EPSO AST/SC flashcards
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32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- According to the passage
- Question wording meaning the answer must be stated literally in the text. Outside knowledge and generally true statements are not acceptable evidence.
- Scope word
- A word such as all, only, never, some, or often that sets how strong a claim is. Strong options need strong textual support.
- Necessary condition
- A condition without which the conclusion cannot hold, signalled by 'only if'. Its absence defeats the argument even if other conditions are met.
- Sufficient condition
- A condition whose presence guarantees the outcome, signalled by 'if'. It does not follow that the outcome requires it.
- Correlation versus causation
- Two things occurring together does not prove one causes the other. An option asserting cause from co-occurrence alone is unsupported.
- Main idea
- The claim covering the whole passage, not a detail from one paragraph. Detail-based options are wrong however accurate.
- Author's tone
- The attitude revealed by evaluative words such as regrettably or admirably, rather than by the subject matter itself.
- Percentage change formula
- (new value − old value) / old value × 100. Always divide by the original value, not the new one.
- Percentage points
- The arithmetic difference between two percentages. Rising from 20% to 25% is 5 points but a 25% relative increase.
- Reverse percentage
- Recovering an original value after a change by dividing: a price of 92 after a 15% rise came from 92 / 1.15.
- Successive percentage changes
- Multiply the factors: +20% then −10% is 1.20 × 0.90 = 1.08, a net gain of 8%.
- Ratio share
- To split a total in ratio a:b:c, each share equals total × part / (a + b + c).
- Combined work rate
- Rates add: 1/t = 1/t₁ + 1/t₂. Workers taking 6 hours and 3 hours together finish in 2 hours.
- Average speed, equal distances
- Total distance divided by total time, which equals the harmonic mean 2xy/(x+y), not the arithmetic mean.
- Compound growth
- Final amount = initial × (1 + r)^n, where r is the rate per period and n the number of periods.
- Break-even units
- Fixed costs divided by the contribution per unit, that is price minus variable cost per unit.
- Rotation rule
- A figure turning by a fixed angle, commonly 45 or 90 degrees, each step, clockwise or anticlockwise, while other elements stay fixed.
- Alternating series
- A sequence where odd and even positions follow separate rules. Split the series and solve each sub-series independently.
- Superposition with cancellation
- An overlay rule where shapes appearing in both figures disappear and shapes in only one figure remain.
- Mirror versus rotation
- A mirrored figure cannot be obtained by rotating the original; check left-right orientation to distinguish them.
- Odd one out
- The figure lacking an attribute shared by all others, such as closed shape, curved lines, or even element count.
- Distractor element
- A shape that stays unchanged across the whole series and carries no rule; ignore it when deriving the pattern.
- Line intersection count
- The number of crossing points in a figure, which often follows its own arithmetic series independent of shape count.
- Symmetry axis count
- The number of lines dividing a figure into identical halves; used when shapes differ but symmetry changes systematically.
- Escalation trigger
- A situation exceeding your authority, involving ethics or fraud, or risking a legal deadline, which must be referred upward promptly.
- Proportionality
- Choosing the least intrusive action that still solves the problem, within the rules, rather than the most drastic option.
- Confidentiality breach
- Sharing information with people who do not need it for the task, including forwarding emails to wider distribution lists.
- Early warning
- Telling the manager and requester as soon as a deadline is at risk, with a revised plan and options, not at the deadline.
- Ownership of error
- Acknowledging a mistake, correcting it, and reporting it promptly. Concealment scores worse than the original error.
- Written record
- Putting decisions and instructions in writing when a record matters, such as conflicting priorities or compliance requests.
- Lawful alternative
- Explaining a rule to a stakeholder and offering a compliant route, rather than breaking the rule to satisfy them.
- Reprioritisation proposal
- When overloaded, presenting the manager with the impact on existing commitments and proposed order, instead of silently dropping work.