NTS GAT Subject flashcards
NTS GAT Subject · 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.
- Contrapositive
- The statement formed by negating and reversing a conditional: from 'if P then Q' the contrapositive is 'if not Q then not P'; it is logically equivalent to the original.
- Converse fallacy
- Treating 'if P then Q' as if it implied 'if Q then P'. The converse is not logically equivalent and cannot be assumed in analytical reasoning items.
- Sufficient condition
- A condition whose presence guarantees the outcome: in 'if P then Q', P is sufficient for Q. It does not mean P is necessary.
- Necessary condition
- A condition required for the outcome: in 'if P then Q', Q is necessary for P. Without Q, P cannot occur, but Q alone does not guarantee P.
- Master diagram
- A compact sketch of entities, slots, and all rules drawn before answering questions; it lets added conditions be propagated quickly and consistently.
- Elimination by counterexample
- In 'must be true' items, a single valid arrangement that makes an option false eliminates that option; repeat until one option remains.
- Biconditional rule
- A rule of the form 'A if and only if B': A and B are either both selected or both excluded, so they always appear together or not at all.
- Grouping game
- An analytical reasoning setup assigning entities to groups under constraints such as 'A and B cannot be together' or 'each group must contain at least one entity'.
- Main idea
- The central claim the whole passage supports; the correct answer must cover all paragraphs, while detail-only or overbroad statements are wrong.
- Inference in reading
- A conclusion that follows necessarily from stated information; it must be supported by the text, not by outside knowledge or mere plausibility.
- Author's tone
- The attitude conveyed by evaluative words such as 'unfortunately' or 'remarkably'; options range from neutral reporting to approval or criticism.
- Analogy relationship
- The precise link between a pair, such as tool-user, cause-effect, or part-whole; state it as a sentence before testing the answer pairs.
- Logical connector
- A word such as 'although', 'because', or 'moreover' that signals contrast, cause, or addition and fixes the direction a sentence completion blank must take.
- Secondary meaning
- A less common sense of a word, often the key in synonym and antonym items; the familiar meaning may be the distractor.
- Paragraph function
- The role a paragraph plays in the passage, such as introducing a claim, giving an example, or conceding a counterpoint; used in structure questions.
- Absolute wording trap
- Answer choices containing 'always', 'never', or 'all' are usually wrong unless the passage itself states the absolute claim.
- Percent change formula
- Percent change equals (new value minus old value) divided by old value, multiplied by 100; the denominator is always the original value.
- Successive percentage changes
- Percentage changes do not simply add; apply them one after another. A 20% rise followed by a 20% fall leaves 96% of the original value.
- Ratio variable method
- If a : b = 3 : 5, set a = 3k and b = 5k; the single variable k turns ratio statements into solvable equations.
- Combined work rate
- Rates add: if worker A finishes in a hours and worker B in b hours, together they take ab divided by (a + b) hours.
- Compound interest
- Amount equals principal times (1 + r) raised to the number of periods t; interest is earned on previously accrued interest as well as principal.
- Harmonic mean speed
- For equal distances travelled at speeds x and y, the average speed is 2xy divided by (x + y), not the arithmetic mean of x and y.
- Combinations formula
- The number of unordered selections of r items from n is n! divided by r!(n − r)!; order does not matter, unlike permutations.
- At least one probability
- The probability that at least one of several independent events occurs equals 1 minus the probability that none of them occurs.
- Misleading graph baseline
- A bar or line graph whose vertical axis does not start at zero exaggerates differences; compare actual values, not visual heights.
- Command word: derive
- In subject-specific items, 'derive' requires every intermediate step from starting assumptions to the result, not just the final formula.
- Dimensional consistency
- In quantitative science items, checking that units on both sides of an equation match quickly rejects answer choices with wrong dimensions.
- Relevant-true distractor
- An option that states a correct fact but does not answer the exact question asked; it must be eliminated in subject multiple-choice items.
- Limiting-case check
- Substituting zero or infinity into a formula to see whether the result is physically sensible; an impossible limit signals a wrong answer choice.
- Anachronism trap
- In humanities items, an interpretation that projects later ideas onto an earlier period is usually wrong because it misplaces the concept in time.
- Declared discipline syllabus
- The GAT Subject paper follows the core undergraduate curriculum of the discipline chosen at registration, not a general aptitude syllabus.
- Application item
- A subject question that presents a novel scenario and asks the candidate to apply a principle, rather than simply recall its definition.