Be aware of what an inference is. Know that an inference is a conclusion that is drawn based on clues, reasoning and prior knowledge. In short, an inference is an educated guess.
Familiarize yourself with samples of inference questions. These questions often appear in a particular manner so as to encourage higher-level thinking. Being aware of the format of these types of questions will enable you to know how to approach the answers. Inference questions often begin with the words "why" or "how," but they can also ask you to make a prediction based on what you've read, or may ask you to state the main idea of a passage.
Draw conclusions based on what you have read and based on your background knowledge. For example, if an inference question asks "How do you think the main character felt?" Reread the passage and pay attention to any hints that indicate the character's feelings, and to the events that happen in the passage. Relate the indications to feelings and the events that happen to your own personal experience, or how you would feel in a similar situation, and draw your conclusions.
Re-read the answer to ensure it makes sense. If the test is multiple choice, read the answers and select the one that makes the most sense, or that you feel best answers the question based on the clues given in the text and your own knowledge. If the test is an essay, include information from the text that supports your answer.