Tayarri LCAT
LCAT Verbal, Information and Ideas

Command of evidence for the LCAT: lesson and practice

Command of evidence questions ask you to find the evidence that fits a specific claim. For data questions, read the claim first, then check the table for exactly what it describes (an increase is not the same as a high value). For support or weaken questions, the right finding addresses both the cause and the result in the claim.

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Data questions

  1. Read the claim or the blank first. Circle the exact thing it describes: largest increase, lowest value, a difference between groups.
  2. Do the math for every row if the claim is about change.
  3. Pick the choice that matches the claim and is accurate. Several choices will quote real numbers from the table; only one matches the claim.
Every number in a wrong choice can be correct. The error is that it does not answer the claim.

Support and weaken

Question asksRight answer showsExample claim: breakfast improves test scores
SupportThe result happening because of the cause, in a fair comparisonStudents who ate breakfast scored higher, with sleep held equal
WeakenThe result happening without the cause, or the cause without the resultStudents who skipped breakfast scored the same

Common mistakes

Confusing a change with a valueThe biggest number is not always the biggest increase.
Support vs weaken mix-upCircle which one the question asks for.
Evidence about something elseThe finding must be about the exact claim.

Sample questions with answers

1. Values 2020→2024: Kohat 24→31, Nowshera 49→54, Swat 45→53, Abbottabad 55→57. Largest increase?
  1. Abbottabad
  2. Kohat
  3. Swat (correct)
  4. Nowshera

Increases: Kohat +7, Nowshera +5, Swat +8, Abbottabad +2. Abbottabad has the highest value but the smallest increase.

2. Claim: new bus lanes reduced travel times. Which finding weakens it?
  1. Commuters on bus-lane streets got to work faster.
  2. Travel times fell equally on streets without bus lanes. (correct)
  3. The lanes are painted red.
  4. Some drivers complained.

If times fell without bus lanes too, something else likely caused the drop.

3. Claim: short daily practice beats one long weekly session. Which finding supports it?
  1. Students enjoyed the weekly session more.
  2. Both groups practiced 70 minutes a week.
  3. Daily practicers remembered more words after a month. (correct)
  4. Weekly practicers remembered more words.

It shows the better result for daily practice with equal total time.

Frequently asked questions

What is command of evidence on the LCAT?

It is a question type in Information and Ideas where you choose the evidence, from a text or a table or graph, that best supports, weakens or completes a claim.

How do I answer LCAT table and graph questions?

Read the claim first, identify exactly what it describes, then check the data. Wrong choices often quote accurate numbers that do not match the claim.

What is the difference between supporting and weakening evidence?

Supporting evidence shows the claimed cause leading to the result. Weakening evidence shows the result without the cause, suggesting another explanation.

Do I need to calculate anything?

Sometimes simple subtraction or comparison, such as finding which value increased the most.

Is command of evidence tested on the LCAT?

Yes. It falls under Information and Ideas, one of the content domains LUMS lists for the LCAT in its official sample questions.

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