OLSAT Level B cheat sheet

Verbal analogies follow the form A : B :: C : ?; identify the single relationship in the first pair (category, function, part-to-whole, opposite, degree) and apply exactly that relationship to C.

Opposite (antonym) items: check the part of speech and the intensity of the stem word; the correct answer is the same part of speech with the most directly contrary meaning, not merely a word in a different topic.

Sentence completion: cover the choices, read the whole sentence, predict a word from context clues such as 'because', 'although', 'but', and 'instead', then match your prediction to the closest option.

Classification (odd-one-out) items: sort the five words into the largest group sharing a category; the leftover word is the answer, and the shared trait must exclude it on every reading.

Verbal classification often turns on word class or usage - noun vs. verb, living vs. nonliving, tool vs. material - so test the category before testing the meaning.

Following oral directions: retain the order of steps and the spatial or sequential words (before, after, first, last, between); the answer must satisfy every clause simultaneously.

Contextual vocabulary: infer an unfamiliar word from the surrounding sentence's cause-effect or contrast signal rather than from sound-alike associations.

Verbal analogies can be reversed: if no option fits A→B, test B→A and look for the option that fits C in the reversed direction.

Pattern completion: identify the repeating unit (ABAB, AABB, ABCABC) and extend it; the answer must continue the unit, not just resemble the last figure.

Series/figure sequencing: track one attribute at a time - size, number of elements, rotation, shading, position - and confirm each rule holds across all given figures.

Analogies with figures use the same logic as word analogies: the transformation from figure 1 to figure 2 is applied unchanged to figure 3.

Classification of figures: find the attribute shared by all but one figure (number of sides, symmetry, open vs. closed, filled vs. outline, curved vs. straight).

Spatial reasoning: folding, rotating, or combining shapes preserves size and shape; only orientation or position changes, so reject options that alter proportions.

Mirror and rotation items: a 90° turn changes left-right and up-down orientation, while a mirror flip reverses one axis only; distinguish the two before choosing.

Quantitative-figure items: count corners, sides, or enclosed regions; a consistent count difference between figures is a rule, and the answer must restore the pattern.

Paper-folding and hole-punch items: a fold doubles the holes, and unfolding mirrors each hole across the fold line, so the answer shows a symmetric arrangement.