NTS GAT Subject key terms

A statement offered as evidence or support for a conclusion in an argument. It supplies the reason the arguer expects you to accept the main claim.

The claim an argument is trying to establish. It usually follows from premises and is often signalled by words such as therefore, thus, or hence.

The mental step that moves from given evidence to a further claim. A strong inference is well supported by the stated facts; a weak one goes beyond them.

An unstated belief the argument depends on for its conclusion to follow. If the assumption is false, the reasoning collapses even when the premises are true.

The question part of a multiple-choice item, excluding the answer options. It tells you exactly what task to perform with the passage.

An incorrect answer option written to look attractive. It often repeats passage wording, overstates a claim, or answers a slightly different question than the stem asks.

A reasoning flaw in which an argument uses a term in a broader or narrower sense than the evidence supports, such as sliding from some to all.

Drawing a broad conclusion from too few or unrepresentative examples. A handful of cases is treated as if it proved a general rule.

A single case that shows a general claim or rule to be false. It is the strongest way to weaken a statement that uses words like all or always.

A question type asking which option makes the argument more likely to be valid. The right answer adds supporting evidence or confirms a needed assumption.

A question type asking which option makes the conclusion less likely to follow. Correct answers often reveal an alternative cause or a broken assumption.

A necessary condition must hold for something to occur; a sufficient condition guarantees it. Confusing the two is a common flaw in conditional reasoning.

The logically equivalent form of a conditional statement obtained by negating and reversing it. If P then Q becomes: if not Q then not P.

A deductive argument with two premises and a conclusion, typically using categorical statements about all, some, or no members of a group.

A diagram of overlapping circles used to test whether a categorical argument is valid by showing which regions must be empty or occupied.

A puzzle in which people must be placed in a row, circle, or grid using clues about relative position, such as immediately left of or opposite.

An ordering puzzle where items are arranged in a line or schedule according to clues about before, after, adjacent, or a fixed position.

A rule in a logic puzzle that limits where items can go. Listing all constraints before answering prevents missed deductions.

Reasoning that derives a certain conclusion from given rules, with no room for probability. In puzzles, each deduction narrows the remaining possibilities.

A comparison of two quantities and a statement that two ratios are equal. Used to scale values, mix ingredients, or split amounts in a given ratio.

A fraction expressed out of one hundred. Percentage change is the difference divided by the original value, not by the new value.

The sum of a set of values divided by how many values there are. Also called the arithmetic mean; it is affected by extreme values.

A mean in which each value counts according to its weight or frequency. It is computed by dividing the sum of value-times-weight by total weight.

The amount of a job completed per unit of time. Combined rates add, so two workers together finish in less time than either alone.

Counting methods for arrangements where order matters and selections where it does not. Choosing the right one depends on whether rearranging items creates a new case.

The chance of an event, calculated as favourable outcomes divided by total equally likely outcomes. Probabilities range from zero to one.

A word with a meaning close to another word in a given context. Exact equivalence is rare, so context decides the best match.

A word opposite in meaning to another. In verbal items, watch for prefixes and for pairs that are opposites only in one sense.

Information in surrounding text that hints at a word's meaning, such as a definition, example, contrast, or cause-and-effect relationship.

The emotional or evaluative shade a word carries beyond its literal meaning. Words like thrifty and stingy share a sense but differ in connotation.

The literal, dictionary meaning of a word, separate from any emotional associations it may carry.

A pair relationship question, such as hot is to cold as tall is to short. Identify the precise link before comparing options.

The central point a passage is built around. It is broader than any single detail and is often stated in the first or last sentence.

The writer's attitude toward the subject, revealed through word choice. Options such as critical, neutral, or enthusiastic must match the whole passage.

A testable proposed explanation for an observation. In subject content, it must generate predictions that experiments or further data can confirm or refute.

Any factor in an experiment that can change. The independent variable is manipulated; the dependent variable is measured as the outcome.

A statistical association between two variables in which changes in one tend to accompany changes in the other. Correlation alone does not establish causation.

The extent to which a test, method, or argument measures or establishes what it claims to. A valid instrument is accurate for its intended purpose.

The consistency of a measurement across repeated trials or raters. A reliable measure gives stable results but is not necessarily valid.