OLSAT (Otis-Lennon School Ability Test) — Questions and Answers

Question 1: The following terms make sense when combined. There is one among them that is not one of them. Which one is out of place?

Root
Trunk
Soil (Correct answer)
Branch
Leaf

Correct answer: Soil

Soil is the right response. The remaining words are each constituent elements of a tree.

Question 2: What number is missing? 100, 91, 82, 73, ___, 55

66
60
62
64 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 64

Each term decreases by 9: 100−9=91, 91−9=82, 82−9=73, 73−9=64, 64−9=55.

Question 3: A square has 4 sides. A triangle has 3 sides. How many sides do 3 squares and 2 triangles have in total?

14
16
20
18 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 18

3 squares × 4 sides = 12, plus 2 triangles × 3 sides = 6, for a total of 18 sides.

Question 4: The same rule applies to the following integers as well. What number is absent?

99
11
121 (Correct answer)
108
132

Correct answer: 121

That is, in fact, 121. 7 and 49 is the first set of numbers. 7² = 49 is the relationship between them. The second set of numbers is 9, and it has the same relationship as the first: 9² = 81. This indicates that 11², or 121, will be the right response.

Question 5: Redundant : Necessary :: Superfluous : ___

Excessive
Extra
Essential (Correct answer)
Unneeded

Correct answer: Essential

Redundant and superfluous are synonyms meaning unnecessary; their antonym is necessary or essential.

Question 6: In a pattern, each square is shaded one additional quadrant clockwise per step. After 4 steps, how many quadrants are shaded?

2
1
4 (Correct answer)
3

Correct answer: 4

Starting unshaded, after 4 steps all 4 quadrants are shaded.

Question 7: Which figure completes the matrix if a large white circle → large gray circle → large black circle pattern applies?

Large gray circle (Correct answer)
Large black square
Small white square
Small black circle

Correct answer: Large gray circle

The pattern darkens circles in sequence; the next step after gray is black, keeping the same large circle.

Question 8: Which of these is a color: happy, blue, run, large?

Blue (Correct answer)
Large
Happy
Run

Correct answer: Blue

Blue is a color; the other words are a feeling, an action, and a size.

Question 9: A shape is reflected across a vertical axis. If the original has a star in the top-right, where is the star after reflection?

Bottom-left
Top-left (Correct answer)
Top-right
Bottom-right

Correct answer: Top-left

Reflecting across a vertical axis swaps left and right, moving the star from top-right to top-left.

Question 10: Biologist : Cell :: Astronomer : ___

Telescope
Galaxy (Correct answer)
Atom
Microscope

Correct answer: Galaxy

A biologist studies cells, and an astronomer studies galaxies (and other celestial objects).

Question 11: Which number is 10 more than 45?

55 (Correct answer)
50
35
65

Correct answer: 55

45 + 10 = 55.

Question 12: A rectangle has a length of 8 and a width of 5. What is its perimeter?

40
65
13
26 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 26

Perimeter = 2(length + width) = 2(8 + 5) = 2 × 13 = 26.

Question 13: Which conclusion follows logically: 'All athletes train hard. Maria trains hard.' Therefore ___.

Athletes are like Maria
Maria is not an athlete
Maria might be an athlete (Correct answer)
Maria is an athlete

Correct answer: Maria might be an athlete

Training hard is necessary but not sufficient to conclude Maria is an athlete — other people train hard too.

Question 14: Which series follows the rule 'subtract 7, then add 3' alternately: starting at 30?

30, 23, 16, 9, 2
30, 23, 26, 19, 22 (Correct answer)
30, 37, 30, 37, 30
30, 27, 24, 21, 18

Correct answer: 30, 23, 26, 19, 22

30 − 7 = 23, 23 + 3 = 26, 26 − 7 = 19, 19 + 3 = 22.

Question 15: Provident : Wasteful :: Prudent : ___

Careful
Reckless (Correct answer)
Thrifty
Wise

Correct answer: Reckless

Provident and wasteful are antonyms; prudent and reckless are antonyms.

Question 16: Which word is a synonym for 'candid'?

Cautious
Deceptive
Honest (Correct answer)
Secretive

Correct answer: Honest

Candid means frank and honest.

Question 17: Hot is to cold as day is to ___.

Night (Correct answer)
Morning
Sun
Warm

Correct answer: Night

Hot and cold are opposites; day and night are opposites.

Question 18: Which sentence uses the word 'pernicious' correctly?

The pernicious rumor damaged her reputation. (Correct answer)
Her pernicious kindness helped many.
The pernicious sunshine warmed the garden.
He gave a pernicious smile of welcome.

Correct answer: The pernicious rumor damaged her reputation.

Pernicious means having a harmful effect in a gradual or subtle way — rumors can be pernicious.

Question 19: In a series of figures, each step adds one dot to the outside of the previous figure (2, 3, 4, 5...). How many dots does the 7th figure have?

10
9
7
8 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 8

Starting at 2 dots, each step adds 1: the 7th figure has 2 + 6 = 8 dots.

Question 20: A grid pattern has a dot moving one cell right and one cell down each step. If it starts at position (1,1), where is it after 3 steps?

(3,3)
(4,3)
(4,4) (Correct answer)
(2,4)

Correct answer: (4,4)

Starting at (1,1) and moving +1,+1 each step: (2,2), (3,3), (4,4) after 3 steps.

Question 21: A regular hexagon is divided into 6 equilateral triangles. If 4 triangles are shaded, what fraction is unshaded?

1/3 (Correct answer)
1/6
2/6
1/2

Correct answer: 1/3

6 − 4 = 2 unshaded triangles; 2/6 = 1/3 of the hexagon is unshaded.

Question 22: Which word does NOT belong with the others? Hammer, Wrench, Screwdriver, Paintbrush, Pliers

Wrench
Hammer
Pliers
Paintbrush (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Paintbrush

Paintbrush is an art tool, while the others are all mechanical hand tools used for construction or repair.

Question 23: If FROG is coded as GSJH, what is the code for BIRD?

CJSE (Correct answer)
AJPC
CISE
CJRE

Correct answer: CJSE

Each letter advances by one position: B→C, I→J, R→S, D→E = CJSE.

Question 24: Which sentence uses the word 'bark' correctly to describe a tree?

Bark is what fish do underwater.
The bark of the oak tree was rough. (Correct answer)
She used bark to describe her feelings.
The dog began to bark loudly.

Correct answer: The bark of the oak tree was rough.

Bark refers to the outer covering of a tree trunk, as described in this sentence.

Question 25: Alex and Mitch made twenty cookies. Alex ate four of them, while Mitch consumed half. How much of the cookies remained?

8
10
7
6 (Correct answer)
9

Correct answer: 6

The correct answer is 6 cookies. There were 20 cookies to start, and if Mitch ate half of them, that means we must divide 20 by 2 to find out how many he ate: 20 ÷ 2 = 10 cookies If we then subtract the 10 cookies Mitch ate, we get 10 cookies remaining: 20 – 10 = 10 cookies Alex then ate 4 cookies, which means we must subtract 4 from the 10 remaining cookies to find out how many were left: 10 – 4 = 6 cookies

Question 26: What is 14 minus 6?

7
8 (Correct answer)
9
6

Correct answer: 8

14 minus 6 equals 8.

Question 27: Which pair of words are antonyms?

Brave / Courageous
Swift / Rapid
Enormous / Massive
Talkative / Reserved (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Talkative / Reserved

Talkative means very communicative; reserved means quiet and restrained — these are antonyms.

Question 28: The same rule applies to the following integers as well. What number is absent?

27
35
39 (Correct answer)
37
29

Correct answer: 39

39 is the right response. The numbers 8 and 24 are the first pair. They are related to each other by the formula 8 x 3 = 24. The link between the second set of integers, 11 and 33, is also 11 x 3 = 33. This indicates that 13 x 3 = 39 is the right response.

Question 29: A clock shows 3:00. After 90 minutes, what time will it show?

4:30 (Correct answer)
3:90
4:00
5:00

Correct answer: 4:30

90 minutes is 1 hour and 30 minutes, so 3:00 plus 90 minutes equals 4:30.

Question 30: 5 12 9 16 13 ?

19
10
16
20 (Correct answer)
6

Correct answer: 20

Twenty is the correct response. The series starts with the number 5. Twelve comes next, which indicates that seven was added. Nine comes next, indicating that three was deducted. 16 is the next number, indicating that 7 was added once more. This indicates that +7, – 3 is the pattern in this series. By adding 7 to 13, we can arrive at the right answer of 20, by following this strategy.

Question 31: An image shows a large outer circle and a small inner circle. After transformation, both circles double in size. The new ratio of inner to outer diameter is ___.

Same as before (Correct answer)
Half of before
Cannot be determined
Double of before

Correct answer: Same as before

Doubling both circles maintains their ratio; if inner was 1:3, it remains 1:3.

Question 32: Sort the following words to create the best possible statement. What letter would the last word start with once the sentence has been rearranged?

H (Correct answer)
I
V
F
G

Correct answer: H

The right response is H. The final word, health, starts with the letter H. Rearranged, the line reads, "Eating fruits and vegetables every day is good for your health."

Question 33: Complete the analogy: Timid is to Bold as Frugal is to ___.

Wealthy
Careful
Wasteful (Correct answer)
Thrifty

Correct answer: Wasteful

Timid and bold are opposites; frugal (spending little) and wasteful (spending recklessly) are also opposites.

Question 34: If no cats are reptiles and all reptiles are cold-blooded, which must be true?

None of the above must be true (Correct answer)
All cats are cold-blooded
Some cats are cold-blooded
No cats are cold-blooded

Correct answer: None of the above must be true

Cats could still be cold-blooded through another reason; we can only conclude cats are not reptiles.

Question 35: If a train travels 240 miles in 4 hours, how far will it travel in 7 hours at the same speed?

420 miles (Correct answer)
480 miles
400 miles
360 miles

Correct answer: 420 miles

Speed = 240÷4 = 60 mph; distance in 7 hours = 60×7 = 420 miles.

Question 36: A 3×3 matrix has circles in row 1, squares in row 2, and triangles in row 3. Each row has small, medium, and large shapes. What shape fills the bottom-right cell?

Medium triangle
Large square
Small triangle
Large triangle (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Large triangle

Row 3 has triangles; the bottom-right corner must be the large triangle to complete the size sequence.

Question 37: If there are 3 red balls and 3 blue balls in a bag, how many balls are there in total?

4
6 (Correct answer)
3
5

Correct answer: 6

3 red plus 3 blue equals 6 total balls.

Question 38: A student reads 5 chapters in 2 hours. At this rate, how long to read 12 chapters?

4.8 hours (Correct answer)
4 hours
5 hours
6 hours

Correct answer: 4.8 hours

Rate = 5/2 chapters/hr; time = 12 ÷ 2.5 = 4.8 hours.

Question 39: In a number matrix, row 1 = [2, 4, 8], row 2 = [3, 6, 12]. What is the missing value in row 3 = [5, 10, ___]?

15
30
20 (Correct answer)
25

Correct answer: 20

Each row doubles its values: 5 × 4 = 20, or 10 × 2 = 20.

Question 40: What is the next number in the pattern: 5, 10, 15, ___?

20 (Correct answer)
22
18
25

Correct answer: 20

The pattern counts by 5s, so 15 + 5 = 20.

Question 41: Which word means 'to make something less severe'?

Intensify
Mitigate (Correct answer)
Aggravate
Exacerbate

Correct answer: Mitigate

Mitigate means to make something less severe, serious, or painful.

Question 42: Which piece completes the puzzle if the missing segment is the top-right of a 4-piece square divided diagonally?

A rectangle
A square
A triangle pointing up-right (Correct answer)
A triangle pointing down-left

Correct answer: A triangle pointing up-right

Dividing a square diagonally from bottom-left to top-right gives a triangle whose hypotenuse faces the top-right.

Question 43: In a pattern matrix, the number of sides increases by 1 across each row and by 2 down each column. If position (1,1) is a triangle (3 sides), how many sides does position (2,3) have?

7
6
9
8 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 8

From (1,1): moving to row 2 adds 2 sides → 5; moving to column 3 adds 2 more sides → 7. Wait: col goes +1 per step so col 3 is +2 from col 1. Row 2 is +2 from row 1. So (2,3) = 3 + 2 (row) + 2 (col) = 7. Re-checking: +2 down (row 2 from row 1) and +1 per column step (col 3 is 2 steps from col 1, so +2). Total = 3+2+2 = 7.

Question 44: A square piece of paper is folded in half diagonally, then folded in half again. How many layers thick is the result?

8
6
2
4 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 4

Each fold doubles the layers: 1 → 2 → 4 layers after two folds.

Question 45: Complete the analogy: Arid is to desert as frigid is to ___.

Meadow
Tundra (Correct answer)
Beach
Jungle

Correct answer: Tundra

Arid describes the climate of a desert; frigid describes the climate of a tundra.

Question 46: If a pencil costs 25 cents and you pay with a dollar, how much change do you get?

75 cents (Correct answer)
25 cents
80 cents
50 cents

Correct answer: 75 cents

100 cents minus 25 cents equals 75 cents in change.

Question 47: If p implies q and q implies r, which must be true?

r implies p
r implies q
q implies p
p implies r (Correct answer)

Correct answer: p implies r

By the transitive property of implication, p → q and q → r means p → r.

Question 48: Which net folds into a cube? A net with 4 squares in a row and 1 square on top and bottom of the second square.

It cannot form a cube
It forms a cube (Correct answer)
It forms a pyramid
It forms a rectangular prism

Correct answer: It forms a cube

A cross-shaped net of 6 squares (4 in a row, 1 above and 1 below the second) correctly folds into a cube.

Question 49: Two identical shapes overlap. The overlap region has 4 square units; each shape is 10 square units. What is the combined visible area?

24
16 (Correct answer)
20
18

Correct answer: 16

Total visible area = 10 + 10 − 4 = 16 square units.

Question 50: A figure is rotated 180°. An arrow originally pointing up now points ___.

Up
Left
Down (Correct answer)
Right

Correct answer: Down

A 180° rotation reverses direction, so an upward arrow now points down.

Question 51: Sycophant is to flattery as bully is to ___.

Respect
Leadership
Kindness
Intimidation (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Intimidation

A sycophant uses flattery; a bully uses intimidation.

Question 52: Novel : Fiction :: Sonnet : ___

Story
Poem (Correct answer)
Drama
Essay

Correct answer: Poem

A novel is a type of fiction just as a sonnet is a type of poem.

Question 53: Choose the word that best fills the blank: The scientist's hypothesis was ___; it had no support from experimental data.

Conclusive
Substantiated
Verified
Unfounded (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Unfounded

Unfounded means lacking a foundation or evidence, matching the absence of data support.

Question 54: Which word does NOT belong: joyful, elated, miserable, gleeful?

Joyful
Elated
Gleeful
Miserable (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Miserable

Joyful, elated, and gleeful all mean happy; miserable means very unhappy.

Question 55: modest → haughty :: → antiquated

modest
pompous
classical
modern (Correct answer)
antique

Correct answer: modern

The answer that fits best is modern. Given their opposing definitions, humble and arrogant are antonyms. Additionally, ancient and modern are antonyms.

Question 56: Which number completes the matrix? Row 1: 4, 8, 12 | Row 2: 5, 10, 15 | Row 3: 6, 12, ___

18 (Correct answer)
17
20
16

Correct answer: 18

Each row multiplies the first number by 1, 2, and 3; 6×3=18.

Question 57: What is the missing piece: ▲ ■ ▲ ■ ▲ ___?

●
▲
★
■ (Correct answer)

Correct answer: ■

The pattern alternates between triangle and square, so after ▲ comes ■.

Question 58: If today is Monday, what day comes two days later?

Tuesday
Friday
Wednesday (Correct answer)
Thursday

Correct answer: Wednesday

Two days after Monday is Wednesday.

Question 59: Each figure in a series gains one extra side: triangle, square, pentagon, ___.

Hexagon (Correct answer)
Heptagon
Pentagon
Octagon

Correct answer: Hexagon

Triangle (3 sides), square (4), pentagon (5), so the next is hexagon (6 sides).

Question 60: Which shape has the most lines of symmetry: equilateral triangle, square, regular pentagon, regular hexagon?

Square
Regular pentagon
Regular hexagon (Correct answer)
Equilateral triangle

Correct answer: Regular hexagon

A regular hexagon has 6 lines of symmetry, more than a triangle (3), square (4), or pentagon (5).

Question 61: A number is multiplied by 4 and then 8 is subtracted. The result is 28. What is the original number?

9 (Correct answer)
7
5
8

Correct answer: 9

Work backwards: 28+8=36, 36÷4=9, so the original number is 9.

Question 62: In a figure analogy, a filled circle becomes an empty circle when the background changes from white to black. A filled square with a white background becomes ___.

Empty square, black background (Correct answer)
Filled circle, black background
Empty square, white background
Filled square, black background

Correct answer: Empty square, black background

Applying the same rule (filled → empty, white → black), the result is an empty square on a black background.

Question 63: Sentence completion: Despite the heavy rain, the hikers remained ___ and continued toward the summit.

undeterred (Correct answer)
discouraged
confused
exhausted

Correct answer: undeterred

Undeterred means not discouraged by obstacles, which fits continuing despite heavy rain.

Question 64: Which best describes the relationship: 'Prologue : Story :: Preface : ___'?

Appendix
Index
Book (Correct answer)
Chapter

Correct answer: Book

A prologue introduces a story just as a preface introduces a book.

Question 65: A 4×4 grid must have each symbol (★, ●, ▲, ■) appear exactly once per row and column. The top row is [★, ●, ▲, ■]. What is the missing symbol in row 2 = [●, ___, ■, ★]?

■
●
▲ (Correct answer)
★

Correct answer: ▲

Row 2 already has ●, ■, ★; the missing symbol must be ▲.

Question 66: If you have 5 apples and give away 2, how many do you have left?

7
4
2
3 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 3

5 minus 2 equals 3 apples remaining.

Question 67: A triangle has angles of 45°, 90°, and ___?

55°
35°
60°
45° (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 45°

Angles in a triangle sum to 180°; 180° − 45° − 90° = 45°.

Question 68: Which number comes next in the series: 3, 6, 9, 12, ___?

18
12
15 (Correct answer)
21

Correct answer: 15

Each number increases by 3, so 12 + 3 = 15.

Question 69: Choose the best word: The diplomat tried to ___ the tensions between the two nations.

Escalate
Inflame
Provoke
Defuse (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Defuse

Defuse means to reduce tension or danger, which is what a diplomat would aim to do.

Question 70: The antithesis of adaptability is:

bendy
careless
careless
tolerant
rigid (Correct answer)

Correct answer: rigid

Rigidity is the right response. In contrast to rigid, which cannot be bent or altered, flexible materials can be bent without breaking.

Question 71: Which word correctly completes: 'He was ___ about his personal life, rarely sharing details.'?

Verbose
Reticent (Correct answer)
Garrulous
Forthcoming

Correct answer: Reticent

Reticent means not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily — fitting for someone who rarely shares.

Question 72: Which shape has exactly 6 faces?

Cube (Correct answer)
Pyramid
Cylinder
Sphere

Correct answer: Cube

A cube has 6 equal square faces.

OLSAT (Otis-Lennon School Ability Test)

The OLSAT (Otis-Lennon School Ability Test) is a K-12 school ability assessment published by Pearson that measures abstract thinking and reasoning skills across verbal and nonverbal domains, commonly used for gifted program placement.

Questions

60 min

Time Limit

70%

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