OLSAT Level A flashcards
OLSAT Level A · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Synonym
- A word that means nearly the same as another word. In a synonym item, choose the answer closest in meaning to the stem word and keep the same part of speech.
- Antonym
- A word that means the opposite of another word. Antonym items work best with graded words such as hot, early, or brave, which have clear opposites.
- Context clue
- Information in the rest of the sentence that points to a word's meaning. When several choices fit grammatically, the one that keeps the whole sentence true is correct.
- Word association
- Grouping words by shared category, function, or setting. The answer belongs to the same group as the other three words in the item.
- Odd word out
- A classification item in which three words share one category and one does not. The three remaining words must fit a single stated category.
- Sentence completion
- An item with a blank to fill. The words around the blank fix its part of speech, so grammar alone can eliminate some choices before meaning is checked.
- Analogy relationship
- The link between the first pair of words, such as whole to part or tool to use. State it as a sentence, then apply the same sentence to the second pair.
- Part of speech match
- The rule that a synonym or antonym answer has the same grammatical role as the stem word: a verb pairs with a verb, a noun with a noun.
- Deduction
- A conclusion that must be true if the stated facts are true. In deduction items, only the given facts count, not real-world knowledge.
- Reversing all and some
- 'All A are B' cannot be reversed to 'all B are A'. 'Some A are B' can be reversed to 'some B are A' without changing its truth.
- Must be true
- An answer that holds in every arrangement allowed by the clues. A choice that holds in only one possible arrangement is merely possible, not required.
- Could be true
- An answer that holds in at least one arrangement allowed by the clues. It need not hold in every arrangement, unlike a must-be-true answer.
- Ordering clue
- A statement placing items in sequence, using words such as before, after, first, or next to. Each choice is tested against every clue.
- Valid inference
- A conclusion that follows from the passage without adding new information. An answer that introduces facts absent from the passage is incorrect.
- Cause and effect
- A link in which the cause comes first and is enough to produce the effect. A mere coincidence mentioned in the passage does not establish a cause.
- Viewer's frame
- The fixed reference for left and right in position puzzles: left and right mean the reader's left and right unless the text states otherwise.
- Picture analogy
- An item pairing two pictures by one change, such as an added part or a color shift. The same change is then applied to a third picture.
- Picture classification
- An item in which three pictures share a property, such as number of parts or living versus nonliving, and the fourth picture lacks it.
- Picture series
- A sequence of pictures that changes one attribute at a time. Identify which attribute changes, such as count or position, and its step size.
- Object and function
- A pairing of an object with its use or its user, such as a hammer with a carpenter. The functional link, not visual similarity, decides the answer.
- Picture as category
- The rule that a pictured object stands for its whole category. A picture of a dog represents all dogs, so another breed can still be the correct choice.
- Attribute counting
- Counting a fixed feature such as legs, wheels, or windows. Because the count is checkable, it reliably breaks ties between two plausible picture choices.
- Picture logic rule
- A rule about which pictures belong in a group, read only from the examples given. What the objects usually do in real life is irrelevant.
- One-attribute change
- The principle that a correct picture-series or analogy choice changes exactly the attribute named by the pattern and leaves the others unchanged.
- Rotation versus reflection
- A rotation turns a figure while keeping its orientation relative to the page. A reflection flips it, producing a mirror image that no rotation can match.
- Line symmetry
- A property of a figure that matches its mirror image across a line drawn through it. A figure with no such line has no line symmetry.
- Enclosed regions
- The count of separate closed areas inside a figure. A shape drawn inside another shape adds one enclosed region to the total.
- Shading alternation
- A figural-series rule in which filled and empty regions alternate, or in which one more region is filled at each step.
- Figural matrix
- A grid of figures in which one rule runs across rows and another runs down columns. The missing cell must satisfy both rules at once.
- Open versus closed figure
- A classification property: a closed figure encloses area with an unbroken outline, while an open figure has a gap in its outline.
- Rotation step
- The fixed angle a figure turns at each stage of a series, such as 90 degrees clockwise. Checking the step confirms or rejects a series choice.
- Straight versus curved
- A figural classification property based on whether a figure is built from straight line segments, curved lines, or a mix of both.