VR Deep Dive: True/False/Can’t Tell Mastery

The Decision Framework

For every T/F/CT question, apply this systematic framework:

Step 1: Identify the Claim

What exactly is the statement claiming? Break it into its component parts. A statement like “All European countries that joined the EU after 2004 experienced GDP growth exceeding 3%” contains multiple testable claims: (a) it refers to European countries, (b) specifically those joining after 2004, (c) they experienced GDP growth, (d) the growth exceeded 3%.

Step 2: Locate the Evidence

Find the section of the passage that addresses the claim. If you cannot find any relevant section, this is a strong signal for Can’t Tell.

Step 3: Apply the Verdict Test

• TRUE if: The passage directly states the claim, OR the claim can be logically deduced with certainty from the information given (a valid deduction, not an assumption)
• FALSE if: The passage directly contradicts the claim — there is specific information in the passage that makes the statement wrong
• CAN’T TELL if: The passage does not give enough information to be certain either way. The statement might be true, might be false, but the passage doesn’t allow you to determine which

The Spectrum of Certainty

Think of answers on a spectrum:

DEFINITELY TRUE ← Probably true ← Might be true | Might be false → Probably false → DEFINITELY FALSE

Only the extremes (definitely true, definitely false) earn TRUE or FALSE. Everything in the middle — every shade of ‘probably’ or ‘maybe’ — is CAN’T TELL.

Worked Examples

Passage excerpt: “The clinic reported that 78% of patients who completed the full 12-week physiotherapy programme showed significant improvement in mobility. Patients who attended fewer than 8 sessions showed minimal improvement.”

Statement 1: “Most patients who completed the physiotherapy programme improved their mobility.”
Answer: TRUE. 78% is ‘most’ (more than half), and ‘significant improvement in mobility’ supports ‘improved their mobility’.

Statement 2: “Patients who attended exactly 8 sessions showed significant improvement.”
Answer: CAN’T TELL. The passage tells us about patients who completed the full 12 weeks and those who attended fewer than 8 sessions. It says nothing specific about those who attended exactly 8 sessions.

Statement 3: “All patients who attended fewer than 8 sessions showed no improvement whatsoever.”
Answer: FALSE. The passage says they showed ‘minimal improvement’ — not zero improvement. ‘No improvement whatsoever’ contradicts ‘minimal improvement’.

Common Can’t Tell Indicators

• The statement asks about a specific subgroup not mentioned in the passage
• The statement attributes causation when the passage only shows correlation
• The statement makes a comparison when the passage only discusses one side
• The statement includes a timeframe or number not specified in the passage
• The statement makes a prediction about the future when the passage discusses the past