Skim all tabs in 60 seconds. For each question, identify the right tab(s). Separate stated facts from inferences. Cross-tab synthesis is where points are won.
Multi-Source Reasoning (MSR) presents 2-4 tabs of information — emails, memos, data tables, passages — and asks you to synthesize across all of them. You answer 3 questions per prompt. The skill: know which tab has the answer, and whether it's stated directly or must be inferred.
Directly in one of the tabs. No interpretation needed.
This is stated. You can quote it directly.
Not directly stated — must be derived from combining facts or logical implication.
Derived by calculation. Not stated explicitly.
"The company is in financial trouble." — This goes beyond what the text says. Never choose answers that add information not supported by any tab.
| Question Type | Strategy |
|---|---|
| Yes / No / Cannot Determine | Find the tab with relevant data. If data directly answers YES/NO → choose. If data is absent → Cannot Determine. |
| Must Be True | The answer must follow from what is explicitly stated or necessarily implied. One tab's evidence usually suffices. |
| Cannot Be True | Find a direct contradiction with a stated fact. Contradictions across tabs are common GMAT setups. |
| Calculation | Pull the numbers from the relevant tab(s), compute quickly, and pick the closest match. |
Skim first, then go directly to the relevant tab. Rereading all tabs for each question kills your time.
Choose this only when the tabs genuinely don't contain enough information — not when you're unsure.
Sometimes Tab 1 gives an estimate and Tab 2 gives actual data. The discrepancy itself may be the question.
Only infer what the tabs logically imply. Don't bring in outside knowledge about business, economics, or current events.
In a memo or email, the writer's view is opinion, not verified data. Don't treat assertions as proven facts.
Tabs often include time references. Data from Tab 1 (Jan 2023) and Tab 3 (Dec 2023) may be incompatible.
Must-be-true means it's impossible for the statement to be false given the tabs. High confidence is not enough.
$2.4M in Tab 1 and $2.4M in Tab 3 may refer to different things. Always check what each number represents.
MSR tabs can be long. A student who only reads the first paragraph may miss key qualifying information at the end.
Check WHICH tabs are needed for each question. Combining Tab 1 + Tab 3 when Tab 2 has the answer wastes time and introduces errors.
Tab 1 (Email): "Our Q3 operating costs exceeded the $2.4M budget by 12%."
Tab 2 (Data): Q3 Marketing spend = $320,000. Q3 Marketing budget = $336,000.
Question: Based on both tabs, what was the approximate total actual operating cost in Q3?
Tab 1 (Email): "Marketing spend came in 5% under budget."
Tab 2 (Data): Q3 Marketing spend = $320,000.
Question: Based on both tabs, what was the marketing budget?
Tab 1 (Email): "Supply chain disruption increased raw material costs by 28% compared to Q2."
Tab 2 (Table): Q2 raw material costs = $450,000.
Can we determine Q3 raw material costs?
Tab 1 (Memo): "All project deadlines must be approved by the Director before proceeding."
Tab 2 (Email from Director): "I approve deadlines for Projects A, B, and D only."
Based on both tabs, which of the following can be concluded?
Tab 3 (Research Note): "Company X's market share grew from 18% to 23% in 2023."
Statement: "Company X's absolute revenue grew in 2023." This statement:
Tab 1 (Survey Results): "72% of employees prefer remote work."
Tab 2 (Policy Memo): "Employees working remotely must log hours in the tracking system."
Tab 3 (IT Report): "Only 45% of employees have logged hours remotely this quarter."
The most logical inference combining all three tabs is:
Tab 1 (Budget): Department A budget = $500K, Department B = $300K.
Tab 2 (Actual Spend): Dept A = $480K, Dept B = $340K.
Which department had a larger percentage budget variance (over or under)?
Tab 1 (News): "TechCorp announced a merger with DataSoft, pending regulatory approval."
Tab 2 (Legal Filing): "The merger is subject to antitrust review, expected to conclude Q2 2024."
Statement: "The merger is complete." This is:
An MSR prompt has three tabs: a customer survey, a production report, and a financial statement. The question asks: "Did customer satisfaction improve while costs decreased?" The best approach is:
Tab 2 contains a table with columns for Year, Revenue ($M), and Profit ($M). In Year 3, Revenue = $80M and Profit = $12M. Which of the following can be determined directly from this tab?
Build a mental index of where each type of information lives. This saves time on every question.
Stated facts can be quoted directly. Inferences must follow necessarily — not just probably.
Questions requiring data from 2+ tabs are most common at higher difficulty. Practice combining facts.
Choose it when tabs genuinely lack sufficient data — not when you're uncertain.