LSAT Most Strongly Supported Questions

Most Strongly Supported and Must Be True are different LSAT Logical Reasoning question types, even though prep companies often lump them together. A Most Strongly Supported answer is simply the most likely one based on the stimulus, while a Must Be True answer has to follow with certainty. The two only overlap when an answer is 100% supported.

Would you believe that big prep companies, the ones who get paid to help you ace the LSAT, make mistakes in some of their material?!

Actually, you’re probably not that surprised, which I guess says something.

The mistake: lumping them together

So what’s one of the most common mistakes I see in LSAT prep material? Failing to distinguish between Most Strongly Supported and Must Be True questions.

For example, you might see them place “Most Supported” / “Most Strongly Supported” Logical Reasoning questions under the category of “ Must Be True” questions.

*cue gameshow buzzer*

Why they get confused

I can see why. After all, the answer to a Most Strongly Supported question sometimes is something that Must Be True.

If an answer is 100% supported by the stimulus it must be true and is also the most strongly supported because you obviously can’t support something more than 100%.

BUT just because something is the most strongly supported doesn’t necessarily mean it is true.

A superpower example

This is an imperfect example, but imagine you just got superpowers (hurray! But use them for good).

Of the five government scientists that examine you, four of them say that you definitely got your powers from that radioactive sludge you fell into. It also did wonders for you skin, which is a nice bonus.

One of the scientists disagrees and says the comet that crashed into your house is actually the source.

The most strongly supported answer (the most likely) is the sludge, but it doesn’t quite mean it must be true that you got your powers from it.

Again, not a perfect example but you get the idea. If you want some more realistic examples of what you’re likely to see on the test you can find some here —->

I take two examples from The Next 10 Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests as well as an example from a more recent LSAT PrepTest and go through them.

I hope that helps, and keep up the good study habits whether your LSAT is a week or a year away!

Sincerely,

Steve “The LSAT Machine” Schwartz

P.S. If you’re enjoying these articles, there’s a LOT more where that came from. If there is something in particular you’re having trouble with, chances are I’ve already covered it in my Free Stuff section. That’s right, FREE! Why? Because I genuinely enjoy helping people kick the LSAT’s butt. Maybe that’s MY superpower?

Recommended resources

1. LSAT Courses

The best of my LSAT material with exclusive access to attend my Live Online LSAT Master Classes + Q&As, and on-demand video lessons you can watch anytime. Plus, LSAT study plans to keep you on track. Save hundreds of dollars with an LSAT course package.

2. Logical Reasoning Explanations

The explanations that should have come with the LSAT. These don’t just fall back on “out of scope,” but actually tell you why the wrong answers are wrong, why the right answers are right, and the easiest way to get the correct answer.

3. Logical Reasoning Cheat Sheet

Based on what I’d typically do in college: read what the professor emphasized and condense it all onto a single piece of paper. It gave me a quick reference, making things a lot less threatening and a lot more manageable.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between Most Strongly Supported and Must Be True questions on the LSAT?

A Must Be True answer is logically guaranteed by the stimulus. A Most Strongly Supported answer is just the most likely one, so it doesn't have to be true even if it's the best choice. Reading Comp has its own version of this: inference questions in RC passages.

Why do LSAT prep companies confuse Most Strongly Supported and Must Be True questions?

The two overlap in one case: if an answer is 100% supported by the stimulus, it's both the most strongly supported and something that must be true, which makes the categories easy to blur.

Can a Most Strongly Supported answer also be true?

Yes, but it isn't required to be. The most strongly supported answer is only the most likely one given the stimulus, not a guaranteed conclusion. Compare that to Strengthen questions, where new information is the whole point.

Where can I find real LSAT examples of Most Strongly Supported questions?

I work through 2 examples from The Next 10 Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests plus 1 from a more recent PrepTest in my companion video on the topic.

Related: free full-text explanations for every Most Strongly Supported question on PrepTest 159, with more PrepTests added weekly.

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