OLSAT flashcards
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32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Antonym
- A word with the opposite meaning to a given word. On antonym questions, choose the choice that is opposite in the same sense as the prompt, not one that is merely unrelated.
- Graded opposite
- A pair differing only in degree, such as warm and hot, rather than true opposites. Graded pairs are common distractors on antonym questions and should be rejected in favor of genuine opposites like hot and cold.
- Contrast signal words
- Words such as but, although, however, and yet that reverse the direction of meaning in a sentence. They tell you the blank must carry a meaning opposite to the other half of the sentence.
- Continuation signal words
- Words such as because, since, and, and therefore that keep meaning flowing in the same direction. They indicate the blank restates or extends the idea already given rather than contradicting it.
- Two-blank completion rule
- In sentence completion with two blanks, the correct choice must fit both blanks. A choice that fits one blank but not the other is wrong regardless of how well the first blank reads.
- Opening sentence test
- The first sentence of an arrangement passage usually introduces a full name or noun without pronouns or connecting words. Sentences beginning with he, she, it, this, or however cannot open the passage.
- Pronoun placement rule
- A pronoun or demonstrative must follow the noun it refers to. This makes such sentences later in a sequence, never first, and helps fix the order of the remaining sentences.
- Analogy relation sentence
- A single sentence stating how the first pair relates, such as 'a hammer is a tool used by a carpenter'. Applying that same sentence to the third term identifies the answer.
- Part-to-whole analogy
- A relation in which one term is a component of the other, as wheel is to car. The answer pair must show the same direction: a component of the third term, not a whole containing it.
- Odd one out method
- Name the category shared by three items, then confirm the fourth fails it for a specific reason. The rule must include all three shared items and exclude only the odd one.
- Scope words in directions
- Words like all, each, only, except, and every other that change how many items a rule applies to. Missing one of these words is the most common cause of error in following-directions questions.
- Conditional direction
- A direction stated as if-then, where the action applies only when the condition holds. Check the condition for each item separately instead of applying the action to everything.
- Category-shift picture analogy
- A picture analogy in which the object changes category, such as a fruit becoming a vegetable. The transformation, not the specific objects, is what carries over to the third picture.
- Picture classification attribute
- A visible property shared by three pictures, such as shape, color, count, fill, or orientation. The odd picture lacks that property while matching the others in irrelevant ways.
- Alternating picture series
- A series in which odd positions follow one pattern and even positions follow another. Splitting the row into two subsequences reveals the rule for the missing frame.
- Rotation versus reflection
- Rotation turns a figure while preserving its handedness; reflection flips it and reverses handedness. Compare a distinctive corner or notch to tell which transformation occurred.
- Fill transformation
- A change between solid and outlined versions of the same shape. It often combines with rotation or size change in figural analogies, so check shading separately from shape.
- Enclosed regions rule
- A classification property counting the number of closed areas inside a figure. Figures with equal enclosed-region counts group together even when their outer shapes differ.
- Constant-step figural series
- A series in which each step applies the same measurable change, such as 45 degrees of rotation or one added line. Confirm the step on every adjacent pair before predicting.
- Number analogy operation
- The arithmetic rule linking the first pair, such as add 6, multiply by 3, or square. Apply exactly that operation to the third number to produce the answer.
- Arithmetic series
- A number series with a constant difference between consecutive terms, such as 4, 9, 14, 19 with a step of 5. The next term adds that same difference again.
- Geometric series
- A number series with a constant ratio between consecutive terms, such as 3, 6, 12, 24. Each term is multiplied by the same factor, here 2, to produce the next.
- Second differences
- The differences between consecutive differences in a series. When second differences are constant, as in 2, 5, 10, 17, 26 with steps 3, 5, 7, 9, the series follows a quadratic pattern.
- Interleaved number series
- A series mixing two separate rules, one for odd positions and one for even positions. Separate the terms into two lists, solve each, then recombine to find the missing term.
- Number classification property
- A shared trait of three numbers, such as all prime, all perfect squares, all even, or all multiples of 7. The fourth number fails that trait and is the answer.
- Numeric inference translation
- Converting a stated relationship into an equation. For example, 'n is 3 more than twice m' becomes n = 2m + 3, which can then be solved or compared.
- More than versus times
- Two easily confused phrasings: '5 more than x' means x + 5, while '5 times x' means 5x. Check the answer against the exact wording before selecting it.
- Tool-to-user analogy
- A relation pairing an instrument with the person who uses it, such as scalpel is to surgeon. The answer must pair the third term with its own user in the same direction.
- Function analogy
- A relation pairing an object with its purpose, such as clock is to tell time. The answer must state what the third object does, not what it is made of or where it is found.
- Size transformation
- A change in scale between two figures, such as large becoming small. In picture and figural analogies it may appear alone or combined with rotation, shading, or added elements.
- Element addition series
- A figural series in which one element is added at each step, such as an extra dot or line. The next frame must contain one more element than the last.
- Digit-sum classification
- A number property based on adding a number's digits, such as all terms having a digit sum of 9. Three numbers share the sum while the odd one produces a different total.