything.
- A patient calls to cancel her March 3rd appointment at 3:00 PM on March 2nd. Will she be charged the cancellation fee?
Answer: Yes. She called 23 and a half hours before her appointment.
When a notice says "at least 24 hours before your appointment," you need to calculate the exact time gap — not just the calendar day. This question is testing whether you understand the difference between "the day before" and "24 full hours before."
Here's the math: The appointment is March 3rd at 2:30 PM. Exactly 24 hours before that is March 2nd at 2:30 PM. The patient calls at 3:00 PM on March 2nd — that is 30 minutes after the 24-hour cutoff, or 23 and a half hours before the appointment. That is less than 24 hours, so she will be charged the fee, making A the correct answer.
B gets the math wrong in the other direction. A call 24 and a half hours early would be at 2:00 PM on March 2nd, not 3:00 PM. C is the most tempting wrong answer and represents the classic trap here. "The day before" sounds like it should be enough, but the policy says 24 hours, not just a different calendar day. D confuses the times. 30 minutes is the difference between 2:30 and 3:00, but the call was on March 2nd, a day earlier than the appointment, not 30 minutes before it.
Your strategy tip: On questions involving time-based rules, always calculate the exact hours rather than thinking in vague terms like "the day before." Convert both times to the same format and compare them directly.
- An employee finishes her online safety training at 11:00 PM on the 14th of the month. Which of the following is true?
Answer: She will receive the gift card because she finished before the 15th.
When reading workplace notices, your job is to find the exact conditions stated and match them to the situation described. This question tests whether you can read details carefully without adding rules that aren't there.
The notice says two things that matter here: employees who finish before the 15th earn the gift card, and online training is available 24 hours a day. The employee finishes at 11:00 PM on the 14th — that is still the 14th, which is before the 15th. The training was done online, which the notice explicitly allows at any hour. That makes B correct: she earns the gift card, no extra conditions needed.
Choice A is a trap. It invents a rule about "business hours" that the passage never mentions. The notice specifically says online training runs 24 hours a day, so the time of night does not disqualify her. Choice C is also invented. In-person Saturday training is listed as an option, not a requirement for the gift card. She already completed her training online — she does not need to confirm anything in person. Choice D adds another made-up condition: supervisor approval for late-night submissions. The passage says nothing about this. When the passage doesn't mention a requirement, you should not assume it exists.
A useful strategy: on reading comprehension questions, underline the key conditions in the passage (here: "before the 15th" and "24 hours a day"). Then check each answer against only what the passage says. If an answer adds new rules the passage never stated, it is almost certainly wrong.
- A resident arrives home at 9:00 PM on Tuesday. She does not have a key card. What should she do that same night to get inside the building?
Answer: She cannot enter through the side entrance that night and must find another solution.
When reading announcements or notices, your job is to find exactly what the rules say — not what seems logical or convenient. This question tests whether you can match a specific situation to the specific conditions written in the passage.
The announcement tells you two things that are critical here: the side entrance requires a key card, and key cards are only available at the front office between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM. The resident arrives at 9:00 PM — that is five hours after the front office closes. She has no key card, and there is no mention of any other way to get inside. Following the rules as written, she simply cannot use the side entrance that night. That makes C the correct answer.
A is tempting because it feels like a practical solution, but it ignores the office hours. The front office is closed at 9:00 PM, so she cannot get a key card that same night. B is incorrect because it invents information — the announcement says the main entrance is locked every night from 8:00 PM to 6:00 AM, with no exception for weekends or weekday mornings. D also adds information that is not in the passage. The announcement never mentions a building manager or the possibility of unlocking the main entrance for exceptions. On reading comprehension questions, you should only use what the passage actually says.
Study tip: When a question asks "what should they do," go back and check every condition in the passage. If even one condition cannot be met — like office hours — a solution that depends on it is wrong.
