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

Question 1: Which answer best describes: 'All mammals are warm-blooded; dolphins are mammals; therefore ___'?

Dolphins might be warm-blooded
Dolphins are cold-blooded
Dolphins are warm-blooded (Correct answer)
Some dolphins are warm-blooded

Correct answer: Dolphins are warm-blooded

By deductive logic, if all mammals are warm-blooded and dolphins are mammals, dolphins must be warm-blooded.

Question 2: Sam is taller than Amy. Amy is taller than Ben. Who is the shortest?

Cannot be determined
Sam
Amy
Ben (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Ben

Sam > Amy > Ben, so Ben is the shortest of the three.

Question 3: What comes next: A, C, E, G, ___?

J
K
H
I (Correct answer)

Correct answer: I

The pattern skips every other letter (A, C, E, G, I).

Question 4: Which pair of words are antonyms?

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

Correct answer: Talkative / Reserved

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

Question 5: Look at the pattern: A1, B2, C3, D4, ___. What comes next?

D5
E4
F6
E5 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: E5

The pattern increases the letter and number by one each time, so after D4 comes E5.

Question 6: 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?

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

Correct answer: Large triangle

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

Question 7: Which statement represents inductive reasoning?

All squares have 4 sides; this is a square, so it has 4 sides
Every swan I've seen is white, so all swans are white (Correct answer)
Two parallel lines never intersect by definition
If p then q; p is true, therefore q

Correct answer: Every swan I've seen is white, so all swans are white

Inductive reasoning draws general conclusions from specific observations, as in the swan example.

Question 8: 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 ___.

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

Correct answer: Same as before

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

Question 9: If today is Monday, what day comes two days later?

Friday
Wednesday (Correct answer)
Tuesday
Thursday

Correct answer: Wednesday

Two days after Monday is Wednesday.

Question 10: 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?

6
7
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 11: Calligraphy is to writing as choreography is to ___.

Poetry
Theater
Dance (Correct answer)
Music

Correct answer: Dance

Calligraphy is the art of decorative writing; choreography is the art of designing dance.

Question 12: Maria has 24 stickers. She gives away 1/3 of them. How many does she have left?

8
12
16 (Correct answer)
18

Correct answer: 16

1/3 of 24 is 8, so Maria has 24 − 8 = 16 stickers left.

Question 13: 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 14: 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-right
Bottom-left
Top-left (Correct answer)
Top-right

Correct answer: Top-left

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

Question 15: Choose the best word: The diplomat tried to ___ the tensions between the two nations.

Defuse (Correct answer)
Provoke
Inflame
Escalate

Correct answer: Defuse

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

Question 16: Each figure in a series gains one extra side: triangle, square, pentagon, ___.

Heptagon
Octagon
Pentagon
Hexagon (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Hexagon

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

Question 17: Novel : Fiction :: Sonnet : ___

Drama
Poem (Correct answer)
Essay
Story

Correct answer: Poem

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

Question 18: Sycophant is to flattery as bully is to ___.

Respect
Kindness
Leadership
Intimidation (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Intimidation

A sycophant uses flattery; a bully uses intimidation.

Question 19: 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?

(4,4) (Correct answer)
(4,3)
(3,3)
(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 20: Which figure comes next: circle, square, circle, square, circle ___?

Circle
Square (Correct answer)
Triangle
Rectangle

Correct answer: Square

The pattern alternates circle and square, so after circle comes square.

Question 21: If all roses are flowers and some flowers fade quickly, which conclusion must be true?

All roses fade quickly
Some roses might fade quickly (Correct answer)
Roses never fade
No roses fade quickly

Correct answer: Some roses might fade quickly

Since only some flowers fade quickly, roses may or may not be among them.

Question 22: Complete the analogy: Arid is to desert as frigid is to ___.

Meadow
Beach
Jungle
Tundra (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Tundra

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

Question 23: Look at the pattern: 2, 4, 8, 16, ___. What comes next?

24
18
30
32 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 32

Each number is doubled to get the next number, so 16 × 2 = 32.

Question 24: What is the next number in the sequence? 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, ___

18
21 (Correct answer)
19
20

Correct answer: 21

Each step increases by one more than the previous step (+2, +3, +4, +5, +6), so 15 + 6 = 21.

Question 25: In a pattern, each square is shaded one additional quadrant clockwise per step. After 4 steps, how many quadrants are shaded?

2
4 (Correct answer)
3
1

Correct answer: 4

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

Question 26: Which word means 'to make something less severe'?

Intensify
Aggravate
Exacerbate
Mitigate (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Mitigate

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

Question 27: Which best describes the relationship: 'Prologue : Story :: Preface : ___'?

Index
Book (Correct answer)
Chapter
Appendix

Correct answer: Book

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

Question 28: What a hotel needs is _____

a spa
a swimming pool
an elevator
beds (Correct answer)

Correct answer: beds

The right response is "beds." Although some hotels do offer elevators, spas, and swimming pools, these amenities are not required. There must be beds in a hotel.

Question 29: Which shape has the most lines of symmetry: equilateral triangle, square, regular pentagon, regular hexagon?

Square
Equilateral triangle
Regular hexagon (Correct answer)
Regular pentagon

Correct answer: Regular hexagon

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

Question 30: If a pencil costs 25 cents and you pay with a dollar, how much change do you get?

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

Correct answer: 75 cents

100 cents minus 25 cents equals 75 cents in change.

Question 31: 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 forms a pyramid
It forms a cube (Correct answer)
It cannot form a cube
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 32: Which picture shows something that does NOT belong with the others: apple, banana, orange, chair?

Orange
Banana
Chair (Correct answer)
Apple

Correct answer: Chair

A chair is furniture, while apple, banana, and orange are all fruits.

Question 33: A rectangle's length is twice its width. If the area is 72 sq units, what is the width?

9
8
6 (Correct answer)
4

Correct answer: 6

Let width = w; length = 2w; area = 2w² = 72; w² = 36; w = 6.

Question 34: A square piece of paper is folded in half diagonally, then folded in half again. How many layers thick is the result?

8
2
6
4 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 4

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

Question 35: In a number matrix, row 1 = [2, 4, 8], row 2 = [3, 6, 12]. What is the missing value in row 3 = [5, 10, ___]?

30
20 (Correct answer)
15
25

Correct answer: 20

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

Question 36: The same rule applies to the following integers as well. What number is absent?

39 (Correct answer)
27
29
37
35

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 37: Amanda has at last discovered an answer to the issue that would satisfy everyone.

cause
reward
drawback
source
solution (Correct answer)

Correct answer: solution

The solution is the right response. It is evident from reading the sentence that Amanda was able to identify a solution that would work for everyone. The definition of a solution is an approach to problem-solving that yields the right response.

Question 38: Which conclusion follows logically: 'All athletes train hard. Maria trains hard.' Therefore ___.

Maria might be an athlete (Correct answer)
Maria is not an athlete
Athletes are like Maria
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 39: Which object is used to tell time?

Ruler
Thermometer
Scale
Clock (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Clock

A clock is the instrument used for telling time.

Question 40: Which of these would weigh the MOST?

A pencil
A feather
A sheet of paper
A textbook (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A textbook

A textbook is much heavier than a feather, pencil, or sheet of paper.

Question 41: Ambiguous is to clear as verbose is to ___.

Talkative
Lengthy
Concise (Correct answer)
Wordy

Correct answer: Concise

Ambiguous and clear are antonyms; verbose and concise are antonyms.

Question 42: 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, white background
Empty square, black background (Correct answer)
Filled circle, black 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 43: A dog is to puppy as a cat is to ___.

Kitten (Correct answer)
Chick
Cub
Foal

Correct answer: Kitten

A puppy is a baby dog, and a kitten is a baby cat.

Question 44: Which shape has exactly 6 faces?

Cylinder
Cube (Correct answer)
Pyramid
Sphere

Correct answer: Cube

A cube has 6 equal square faces.

Question 45: A student reads 5 chapters in 2 hours. At this rate, how long to read 12 chapters?

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

Correct answer: 4.8 hours

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

Question 46: Biologist : Cell :: Astronomer : ___

Microscope
Atom
Telescope
Galaxy (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Galaxy

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

Question 47: Frugal is to wasteful as diligent is to ___.

Hardworking
Lazy (Correct answer)
Careful
Honest

Correct answer: Lazy

Frugal and wasteful are antonyms; diligent and lazy are antonyms.

Question 48: What is 14 minus 6?

7
9
6
8 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 8

14 minus 6 equals 8.

Question 49: There is a pattern to the numbers in the box. What number should the question mark be replaced with?

53
43
27
39 (Correct answer)
49

Correct answer: 39

39 is the right response. The pattern is (x3, -12) across the first row of stitches. 31 x 3 equals 93, and 93 – 12 equals 81. The pattern is the same in the second row: 24 x 3 equals 72, and 72 minus 12 equals 60. The bottom row needs to adhere to the same guidelines as well. Since 17 x 3 equals 51 and 51 – 12 equals 39, 39 is the right response.

Question 50: Which word does NOT belong: joyful, elated, miserable, gleeful?

Elated
Miserable (Correct answer)
Joyful
Gleeful

Correct answer: Miserable

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

Question 51: Which sentence uses the word 'pernicious' correctly?

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

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

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

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 53: 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?

9
7
10
8 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 8

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

Question 54: Redundant : Necessary :: Superfluous : ___

Unneeded
Essential (Correct answer)
Excessive
Extra

Correct answer: Essential

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

Question 55: Jealousy is to envy as courage is to ___.

Calm
Anger
Fear
Bravery (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Bravery

Jealousy and envy are synonyms, just as courage and bravery are synonyms.

Question 56: If no cats are reptiles and all reptiles are cold-blooded, which must be true?

Some cats are cold-blooded
All cats are cold-blooded
None of the above must be true (Correct answer)
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 57: Which word correctly completes: 'He was ___ about his personal life, rarely sharing details.'?

Reticent (Correct answer)
Forthcoming
Garrulous
Verbose

Correct answer: Reticent

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

Question 58: Which word does NOT belong with the others? Dog, Cat, Rose, Hamster

Dog
Hamster
Rose (Correct answer)
Cat

Correct answer: Rose

Rose is a plant, while dog, cat, and hamster are all animals that can be kept as pets.

Question 59: Decrease → Increase : Shallow →

Water
Deep (Correct answer)
Grow
Wide

Correct answer: Deep

The right response is complex. Decrease and increase, the first pair of words, are opposites. To make something smaller, use the term decline, and to make something larger, use the word increase. The second set of words has to adhere to the same structure. Because the first term is shallow, the next word must represent the opposite, making profound the right response.

Question 60: In a series of shapes, each square is rotated 90° clockwise. If the first square has a dot in the top-left corner, where is the dot after 3 rotations?

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

Correct answer: Bottom-left

90° clockwise: top-left → top-right → bottom-right → bottom-left after 3 rotations.

Question 61: Two identical shapes overlap. The overlap region has 4 square units; each shape is 10 square units. What is the combined visible area?

24
20
16 (Correct answer)
18

Correct answer: 16

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

Question 62: Which word is most similar in meaning to 'enormous'?

Huge (Correct answer)
Tiny
Average
Narrow

Correct answer: Huge

Enormous means very large, which is closest in meaning to huge.

Question 63: A figure is rotated 180°. An arrow originally pointing up now points ___.

Left
Up
Right
Down (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Down

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

Question 64: Alexis is shorter than Harry. Alexis is taller than Samantha. Samantha is shorter than Tom. Of the following, which one has to be true?

Tom is the shortest
Alexis is taller than Tom
Samantha is the shortest (Correct answer)
Harry is the tallest
Tom is the tallest

Correct answer: Samantha is the shortest

Samantha is the shortest, which is the right response. It can be useful to write down the names in order to answer queries like these. We are aware that Samantha is shorter than Alexis and Harry is taller than Alexis. This means that the following must be in sequence, tallest to shortest: Harry Alexis Samantha Lastly, it should be noted that Tom is taller than Samantha. If Tom is taller than Alexis or Harry, too little information is available to say so. This implies that Samantha being the shortest is the only thing that has to be true.

Question 65: Complete the analogy: In is to out as up is to ___.

Under
Over
Down (Correct answer)
High

Correct answer: Down

In and out are opposites, just as up and down are opposites.

Question 66: Which number is between 7 and 9?

6
7
10
8 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 8

8 is the number that falls between 7 and 9.

Question 67: Choose the word that best fills the blank: The scientist's hypothesis was ___; it had no support from experimental data.

Unfounded (Correct answer)
Substantiated
Verified
Conclusive

Correct answer: Unfounded

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

Question 68: Which word is a synonym for 'candid'?

Honest (Correct answer)
Cautious
Secretive
Deceptive

Correct answer: Honest

Candid means frank and honest.

Question 69: A regular hexagon is divided into 6 equilateral triangles. If 4 triangles are shaded, what fraction is unshaded?

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

Correct answer: 1/3

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

Question 70: Provident : Wasteful :: Prudent : ___

Reckless (Correct answer)
Wise
Thrifty
Careful

Correct answer: Reckless

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

Question 71: Which figure comes next in the sequence? Circle, Square, Triangle, Circle, Square, ___

Rectangle
Circle
Square
Triangle (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Triangle

The pattern repeats every three shapes: Circle, Square, Triangle — so after Square comes Triangle.

Question 72: Which word is closest in meaning to 'ephemeral'?

Transparent
Transient (Correct answer)
Robust
Eternal

Correct answer: Transient

Ephemeral means lasting for a very short time, which is closest in meaning to transient.

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%

To Pass

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