Scio NSZ English flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

OSP verbal reasoning

A test section that asks candidates to read short passages and answer questions whose correct option follows strictly from the text, testing comprehension, inference, and vocabulary in context rather than outside knowledge.

Percentage change formula

Percentage change equals (new value minus old value) divided by old value, multiplied by 100. The denominator is always the original value, so a rise from 50 to 60 is a 20 percent increase.

Ratio to fraction

In a ratio a to b, the first quantity is a divided by (a plus b) of the total, and the second is b divided by (a plus b). This holds only when the ratio describes parts of one whole.

Average speed rule

Average speed equals total distance divided by total time, not the mean of the leg speeds. For equal distances travelled at speeds v1 and v2, average speed is 2v1v2 divided by (v1 plus v2).

Combined work rate

If worker A completes a job in a hours and worker B in b hours, their combined time is ab divided by (a plus b) hours, because their individual rates add when they work simultaneously.

Must be true versus could be true

In analytical reasoning, a 'must be true' statement holds in every arrangement satisfying all constraints, while a 'could be true' statement holds in at least one valid arrangement. Test each option against the full constraint set.

Independent events probability

For independent events A and B, the probability that both occur is P(A) times P(B). For mutually exclusive events, the probability that either occurs is the sum of their probabilities.

Data interpretation units

Before calculating from a table or graph, check the axis scales and stated units. Absolute change and percentage change can rank options differently, so confirm which the question asks for.

Guessing strategy

On standardized tests that do not penalize wrong answers, every item should be answered. Time-consuming items are best skipped and revisited so that easier questions are not left blank.

OSP test content

The Study Prerequisites Test generally measures general academic aptitude: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, analytical thinking, and data interpretation, rather than subject-specific factual knowledge from a school curriculum.

ZSV subject scope

Základy společenských věd is the Czech secondary-school social-sciences subject combining philosophy, psychology, sociology, political science, law, economics, and modern history, and it is a common university entrance-exam subject.

Plato's theory of Forms

Plato held that perceptible objects are imperfect copies of eternal, non-physical Ideas or Forms, and that genuine knowledge concerns the Forms rather than sensory appearances.

Aristotle's four causes

Aristotle explained change through four causes: the material (what it is made of), formal (its defining structure), efficient (what produces it), and final (its purpose or end).

Kant's categorical imperative

Kant's moral principle requires acting only on maxims that could be willed as universal laws, and treating humanity, whether in oneself or others, always as an end and never merely as a means.

Classical conditioning

Pavlov's classical conditioning pairs a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus until the neutral stimulus alone produces the response, which is then called a conditioned response.

Operant conditioning

Skinner's operant conditioning shapes voluntary behaviour through consequences: reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behaviour, while punishment decreases it. Schedules of reinforcement determine how often consequences are delivered.

Mechanical versus organic solidarity

Durkheim's mechanical solidarity binds traditional societies through shared beliefs and likeness, while organic solidarity binds modern societies through interdependence created by the division of labour.

Social fact

Durkheim defined social facts as ways of acting, thinking, and feeling external to individuals that exert constraint over them, such as legal rules, moral norms, and collective beliefs.

Separation of powers

Montesquieu argued that state authority should be divided among legislative, executive, and judicial branches so that no single body can exercise all power, protecting political liberty.

Unitary versus federal state

A unitary state concentrates sovereign power in one central government, while a federation constitutionally divides power between a central government and regional units that have their own competences.

Czech constitutional order

The Czech Constitution and the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms are the supreme legal documents. Statutes must conform to them, and the Constitutional Court may annul laws found unconstitutional.

Rule of law

The rule of law means that public power is exercised only on the basis of law, that law is applied equally and predictably, and that individuals have access to independent courts to challenge state action.

GDP definition

Gross domestic product is the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country's borders during a given period, usually a year or a quarter.

Inflation

Inflation is a sustained increase in the general price level, which reduces the purchasing power of money. It is commonly measured by the percentage change in a consumer price index.

Supply and demand

In a competitive market, quantity demanded falls as price rises and quantity supplied rises as price rises. Equilibrium occurs where the two quantities are equal, setting the market price.

Opportunity cost

Opportunity cost is the value of the best alternative forgone when a choice is made. It applies to individuals, firms, and governments, and underlies the idea that all choices involve trade-offs.

Treaty of Versailles

Signed in 1919, the Treaty of Versailles formally ended World War I between Germany and the Allied powers. It imposed territorial losses, military limits, and reparations on Germany.

Munich Agreement

The 1938 Munich Agreement, signed by Germany, Britain, France, and Italy, ceded the Czechoslovak Sudetenland to Germany. Czechoslovakia was not invited to the negotiations.

Cold War

The Cold War was the prolonged geopolitical rivalry between the United States and its allies and the Soviet Union and its allies after World War II, lasting until the early 1990s, marked by ideology, arms races, and proxy conflicts.

Czechoslovakia's Velvet Revolution

In late 1989, non-violent protests in Czechoslovakia led to the fall of the communist regime. Václav Havel became president, and the country began a transition to democracy and a market economy.

Political spectrum

The political spectrum is a way of classifying political positions, commonly along a left-right axis. The left typically emphasizes equality and state provision, while the right emphasizes liberty and market mechanisms.

Electoral systems

Proportional representation allocates seats roughly in proportion to votes received, while majoritarian systems elect a single representative per district. The choice affects party fragmentation and government formation.