NGAT key terms

A word that has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word, such as 'begin' and 'commence'. Verbal questions often ask you to pick the answer closest in meaning to a given word.

A word with the opposite meaning to another word, such as 'expand' and 'contract'. Antonym questions test whether you can identify contrast rather than similarity between word meanings.

The emotional or evaluative shade a word carries beyond its literal meaning, such as the negative tone of 'stubborn' versus the neutral 'firm'. Choosing between near-synonyms often depends on this shade.

The literal, dictionary meaning of a word, independent of any emotional associations. Distinguishing it from connotation helps when two answer choices look similar but differ in tone.

A relationship between two pairs of words that follows the same pattern, such as 'bird is to nest as bee is to hive'. You must name the link in the first pair and apply it to the second.

A short sentence that states the link between the words of a given pair, for example 'A surgeon works in a hospital'. Testing each option against this sentence reveals which pair matches the relationship.

The category of connection between paired words, such as part-to-whole, cause-to-effect, worker-to-tool, or degree of intensity. Identifying the category before reading options prevents being misled by surface meaning.

Whether a word pair runs in the same direction (both positive or both negative) or in opposite directions. Matching the polarity of the stem pair eliminates options that reverse the relationship.

A conclusion drawn from stated evidence rather than stated outright. Reading questions ask which option must be true given the passage, so the answer must follow necessarily, not just plausibly.

An unstated idea the argument depends on for its conclusion to follow. An assumption question asks for the missing link that, if false, would make the reasoning collapse.

A stated reason or piece of evidence offered in support of a conclusion. Locating premises, often flagged by words like 'because' or 'since', is the first step in analysing any argument.

The main claim an argument tries to establish, usually signalled by words such as 'therefore' or 'so'. Everything else in the passage exists to support it.

The author's attitude toward the subject, such as critical, neutral, or enthusiastic. Tone questions require you to read word choice and emphasis, not just factual content.

The central point a passage is built to convey, broader than any single detail. A correct main-idea answer covers the whole passage without adding claims the text never makes.

A comparison of two quantities by division, such as 3:5 or 3/5. Ratio problems often require scaling both parts together while keeping their relationship fixed.

An equation stating that two ratios are equal, such as 3/4 = x/12. Solving it by cross-multiplication gives the unknown value while preserving the relationship.

The difference between a new and original value, divided by the original value and expressed as a percent. A rise from 50 to 60 is a 20 percent increase, not a 10 percent one.

The arithmetic difference between two percentages, as when a rate moves from 20 percent to 25 percent, a change of five points but a 25 percent relative increase. Confusing the two is a common trap.

A quantity compared to another quantity with different units, such as kilometres per hour or cost per item. Rate problems usually combine a rate with a time or quantity to find a total.

Total distance travelled divided by total time taken, not the simple mean of the speeds used. A trip at two different speeds over equal distances has an average below the arithmetic midpoint.

A mean in which each value contributes in proportion to its weight or frequency, rather than equally. It is computed by dividing the sum of value-times-weight products by the total weight.

The arithmetic average, found by adding all values and dividing by how many there are. It is sensitive to extreme values, which can pull it far from the median.

The middle value when data are arranged in order, or the mean of the two middle values if the count is even. It resists distortion by outliers better than the mean does.

The value that appears most often in a data set. A set can have one mode, several modes, or none if every value occurs equally often.

A shortcut for solving proportions in which you multiply the numerator of one fraction by the denominator of the other. It converts a/b = c/d into ad = bc.

An ordered list of numbers generated by a rule, such as adding a constant or multiplying by a factor. Number-series questions ask you to find the rule and predict the next term.

A sequence in which each term changes by a fixed amount called the common difference, as in 4, 7, 10, 13. The gap between consecutive terms stays constant.

The constant amount added or subtracted between consecutive terms of an arithmetic sequence. Finding it is the first step in extending or repairing a broken series.

A sequence in which each term is multiplied by a fixed factor to produce the next, as in 2, 6, 18, 54. Growth is multiplicative rather than additive, so gaps widen quickly.

A turn of a shape about a fixed point through a given angle, such as 90 degrees clockwise. The shape keeps its size and form, but its orientation changes.

A mirror image of a shape across a line, flipping it left to right or top to bottom. The shape is congruent to the original but its orientation is reversed.

A slide of a shape in a straight line without turning or flipping it. Every point moves the same distance in the same direction, so orientation is preserved.

A line that divides a figure into two halves that are exact mirror images. A square has four such lines; an irregular shape may have none.

The property of a figure that looks unchanged after being turned by less than a full circle. The order of symmetry counts how many such turns fit into 360 degrees.

A flat arrangement of faces that folds into a three-dimensional solid. Spatial questions ask which net produces a given cube or box, or which faces end up opposite each other.

The view of an object seen from directly above, showing its footprint. It is often paired with front and side views to describe a solid completely.

The flat shape revealed when a solid is sliced by a plane. A horizontal cut through a cylinder gives a circle, while a vertical cut gives a rectangle.

Imagining how a flat pattern or sheet bends into a solid, or how a folded sheet looks when reopened. It is the core skill behind net and paper-folding questions.

The ability to rotate, assemble, and track objects in your mind without seeing them move. It underlies questions on folded shapes, rotated blocks, and hidden faces.

A deductive argument with two premises leading to a conclusion, such as 'All A are B; all B are C; therefore all A are C'. Validity depends on form, not on whether the claims are true in reality.

The property of an argument whose conclusion must follow if its premises are true. A valid argument can still have false premises, so validity is about structure rather than truth.

A word such as 'all', 'some', or 'no' that states how much of a group a claim covers. Misreading 'some' as 'all' is a frequent source of error in deductive questions.

The logically equivalent form of a conditional obtained by negating and swapping both parts: 'If P then Q' becomes 'If not Q then not P'. It is always valid, unlike the converse.

The result of swapping the parts of a conditional, turning 'If P then Q' into 'If Q then P'. The converse is not automatically true and is a classic distractor in logic questions.

Something that must hold for a claim to be true, though it may not be enough on its own. Oxygen is necessary for fire, but its presence does not guarantee a fire.

Something whose presence guarantees a claim, though it may not be the only route to it. Being a citizen of a country is sufficient for being allowed to hold its passport.

Reaching a conclusion that must be true by applying strict rules to given statements. Unlike everyday reasoning, it ignores plausibility and relies only on what is stated.