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In LNAT Section A, many questions ask you to identify what can be inferred from a passage. This is a precise skill — it is not about what you personally think, what seems plausible, or what you know from outside the passage. It is about what logically follows from the information given. Understanding exactly what an inference is, and how it differs from other related concepts, is essential for achieving a strong LNAT score.
An inference is a conclusion that is logically drawn from the available evidence. When you make an inference, you are reasoning from what is stated to what must be or is very likely to be true, even though it is not explicitly said.
Formal Definition: An inference is a statement that is not directly stated in the passage but which logically follows from the information that is stated.
Passage: "All tickets for the Saturday performance have been sold."
Valid inference: At least one person has purchased a ticket for the Saturday performance.
Invalid inference: The Saturday performance is the most popular show of the week.
The first inference logically follows — if all tickets are sold, then at least one person must have bought one. The second goes beyond the evidence — we are told nothing about other performances, so we cannot compare.
Students frequently confuse inferences and assumptions. They are related but distinct:
| Concept | Direction of reasoning | Role in argument |
|---|---|---|
| Inference | From premises → to a new conclusion | Something you draw from the argument |
| Assumption | Unstated premise → supports the conclusion | Something the argument depends on but does not state |
Argument: "Since the library is closed on Sundays, students must use other study spaces at weekends."
Inference: Students do not have access to the library on Sundays. (This follows directly from the stated information.)
Assumption: Students want to study at weekends. (This is not stated but must be true for the conclusion to follow.)
The inference is drawn from the passage. The assumption is something the passage takes for granted.
LNAT Tip: When a question asks "Which of the following can be inferred?", you are being asked what follows from the passage — not what the passage assumes.
A valid inference is one that must be true, or is very likely to be true, given the information in the passage. An invalid inference goes beyond the evidence — it may seem reasonable, but it is not supported by what is actually stated.
If yes, the inference is not valid. If no, it is valid.
Passage: "The new policy requires all employees to complete a cybersecurity training module by the end of March. Employees who fail to complete the training will have their network access suspended."
Inference A: Some employees have not yet completed the training. — Valid. If there were no such employees, there would be no need for a deadline or a penalty.
Inference B: Most employees consider the training unnecessary. — Invalid. The passage says nothing about employees' opinions. The existence of a requirement does not imply resistance.
Inference C: Network access is important for employees' ability to do their work. — Valid (strong). The fact that suspending network access is used as a penalty implies it matters to employees' work. Otherwise, it would not function as a deterrent.
Inference D: The policy was introduced because of a recent cybersecurity breach. — Invalid. This is a plausible speculation, but nothing in the passage states or implies a breach. The policy could have been introduced for many reasons.
Not all inferences are equally strong. Think of inferences on a spectrum:
| Strength | Description | LNAT relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Certain | Must be true given the passage | Always a valid inference |
| Very likely | Almost certainly true given the passage | Usually a valid inference |
| Probable | More likely true than false | May or may not be accepted — depends on the question |
| Possible | Could be true but could equally be false | Usually NOT a valid inference |
| Speculative | Goes well beyond the passage | Never a valid inference |
LNAT Tip: The LNAT generally tests whether something is at least "very likely" to follow from the passage. If an inference is merely "possible", it is almost certainly a wrong answer.
Adding information from your own knowledge or making assumptions not supported by the passage.
Passage says: "Funding for the arts has been reduced by 15%." Invalid inference: "The government does not value the arts." — This is an interpretation, not a logical inference.
If the passage directly states something, it is not an inference — it is a stated fact. The question is asking for something that follows from the text, not something in the text.
An answer may be something you know to be true from general knowledge, but if the passage does not provide evidence for it, it is not a valid inference from the passage.
When approaching LNAT inference questions, use this framework:
Passage: "The university's new admissions policy gives additional consideration to applicants from postcodes with historically low rates of university attendance. The policy does not lower academic entry requirements."
Which of the following can be inferred?
A. The university believes academic standards are being eroded. B. Applicants from disadvantaged areas currently attend the university at lower rates than others. C. The policy will lead to an increase in the number of students from disadvantaged postcodes. D. The university is legally required to implement such a policy.
Answer: B. The policy targets postcodes with "historically low rates of university attendance" and gives those applicants "additional consideration". This implies that the university is trying to address an existing imbalance — meaning that these areas are currently underrepresented. Option A contradicts the passage (requirements are not lowered). Option C is a plausible outcome but not guaranteed by the policy. Option D is not stated or implied.
An inference is a conclusion that logically follows from the information given in a passage. Valid inferences are strongly supported by the text; invalid inferences go beyond what the text supports. Inferences differ from assumptions — you draw inferences from the passage, while assumptions are what the passage takes for granted. On the LNAT, test each answer option by asking whether it must be (or very likely is) true given the passage, and avoid adding outside knowledge or over-interpreting.