ADF YOU Session key terms

A word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word in the same context, such as 'rapid' and 'swift', so that swapping one for the other does not change the sense.

A word that expresses the opposite meaning to another word, such as 'expand' and 'contract'; questions often ask which option is most nearly opposite to a word given in the stem.

A pair of words presented so that you identify the relationship between them and then find an option that repeats the same relationship, as in 'hot is to cold as up is to down'.

A conclusion drawn from evidence in a passage rather than stated outright; a sound inference must be supported by the text, not merely by what seems likely in real life.

An unstated idea that must be true for an argument to hold together; spotting it helps you judge whether the stated reasons really do support the conclusion offered.

The main claim an argument is trying to establish, usually signposted by words such as 'therefore' or 'so', and the statement the remaining sentences are meant to support.

A statement offered as a reason or piece of evidence inside an argument; premises are what the reader is asked to accept so that the conclusion can be drawn from them.

The central point a passage is written to convey, broad enough to cover all of its supporting details yet not so broad that it goes beyond what the text actually says.

A restatement of a sentence or passage in different words that keeps the original meaning intact; the correct answer in comprehension items is often a close paraphrase of the text.

A short chain of reasoning with two premises and a conclusion that must follow if both premises are accepted, for example all A are B, all B are C, so all A are C.

A comparison of two or more quantities showing how many times one contains another, written for example as 3:2, and scalable up or down without altering the relationship.

A statement that two ratios are equal, which lets an unknown value be found by cross-multiplying, for example 2/5 = x/20 gives x = 8.

A number expressed as a part of one hundred, used to compare quantities of different sizes and to work out increases, decreases and discounts.

A ratio comparing quantities measured in different units, such as kilometres per hour or dollars per litre, often used to predict a total amount over a period.

The sum of a set of values divided by how many values there are, giving one figure that represents the typical size of the group.

The middle value of a data set once the values are arranged in order from smallest to largest; with an even count it is the mean of the two middle values.

The value that appears most often in a set of data; a set may have one mode, several modes, or no mode at all if every value occurs only once.

The difference between the largest and the smallest value in a data set, giving a simple measure of how widely the data are spread out.

The general direction in which data move over time, such as rising, falling or holding steady, judged from a whole table or graph rather than from single points.

Changing a measurement into a different unit of the same kind, such as metres to centimetres, by multiplying or dividing by the correct factor.

Reaching an answer that is close enough for the purpose by rounding numbers to convenient values, usually to check whether a calculated answer is reasonable.

An ordered series of figures or numbers in which each item follows from the one before according to a consistent rule that you must work out.

A turn of a shape about a fixed point, described by its direction (clockwise or anticlockwise) and its amount (for example 90 degrees), with size left unchanged.

A mirror image of a shape flipped across a line; the shape keeps its size but its orientation reverses, so what was on the left appears on the right.

The property of a figure that looks unchanged when folded, turned or flipped in a particular way, such as having a line of symmetry straight down the middle.

A rule in which two different changes take turns from one figure to the next, so the series is best read as two separate sequences woven together.

Any change applied to a shape, such as sliding, turning, flipping or resizing it; naming which transformation links consecutive figures solves many sequence items.

A question type in which all but one option share a common feature; you must identify the shared rule and then select the option that breaks it.

A grid of figures arranged in rows and columns where the same rule applies across each row and each column, allowing a missing cell to be deduced.

The agreed sequence for evaluating an expression: brackets first, then powers, then multiplication and division from left to right, then addition and subtraction from left to right.

A number written as one whole number above another to show parts of a whole; the bottom number gives the total of equal parts and the top gives how many are taken.

A way of writing a number using place value based on tenths, hundredths and so on, with a decimal point separating whole units from parts of a unit.

The largest whole number that divides evenly into two or more given numbers, useful for simplifying fractions and for sharing quantities into equal groups.

The smallest number that is a multiple of two or more given numbers, commonly used to find a shared denominator when fractions are added or subtracted.

A statement that two expressions are equal, containing an unknown value that can be found by performing the same operation on both sides until it stands alone.

Replacing the letters in an algebraic expression with the numbers they stand for, then calculating the result by following the order of operations.

The total distance around the outside of a flat shape, found by adding together the lengths of all of its sides.

The amount of flat surface enclosed by a shape, measured in square units and calculated with formulas such as length multiplied by width for a rectangle.

The amount of space a solid occupies, measured in cubic units and found for prisms by multiplying the area of the base by the height.

A number between 0 and 1 expressing how likely an event is, worked out as the number of favourable outcomes divided by the total number of equally likely outcomes.

The distance travelled in each unit of time, found by dividing distance by time; rearranging the same relationship gives either the distance or the time taken.