When the scope of a question is well defined, what is the recommended action?

• A. Re-read the stem to confirm scope
• B. Go to the answer choices first
• C. Go to the passage first
• D. Skim the passage to gauge difficulty

Answer: (C)

When the scope of a question is well defined, the best move is to go to the passage first. This lets you quickly locate the exact part of the text that the question concerns, read the surrounding context, and verify the evidence directly against the answer options. Anchoring your reasoning in the actual text reduces the chance of misinterpreting the prompt or being swayed by tricky wording in the stem or by tempting but unsupported choices.

Other approaches tend to waste time or lead you away from the relevant evidence: re-reading the stem after you know the scope can be redundant, jumping to the answer choices first can push you to judge options without sufficient text support, and skimming the passage merely to gauge difficulty doesn't focus your attention on the precise evidence needed.