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

Question 1: Which figure comes next: circle, square, circle, square, circle ___?

Rectangle
Square (Correct answer)
Triangle
Circle

Correct answer: Square

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

Question 2: Look at the pattern: A1, B2, C3, D4, ___. What comes next?

F6
D5
E4
E5 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: E5

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

Question 3: A regular hexagon is divided into 6 equilateral triangles. If 4 triangles are shaded, what fraction is unshaded?

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

Correct answer: 1/3

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

Question 4: In a classroom of 30 students, half are girls. If 5 girls are absent, how many girls are in class?

20
15
10 (Correct answer)
25

Correct answer: 10

Half of 30 is 15 girls total; 15 − 5 absent = 10 girls present.

Question 5: If □ - 7 = 15, what is □?

18
22 (Correct answer)
8
30

Correct answer: 22

□ = 15 + 7 = 22.

Question 6: Novel : Fiction :: Sonnet : ___

Story
Poem (Correct answer)
Essay
Drama

Correct answer: Poem

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

Question 7: 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 pyramid
It forms a rectangular prism
It forms a cube (Correct answer)

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 8: 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 9: A baker bakes bread. A teacher ___.

Sells cars
Teaches students (Correct answer)
Builds houses
Flies planes

Correct answer: Teaches students

A teacher's primary role is to teach students.

Question 10: A student reads 5 chapters in 2 hours. At this rate, how long to read 12 chapters?

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

Correct answer: 4.8 hours

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

Question 11: Which number completes the series: 1, 4, 9, 16, ___?

36
30
25 (Correct answer)
20

Correct answer: 25

The series is perfect squares: 1², 2², 3², 4², 5² = 25.

Question 12: A number is multiplied by 6. The result is 42. What is the number?

6
8
9
7 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 7

42 ÷ 6 = 7, so the unknown number is 7.

Question 13: If a train travels 60 mph for 2.5 hours, how far does it travel?

150 miles (Correct answer)
120 miles
140 miles
160 miles

Correct answer: 150 miles

Distance = speed × time = 60 × 2.5 = 150 miles.

Question 14: In a number matrix, row 1 = [2, 4, 8], row 2 = [3, 6, 12]. What is the missing value in row 3 = [5, 10, ___]?

25
30
20 (Correct answer)
15

Correct answer: 20

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

Question 15: In a pattern, each square is shaded one additional quadrant clockwise per step. After 4 steps, how many quadrants are shaded?

3
2
1
4 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 4

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

Question 16: 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)
(3,3)
(2,4)
(4,3)

Correct answer: (4,4)

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

Question 17: Sentence completion: The scientist was ___; she repeated her experiment five times to confirm the results.

methodical (Correct answer)
impatient
careless
distracted

Correct answer: methodical

Methodical means following a careful, systematic procedure, which matches repeating an experiment to confirm results.

Question 18: Which shape has 3 sides?

Square
Triangle (Correct answer)
Rectangle
Circle

Correct answer: Triangle

A triangle has exactly 3 sides.

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?

8 (Correct answer)
10
7
9

Correct answer: 8

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

Question 20: 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 21: If no cats are reptiles and all reptiles are cold-blooded, which must be true?

None of the above must be true (Correct answer)
No cats are cold-blooded
All cats are cold-blooded
Some 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 22: The following terms make sense when combined. There is one among them that is not one of them. Which one is out of place?

sluggish (Correct answer)
swift
rapid
brisk
hasty

Correct answer: sluggish

Sluggish is the right response; it refers to a slow-moving object. The remaining response options are all synonyms for "quick" or "fast."

Question 23: Which pair of words are antonyms?

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

Correct answer: Talkative / Reserved

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

Question 24: There is a pattern to the numbers in the box. What number should the question mark be replaced with?

49
39 (Correct answer)
53
27
43

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

Verified
Unfounded (Correct answer)
Conclusive
Substantiated

Correct answer: Unfounded

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

Question 26: 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 rectangle
A triangle pointing down-left
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 27: 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 28: What is the next term in the series: 2, 6, 18, 54, ___?

216
162 (Correct answer)
108
180

Correct answer: 162

Each term is multiplied by 3, so 54 × 3 = 162.

Question 29: A pattern shows: 5, 10, 20, 40, ___. What comes next?

80 (Correct answer)
60
50
70

Correct answer: 80

Each number doubles: 5×2=10, 10×2=20, 20×2=40, 40×2=80.

Question 30: 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?

8 (Correct answer)
6
7
9

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 31: Which of these would weigh the MOST?

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

Correct answer: A textbook

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

Question 32: Ambiguous is to clear as verbose is to ___.

Concise (Correct answer)
Talkative
Lengthy
Wordy

Correct answer: Concise

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

Question 33: 41, 45.6, 38.6, 43.2, and 36.2?

41.4
42.8
29.2
40.8 (Correct answer)
39.8

Correct answer: 40.8

The right response is 40.8. This question follows two patterns. The first step is to add 4.6 from the first to the second number (41 + 4.6 = 45.6). 7 is then deducted (45.6 – 7 = 38.6). And so on, repeating this cycle (38.6 + 4.6 = 43.2). Following this pattern, 40.8, or 36.2 + 4.6, is the correct response.

Question 34: A clock shows 3:00. What time will it be in 2 hours?

2:00
5:00 (Correct answer)
6:00
4:00

Correct answer: 5:00

3:00 plus 2 hours equals 5:00.

Question 35: Complete the analogy: Petal is to Flower as Spoke is to ___.

Wheel (Correct answer)
Tire
Bicycle
Axle

Correct answer: Wheel

A petal is a part of a flower, and a spoke is a part of a wheel.

Question 36: A square piece of paper is folded in half diagonally, then folded in half again. How many layers thick is the result?

6
4 (Correct answer)
8
2

Correct answer: 4

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

Question 37: Which word correctly completes: 'He was ___ about his personal life, rarely sharing details.'?

Verbose
Forthcoming
Reticent (Correct answer)
Garrulous

Correct answer: Reticent

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

Question 38: 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-right
Bottom-right
Top-left (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Top-left

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

Question 39: Architect is to blueprint as chef is to ___.

Ingredient
Apron
Kitchen
Recipe (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Recipe

An architect uses a blueprint to guide construction, just as a chef uses a recipe to guide cooking.

Question 40: Which word does NOT belong: joyful, elated, miserable, gleeful?

Gleeful
Elated
Miserable (Correct answer)
Joyful

Correct answer: Miserable

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

Question 41: In a matrix puzzle, Row 1: △◯□, Row 2: ◯□△, Row 3: □△?. What shape completes Row 3?

★
□
△
◯ (Correct answer)

Correct answer: ◯

Each row is a rotation of the three shapes; Row 3 starts □△, so the missing shape is ◯.

Question 42: Each figure in a series gains one extra side: triangle, square, pentagon, ___.

Pentagon
Hexagon (Correct answer)
Octagon
Heptagon

Correct answer: Hexagon

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

Question 43: 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 ___.

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

Correct answer: Same as before

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

Question 44: Provident : Wasteful :: Prudent : ___

Careful
Wise
Thrifty
Reckless (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Reckless

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

Question 45: What is the next number in the pattern: 1, 4, 9, 16, ___?

25 (Correct answer)
20
49
36

Correct answer: 25

The pattern is perfect squares (1², 2², 3², 4², 5²), so the next number is 5² = 25.

Question 46: Which best describes the relationship: 'Prologue : Story :: Preface : ___'?

Book (Correct answer)
Appendix
Chapter
Index

Correct answer: Book

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

Question 47: Biologist : Cell :: Astronomer : ___

Atom
Microscope
Galaxy (Correct answer)
Telescope

Correct answer: Galaxy

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

Question 48: Maria has 24 stickers. She gives away 1/3 of them. How many does she have left?

8
16 (Correct answer)
12
18

Correct answer: 16

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

Question 49: 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 50: Which word is a synonym for 'candid'?

Cautious
Honest (Correct answer)
Secretive
Deceptive

Correct answer: Honest

Candid means frank and honest.

Question 51: 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 52: Redundant : Necessary :: Superfluous : ___

Excessive
Extra
Unneeded
Essential (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Essential

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

Question 53: If all Blips are Blops, and all Blops are Blunks, then which must be true?

All Blips are Blunks (Correct answer)
All Blunks are Blips
Some Blops are not Blunks
No Blips are Blunks

Correct answer: All Blips are Blunks

If Blips are Blops and Blops are Blunks, then Blips must also be Blunks.

Question 54: Which word does NOT belong: comedy, tragedy, sonnet, drama?

Sonnet (Correct answer)
Tragedy
Comedy
Drama

Correct answer: Sonnet

A sonnet is a form of poetry, while comedy, tragedy, and drama are forms of theater.

Question 55: Nocturnal is to daytime as carnivore is to ___.

Predator
Hunter
Animal
Herbivore (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Herbivore

Nocturnal is the opposite of daytime activity; a carnivore eats meat, opposite to an herbivore that eats plants.

Question 56: The following terms make sense when combined. There is one among them that is not one of them. Which one is out of place?

Trunk
Root
Soil (Correct answer)
Branch
Leaf

Correct answer: Soil

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

Question 57: 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 58: Which of these is NOT a prime number: 11, 13, 17, 21?

11
13
21 (Correct answer)
17

Correct answer: 21

21 = 3 × 7, so it is not prime; 11, 13, and 17 are all prime.

Question 59: Which conclusion follows logically: 'All athletes train hard. Maria trains hard.' Therefore ___.

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

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 60: Which picture shows something that does NOT belong with the others: apple, banana, orange, chair?

Apple
Chair (Correct answer)
Banana
Orange

Correct answer: Chair

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

Question 61: Which word is closest in meaning to 'tranquil'?

Noisy
Peaceful (Correct answer)
Rapid
Stormy

Correct answer: Peaceful

Tranquil means free from disturbance, which is closest in meaning to peaceful.

Question 62: What number comes next in the pattern: 2, 4, 6, ___?

9
8 (Correct answer)
10
7

Correct answer: 8

The pattern adds 2 each time, so 6 + 2 = 8.

Question 63: Complete the analogy: Arid is to desert as frigid is to ___.

Meadow
Jungle
Beach
Tundra (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Tundra

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

Question 64: Sam is taller than Amy. Amy is taller than Ben. Who is the shortest?

Amy
Cannot be determined
Sam
Ben (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Ben

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

Question 65: Which shape has the most lines of symmetry: equilateral triangle, square, regular pentagon, regular hexagon?

Equilateral triangle
Regular hexagon (Correct answer)
Regular pentagon
Square

Correct answer: Regular hexagon

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

Question 66: Which word means 'to make something less severe'?

Mitigate (Correct answer)
Intensify
Exacerbate
Aggravate

Correct answer: Mitigate

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

Question 67: Which does NOT describe a property of a parallelogram?

Diagonals bisect each other
Opposite angles are equal
Opposite sides are equal
All angles are right angles (Correct answer)

Correct answer: All angles are right angles

A parallelogram does not require right angles — that is specific to rectangles.

Question 68: What is the value of x if 3x + 9 = 24?

11
3
5 (Correct answer)
7

Correct answer: 5

3x = 24 − 9 = 15, so x = 5.

Question 69: Sycophant is to flattery as bully is to ___.

Respect
Leadership
Intimidation (Correct answer)
Kindness

Correct answer: Intimidation

A sycophant uses flattery; a bully uses intimidation.

Question 70: 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 ___.

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

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

Provoke
Defuse (Correct answer)
Inflame
Escalate

Correct answer: Defuse

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

Question 72: Sentence completion: The teacher praised Maya's ___ answer because it was thorough and showed deep understanding.

hasty
brief
vague
comprehensive (Correct answer)

Correct answer: comprehensive

Comprehensive means covering all aspects thoroughly, matching 'thorough and showing deep understanding.'

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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