Central Ideas: picking a true detail instead of the main point
Main-idea questions are lost to vivid details — the number, the anecdote, the striking phrase you actually remember.
Why it happens
Memory ranks by vividness, not by structural importance. So the choice you recognize is the one built from the most concrete sentence, which is exactly the sentence that was serving as an example.
See the trap
A paragraph argues that the tunnel project was mismanaged, citing a 14-month delay.
✗ The trap: "The project was delayed by 14 months." — the most memorable fact, offered as evidence.
✓ The fix: "The project suffered from poor management." — the claim the delay was cited to support.
How to actually fix it
- Ask which sentence the others exist to support. That one is the main idea.
- Treat any choice containing a specific number, name, or date with suspicion — details support, they rarely summarize.
- A main idea should cover the whole paragraph, not one sentence of it.
Made this mistake on a real question?
Practice Information and Ideas questions here. Miss one and it is logged with the exact error, then brought back until you beat it.
Practice Information and Ideas →FAQ
What if the main idea is not stated anywhere?
Then it is implied, and the answer will be a sentence that no single line of the passage matches — which is why matching words to the text is a poor strategy on this question type.
How do I stop repeating this mistake?
Reading the explanation isn't enough — your brain needs to beat the trap on a fresh question. Practice the skill in the kaoshen.co question bank: miss one and it is logged with the exact error, then brought back to you three days later and again after fourteen.