OLNA Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield OLNA facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which sentence uses a simile? → The crowd moved like a slow river toward the exit.
2. What does this sentence need for the intention to be clear? “My main hobbies are cycling swimming cooking cats and dogs.” → Commas
3. Which sentence is grammatically correct and avoids a run-on error? → The storm raged all night. The power went out for three hours.
4. "Despite the 'Wet Paint' sign, Leo leaned against the bench and later found white stripes on his jacket." What can be inferred? → Leo did not notice or ignored the sign
5. A student opens a story with: "The phone rang at 3 a.m. Nobody ever called at 3 a.m." Which technique is mainly being used? → A hook that creates suspense
6. An early mention of a cracked bridge that later collapses during the climax is an example of: → Foreshadowing
7. A word's 'connotation' refers to: → The emotional feeling or association it carries beyond its literal meaning
8. Which structure best describes a typical narrative? → Orientation, complication, rising action, climax, resolution
9. Which reading strategy best helps a reader make an inference? → Combining text clues with prior knowledge
10. In informative writing, which of the following should be avoided? → Using biased or one-sided language to influence the reader
11. Which sentence uses personification? → The leaves danced in the autumn breeze.
12. A text says: 'The athlete's hands shook as she approached the starting blocks. She took a slow, deep breath.' What can be inferred? → She is nervous but trying to calm herself
13. Which of the following is a sentence fragment? → Running through the park on a sunny afternoon.
14. Which revision best improves this sentence: "It was a nice day and we had a nice time at the nice beach"? → It was a warm, cloudless day, and we spent hours building sandcastles on the quiet beach.
15. A bus timetable shows the Route 12 bus runs every 15 minutes on weekdays but only every hour on Sundays. What is the most reasonable inference? → Fewer passengers ride Route 12 on Sundays
16. The main idea of a paragraph is not always stated directly in one sentence. In such cases, it is said to be... → implied.
17. A paragraph describes a scientist who 'has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers and received two international awards.' What conclusion can be drawn? → The scientist is highly experienced and respected
18. Which sentence contains a metaphor? → The classroom was a zoo after lunch.
19. Which sentence is a statement of opinion rather than fact? → The new library is the best building in the city.
20. A tenant writes a complaint letter to a landlord using polite, formal language and dates of each problem. Why is this approach effective? → It sounds credible and makes the problems hard to dismiss
21. In the OLNA Writing assessment, which of the following will most improve the overall quality of your response? → Planning your response before writing to ensure it is organised and on topic
22. A smartphone is on sale for 20% off its original price. If the original price was $850, what is the sale price? → $680
23. A student writes an informative text about climate change. Which of the following improvements would make it more effective? → Adding subheadings to organise different aspects of the topic
24. In a bag of 50 marbles, 15 are red. What percentage of the marbles are red? → 30%
25. Tina is t years old. Lisa is 6 years older than Tina. Together their ages total 26. Which equation represents the girls’ age structure? → 2t + 6 = 26
26. When drawing a conclusion from a text, a reader should ensure the conclusion is: → Supported by evidence from the text
27. A cartoon depicts a politician with an exceptionally long nose, similar to Pinocchio. What is the cartoonist most likely implying? → The politician is being dishonest.
28. Quentin’s licence permits him to drive trucks and buses with a Gross Vehicle Mass more than 8 tonnes, and with up to 3 axles. Which licence does Quentin have? → HR
29. Which sentence is written from the most objective perspective? → The festival drew about 12,000 visitors on Saturday.
30. Which is an example of internal conflict? → A girl struggles to decide whether to tell the truth about breaking a vase