NY Court Officer cheat sheet

The main idea answers 'what is the passage mostly about'; every supporting detail must relate back to it.

A valid inference is forced by the text; a statement that is merely plausible but unstated is not a supported inference.

Transition words signal relationships: however/although = contrast, therefore/thus = cause-effect, moreover/also = addition, for example = illustration.

Active voice places the actor before the action ('The officer wrote the report'); passive voice reverses that order and hides the actor.

Subject-verb agreement is determined by the true subject, not by a phrase between subject and verb: 'The box of files is' not 'are'.

A pronoun must match its nearest logical antecedent in number and gender; ambiguous reference requires rewording.

Each paragraph carries one controlling idea; a sentence that does not support the topic sentence breaks paragraph unity.

Facts can be verified; opinions contain judgment terms such as should, best, too, or unfair.

Tone questions are answered from word choice alone, not from the reader's own reaction to the subject.

Percent of a number: part = whole × rate, with the rate written as a decimal (15% of 80 = 0.15 × 80 = 12).

Average = sum ÷ count; rearrange as sum = average × count when the total is missing.

Percent change = (new − old) ÷ old × 100; a decrease produces a negative result.

In a ratio a:b, the whole is divided into a + b equal parts, and each part = total ÷ (a + b).

Distance = rate × time; rearrange to rate = distance ÷ time and time = distance ÷ rate.

Order of operations: parentheses, exponents, multiplication/division left to right, addition/subtraction left to right.

A unit rate is the amount per single unit, found by dividing the quantity by the number of units.

To divide by a fraction, multiply by its reciprocal; to multiply fractions, multiply numerators and denominators separately.

When rounding, look only at the single digit immediately to the right of the target place; 5 or more rounds up.

From 'if P then Q' the valid inference is the contrapositive 'if not Q then not P'; the converse 'if Q then P' is invalid.

A sufficient condition guarantees the outcome; a necessary condition must be present but does not guarantee it.

Chain rule: if all A are B and all B are C, then all A are C is valid; reversing the direction of the arrows is not.

'Either A or B' asserts at least one is true; exclusive 'or' asserts exactly one is true.

Validity concerns the form of the argument; premises may be false while the reasoning structure remains valid.

To weaken an argument, show the evidence fails to link to the conclusion (alternative cause, unrepresentative sample); to strengthen, close that gap.

An unstated assumption is a premise the argument requires; if negating it destroys the conclusion, it is the assumption.

Number series: test differences first, then ratios, then alternating or squared patterns, then extend the discovered rule.

Analogy items require naming the exact relationship (part-to-whole, cause-effect, worker-tool) before matching options.

Rank priorities as safety of people first, then legal compliance and policy, then efficiency and convenience.

Act only within your authority; matters beyond it are referred up the chain of command without bypassing levels.

Reports record observable facts, times, and actions taken; conclusions about a person's motives or character are excluded.

Confidential information is shared only with those who need it to perform their duties.

De-escalation sequence: calm and lowered voice, maintained safe distance, uninterrupted listening, then clear lawful options.

Correct conduct by describing the specific behavior and its effect rather than labeling the person.

When an order is ambiguous in scope or intent, ask a clarifying question before acting.

In a dispute between two parties, separate them and gather each account independently before drawing conclusions.

Decisions are based on documented, verifiable evidence rather than on appearance, rumor, or first impressions.

Comparison is done character by character from left to right, not by scanning the whole entry at once.

A transposition error swaps two characters (4,517 recorded as 4,571); digit-by-digit comparison catches it.

Leading zeros in codes and numbers are significant and must be copied exactly.

Alphabetical filing follows 'nothing before something': Bell precedes Bella, and letter-by-letter order beats word-by-word.

Chronological filing orders by year, then month, then day, earliest first unless a rule specifies most recent first.

Cross-footing verifies a total by re-adding the same figures in a different direction or grouping.

Every entry is verified against the original source document before it is approved or filed.

Column totals and row totals must agree; a mismatch indicates a missing or duplicated entry.

Similar names and numbers are distinguished by full spelling, middle initials, and complete identifier digits.