NSW OC Test cheat sheet

Main idea: the correct answer covers the whole passage, not one vivid detail; a detail-only option is a distractor.

Inference rule: an answer must be forced by the text; if it needs outside knowledge or a guess, reject it.

Vocabulary in context: substitute each option into the sentence and keep only the one that preserves the surrounding logic.

Tone words pair with evidence: sarcastic, nostalgic, cautious, indignant - each needs a matching phrase from the passage.

Author's purpose options are usually persuade, inform, entertain, or explain; match the verb to the text's dominant function.

Sequence questions: anchor on time markers (first, after, meanwhile, by then) and rebuild the order before reading options.

Figurative language: simile uses like/as, metaphor states one thing is another, personification gives human traits to non-human things.

Two-part questions: the evidence quotation must directly support the chosen answer; a true quotation that supports a different claim is wrong.

Perimeter of a rectangle = 2(l + w); area = l × w; for a triangle, area = ½ × base × height.

Speed, distance, time: d = s × t, so t = d ÷ s and s = d ÷ t; keep units consistent before calculating.

Percentage change = (new − old) ÷ old × 100; a 20% rise then 20% fall leaves 96% of the original, not 100%.

Fractions: a/b of N = (N ÷ b) × a; to compare fractions, convert to a common denominator or to decimals.

Average (mean) = total ÷ count, so total = mean × count; the median is the middle value once data is ordered.

Number patterns: check differences first, then ratios; alternating patterns often split into odd-position and even-position sequences.

Angles: angles on a straight line sum to 180°, angles at a point sum to 360°, and interior angles of a triangle sum to 180°.

Ratio sharing: total parts = sum of ratio numbers; one part = total ÷ total parts, then multiply by each ratio number.

Working backwards: undo the last operation first, inverting each step (+ ↔ −, × ↔ ÷) to recover the starting value.

Deduction rule: if A implies B and B implies C, then A implies C; the reverse (C implies A) is not valid.

Contrapositive is equivalent: 'if P then Q' equals 'if not Q then not P'; 'if not P then not Q' is not equivalent.

Syllogism check: 'all X are Y' plus 'all Y are Z' gives 'all X are Z'; 'some' statements do not chain the same way.

Correlation is not causation: an observed link between two variables never proves one causes the other.

Analogy items: state the relationship in words (part-to-whole, cause-to-effect, worker-to-tool) before choosing an option.

Odd-one-out: test each candidate against a single rule (category, function, letter position, symmetry) and keep the rule that excludes exactly one item.

Seating and ordering puzzles: draw a line or grid, place the most constrained item first, then apply each clue once.

Necessary vs sufficient: a necessary condition must hold but may not be enough; a sufficient condition guarantees the outcome.

Strengthen/weaken: the strongest option attacks or supports the link between evidence and conclusion, not the conclusion's wording.

Persuasive structure: position stated in the opening, three developed reasons with evidence, a counter-argument answered, then a conclusion.

Paragraph unity rule: one controlling idea per paragraph; a sentence that does not support it belongs elsewhere or is cut.

Topic sentence comes first and names the paragraph's claim; the closing sentence links back to the overall position.

Cohesion devices: pronouns, synonyms, and connectives (however, therefore, moreover) replace repeated nouns and signal logic.

Sentence variety: mix simple, compound, and complex sentences; a complex sentence uses a subordinating word such as although, because, while.

Punctuation: a comma splice (two full sentences joined by a comma) is an error; use a full stop, semicolon, or conjunction.

Show, don't tell: replace an abstract label with concrete action or sensory detail, e.g. 'hands shaking' for 'nervous'.

Formal register: avoid contractions, slang, and second-person 'you' in an argument essay; prefer precise verbs over intensifiers.

Editing pass targets: subject–verb agreement, tense consistency, and ambiguous pronouns (it, they, this) with unclear referents.