OLSAT Level G key terms

A word that means the same as, or very nearly the same as, another word. Recognising synonyms helps you match ideas across answer choices and confirm the relationship a question is testing.

A word that means the opposite of another word. Antonym questions test whether you can spot contrast, so watch for negative prefixes and for pairs sitting at opposite ends of a meaning.

Information in the surrounding sentence or paragraph that hints at a word's meaning. Contrast words, examples, and restatements are common clues that let you work out a word you do not know.

A task in which one or two words are missing from a sentence and you pick the option that fits both the grammar and the meaning signalled by the rest of the sentence.

A comparison built on a specific relationship between two pairs, read as A is to B as C is to D. Solving one means naming the link in the first pair, then finding the choice with the same link.

A question that gives a list of words and asks which one does not belong with the others. Success depends on finding a shared category that exactly all but one of the items fit.

A feature such as function, size, material, or part-whole membership that several items have in common. Naming the precise shared feature is what makes a classification answer defensible rather than a guess.

A conclusion you draw from evidence rather than from a statement made outright. On this test the best inference is the one most strongly supported and least dependent on personal opinion.

An unstated idea that must be true for an argument to work. Spotting assumptions lets you judge whether a conclusion really follows from the evidence that has been offered.

A statement offered as evidence or support inside an argument. Premises are the starting points you are asked to accept; the conclusion is what the arguer wants you to accept because of them.

The claim an argument is trying to establish. It is often signalled by words such as therefore, thus, or so, and it should follow from the premises that are given.

A form of reasoning with two premises and one conclusion, such as all A are B and all B are C, so all A are C. Validity depends on the form, not on whether the statements are factually true.

A statement, or pair of statements, that cannot both be true at the same time. Noticing a contradiction helps you eliminate answer choices that conflict with information given in the passage or problem.

The arrangement of steps, events, or sentences so that each one follows sensibly from the one before. Time words, cause-and-effect links, and a general-to-specific flow are the usual signals.

A picture-based comparison in which the relationship between two images must be repeated with a third image. The link might involve size, number, colour, position, or function.

A set of pictures in which all but one share a common feature. You must identify the attribute uniting most of the images and then pick the picture that lacks it.

Arranging pictures into the order in which the events or changes would naturally happen. Look for growth, decay, accumulation, or a repeated cycle to fix the direction of the sequence.

A line of drawings that changes according to a rule, with one drawing missing or to be predicted. The rule may involve rotation, added parts, shading, or alternating changes.

A grid of figures in which each row and column follows a consistent rule and one cell is blank. You solve it by finding the rule shared across rows and checking it against the columns.

Turning a figure around a fixed point by a set angle. The shape keeps its size and handedness; only its orientation changes, which is how a rotated figure differs from a reflected one.

Flipping a figure over a line so that it becomes a mirror image. Handedness reverses, so a reflection cannot be produced by rotation alone, a distinction that decides many figural answer choices.

Sliding a figure to a new position without turning or flipping it. Size, orientation, and internal arrangement all stay identical, so only the location on the page changes.

Placing two or more figures on top of one another so their parts combine into a single image. The result often shows the union of the parts, the overlap, or the parts that cancel out.

A property of a figure that can be split into matching halves by a line, or that looks unchanged after a turn. Lines of symmetry and rotational symmetry are frequent clues in figural questions.

Mentally moving, folding, or assembling shapes to see how they would look. It lets you predict the result of a transformation without physically redrawing the figure.

A list of numbers that follows a rule, with the next or missing term to be found. Check differences, ratios, alternating patterns, and squares or primes before choosing an answer.

A series in which the same amount is added or subtracted at each step, such as 4, 7, 10, 13. The constant difference is the signature to look for.

A series in which each term is multiplied or divided by the same factor, such as 3, 6, 12, 24. The constant multiplier is what distinguishes it from an arithmetic series.

A comparison of two quantities by division, telling how many times one amount contains another. Ratios scale up or down together, which is the basis for many word problems.

An equation stating that two ratios are equal. Setting up a proportion lets you solve for an unknown quantity when the relationship between the quantities stays fixed.

The sum of a set of values divided by how many values there are. Knowing the average and the count lets you recover the total, which is often the key step in a problem.

A whole number greater than one whose only positive divisors are one and itself, such as 2, 3, 5, 7, or 11. Recognising primes helps in series and factor questions.

A question that asks you to compare two quantities and decide which is greater, which is smaller, whether they are equal, or whether too little information is given to tell.

Details in a problem that are not needed to reach the answer. Part of the skill is deciding which numbers and facts actually affect the calculation and which can be set aside.

Finding an answer that is close enough by rounding or approximating instead of computing exactly. It is useful for quickly eliminating answer choices that are clearly far off.