OLSAT cheat sheet

Antonym items ask for the opposite meaning; the correct choice must be opposite in the same sense of the word (e.g., 'light' as weight, not brightness).

Eliminate answer choices that are merely unrelated to the prompt word; unrelated is not the same as opposite.

Watch for graded opposites: hot/cold is a true antonym pair, while hot/warm differs only in degree and is usually a distractor.

Sentence completion: read the whole sentence first, predict a word for the blank, then match your prediction to the choices.

Signal words steer the blank: 'but', 'although', 'however', 'yet' reverse meaning; 'because', 'since', 'and' keep meaning going the same way.

Two-blank sentence completion requires both words to fit; a choice that fits one blank but not the other is wrong.

Sentence arrangement: find the opening sentence - it usually introduces a full name or noun with no pronoun or connecting word.

Pronouns and demonstratives (he, she, it, this, these) must follow the noun they refer to, so they mark later sentences, not the first.

Chronology and cause-before-effect order govern many sequences: an action precedes its result, and a problem precedes its solution.

Analogy format is A is to B as C is to ?; state the A–B relationship in a single precise sentence before looking at choices.

Common analogy relations: synonym, antonym, part-to-whole, category-to-member, tool-to-user, cause-to-effect, function, degree.

Check relation direction: if A is a type of B, the answer must be a type of C, not C as a type of the answer.

Classification (odd one out): name the shared category of three items, and the fourth item must fail that category for a specific reason.

Classification traps include three items of one category plus one item that is a different part of speech or a different level of generality.

Following directions items require executing steps exactly in order; re-read the rule after each step rather than holding all steps in memory.

In following-directions questions, note words that change scope: 'all', 'each', 'only', 'except', 'not', and 'every other'.

When a direction says 'if…then', treat the condition as a gate: the action applies only when the condition is satisfied.

Picture analogies use the same relations as word analogies but shown with images: size change, color change, addition, removal, rotation, or category shift.

Describe the first pair aloud in one sentence ('the big shape becomes small'), then apply that exact sentence to the third picture.

Picture classification: three pictures share a visible attribute (shape, color, count, orientation, filled vs. outline); the odd one lacks it.

Do not accept a classification rule that also excludes one of the three shared pictures - the rule must fit all three.

Picture series: track one attribute at a time across the row - number of items, size, color, position, or rotation - before combining them.

Series often alternate two patterns (A-B-A-B), so check whether odd positions and even positions follow separate rules.

Count-based series change by a constant step (+1, +2, −1); verify the step on every adjacent pair, not just the first two.

Position series move clockwise, counterclockwise, or bounce between ends; identify which before predicting the next frame.

Figural analogies: identify the transformation between the first two figures (rotation, reflection, shading, size, added or removed element) and apply it to the third.

Rotation preserves the figure's handedness; reflection reverses it - check which one occurred by comparing a distinctive corner or notch.

Common transformations: 90°/180° rotation, mirror flip, fill change (solid to outline), shrink/enlarge, element added or deleted, position shift.

Figural classification: the shared rule must be a transformation-invariant property such as number of sides, symmetry, number of enclosed regions, or presence of parallel lines.

Reject rules based on overall appearance alone; test a candidate rule against every figure in the set.

Figural series: measure the change per step - degrees rotated, elements added, lines added - and confirm it is constant.

Two-rule series are common: one rule governs shape and another governs shading or position, and both advance each step.

When figures alternate, split the sequence into odd and even positions and derive a separate rule for each.

Number analogies: find the operation linking the first pair (add k, multiply by k, square, double plus one) and apply the same operation to the third number.

Verify the operation on the pair before applying it; a rule that fits one example may not be the intended rule if a simpler one fits.

Number series: compute consecutive differences first; a constant difference means arithmetic, a constant ratio means geometric.

If differences are not constant, check second differences (they are constant in quadratic-style series such as 2, 5, 10, 17, 26 with steps 3, 5, 7, 9).

Alternating series use two interleaved rules; separate odd-position and even-position terms before predicting.

Number classification: three numbers share a property (all even, all prime, all perfect squares, all multiples of 7, all with digit sum 9) and the fourth does not.

Numeric inference: translate the stated relationship into an equation or inequality, then solve - e.g., 'n is 3 more than twice m' becomes n = 2m + 3.

Check the answer against the original wording, especially for 'more than' versus 'times as many', which are frequently confused.

Estimate before computing: the answer choices usually differ enough that rounding exposes the correct choice and catches arithmetic slips.

Antonym items ask for the opposite meaning; the correct choice must be opposite in the same sense of the word (e.g., 'light' as weight, not brightness).

Eliminate answer choices that are merely unrelated to the prompt word; unrelated is not the same as opposite.

Watch for graded opposites: hot/cold is a true antonym pair, while hot/warm differs only in degree and is usually a distractor.

Sentence completion: read the whole sentence first, predict a word for the blank, then match your prediction to the choices.

Signal words steer the blank: 'but', 'although', 'however', 'yet' reverse meaning; 'because', 'since', 'and' keep meaning going the same way.

Two-blank sentence completion requires both words to fit; a choice that fits one blank but not the other is wrong.

Sentence arrangement: find the opening sentence - it usually introduces a full name or noun with no pronoun or connecting word.

Pronouns and demonstratives (he, she, it, this, these) must follow the noun they refer to, so they mark later sentences, not the first.

Chronology and cause-before-effect order govern many sequences: an action precedes its result, and a problem precedes its solution.

Analogy format is A is to B as C is to ?; state the A–B relationship in a single precise sentence before looking at choices.

Common analogy relations: synonym, antonym, part-to-whole, category-to-member, tool-to-user, cause-to-effect, function, degree.

Check relation direction: if A is a type of B, the answer must be a type of C, not C as a type of the answer.

Classification (odd one out): name the shared category of three items, and the fourth item must fail that category for a specific reason.

Classification traps include three items of one category plus one item that is a different part of speech or a different level of generality.

Following directions items require executing steps exactly in order; re-read the rule after each step rather than holding all steps in memory.

In following-directions questions, note words that change scope: 'all', 'each', 'only', 'except', 'not', and 'every other'.

When a direction says 'if…then', treat the condition as a gate: the action applies only when the condition is satisfied.

Picture analogies use the same relations as word analogies but shown with images: size change, color change, addition, removal, rotation, or category shift.

Describe the first pair aloud in one sentence ('the big shape becomes small'), then apply that exact sentence to the third picture.

Picture classification: three pictures share a visible attribute (shape, color, count, orientation, filled vs. outline); the odd one lacks it.

Do not accept a classification rule that also excludes one of the three shared pictures - the rule must fit all three.

Picture series: track one attribute at a time across the row - number of items, size, color, position, or rotation - before combining them.

Series often alternate two patterns (A-B-A-B), so check whether odd positions and even positions follow separate rules.

Count-based series change by a constant step (+1, +2, −1); verify the step on every adjacent pair, not just the first two.

Position series move clockwise, counterclockwise, or bounce between ends; identify which before predicting the next frame.

Figural analogies: identify the transformation between the first two figures (rotation, reflection, shading, size, added or removed element) and apply it to the third.

Rotation preserves the figure's handedness; reflection reverses it - check which one occurred by comparing a distinctive corner or notch.

Common transformations: 90°/180° rotation, mirror flip, fill change (solid to outline), shrink/enlarge, element added or deleted, position shift.

Figural classification: the shared rule must be a transformation-invariant property such as number of sides, symmetry, number of enclosed regions, or presence of parallel lines.

Reject rules based on overall appearance alone; test a candidate rule against every figure in the set.

Figural series: measure the change per step - degrees rotated, elements added, lines added - and confirm it is constant.

Two-rule series are common: one rule governs shape and another governs shading or position, and both advance each step.

When figures alternate, split the sequence into odd and even positions and derive a separate rule for each.

Number analogies: find the operation linking the first pair (add k, multiply by k, square, double plus one) and apply the same operation to the third number.

Verify the operation on the pair before applying it; a rule that fits one example may not be the intended rule if a simpler one fits.

Number series: compute consecutive differences first; a constant difference means arithmetic, a constant ratio means geometric.

If differences are not constant, check second differences (they are constant in quadratic-style series such as 2, 5, 10, 17, 26 with steps 3, 5, 7, 9).

Alternating series use two interleaved rules; separate odd-position and even-position terms before predicting.

Number classification: three numbers share a property (all even, all prime, all perfect squares, all multiples of 7, all with digit sum 9) and the fourth does not.

Numeric inference: translate the stated relationship into an equation or inequality, then solve - e.g., 'n is 3 more than twice m' becomes n = 2m + 3.

Check the answer against the original wording, especially for 'more than' versus 'times as many', which are frequently confused.

Estimate before computing: the answer choices usually differ enough that rounding exposes the correct choice and catches arithmetic slips.