CASAS STEPS Reading Test (Part 4): How to Answer Inference Questions in Memos

How to Answer Inference Questions in Memos

Welcome back to our series on mastering the CASAS STEPS Reading Test. In Part 2, we looked at workplace emails, and in Part 3, we tackled opinion articles. Today, we are focusing on a critical workplace document type related to emails but with distinct differences: these are inference questions in memos.

Memos (memorandums) are official internal communications. Unlike emails, which can be informal, memos usually announce policy changes, procedures, or official directives. For advanced students aiming for **Level D and E mastery**, the challenge isn’t just understanding *what* the new rule is, but inferring *why* it was implemented and what the implied consequences are. This requires decoding “corporate speak” and understanding organizational hierarchies, skills emphasized in modern business communication resources like Lynn Gaertner-Johnston’s Better Writing at Work.

In This Lesson:

• Practice Case Study: The Policy Change
• Answer Key: Decoding the Implied Problem
• Advanced Strategy: Reading Corporate Euphemisms

The Corporate Challenge

Read the following internal memorandum sent from a Human Resources department to all staff to see an example of inference questions in memos.

The Question: Based on the memo, what can be **inferred** about the current state of expense reporting at the company?

A. The accounting department is currently understaffed and cannot process physical receipts.

B. The CFO has recently taken a direct interest in managing daily travel meal plans.

C. Some managers have been inconsistently allowing staff to exceed spending limits.

D. The new digital system is expected to increase the overall cost of business travel.

Detailed Analysis

Why Option C is Correct

To answer inference questions in memos, you must look at the *corrective action* to determine the *original problem*. The memo explicitly states that “managers will no longer hold the authority to override the $50 per diem meal cap.” The inference here is clear: Why take away authority unless it was being used too freely? If managers were currently enforcing the cap strictly, this new rule wouldn’t be necessary. The phrase “standardize reporting” also implies that the current situation is unstandardized, or inconsistent.

Why Other Options Fail

• Option A (Invented Information): The memo mentions a new digital requirement, but it does not suggest accounting is understaffed. This is an assumption not supported by the text.
• Option B (Misinterpreting Hierarchy): The CFO needs to authorize exceptions, but that doesn’t mean they are interested in managing “daily meal plans.” Their role is high-level fiscal control, not daily management.
• Option D (Opposite Intent): The stated goal is “fiscal responsibility,” which implies saving money or controlling costs, not increasing the overall cost of travel.

Advanced Strategy: Corporate Euphemisms

Memos rarely state problems bluntly. Instead, they use professional euphemisms. Success on the CASAS STEPS Reading Test often depends on translating these phrases to understand the real situation.

In this practice about inference questions in memos, look at the phrase “ensure fiscal responsibility.” In a corporate context, this is often code for “too much money is being spent unnecessarily.” Similarly, “standardize reporting” is often a polite way of saying “some departments are breaking the rules, and we need to stop it.” When you see phrases that emphasize standardization or fairness in a new policy memo, the safe inference is that the previous system was chaotic or unfair.

Teacher’s Strategy: The Power Dynamics Check

When teaching the use of inference questions in memos, focus on “Power Dynamics.” Ask your students: Who is removing power from whom? In this example, HR and the CFO are removing power from middle managers. Why happens when power is removed? Usually, it’s because that power was being misused. Identifying these shifts in authority is a key strategy for answering higher-level inference questions.

Complete Your Inference Training

You have mastered narratives, emails, opinion pieces, and now inference questions in memos. You are ready to tackle the most difficult reading tasks on the CASAS series.

View the Comprehensive Reading Guide to see more examples of the use of inference questions in memos.