OSSLT Cheat Sheet 2026

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

1. A passage about Confederation in 1867 has no clear topic sentence. How should a reader determine the main idea? → Examine all the details and determine what central point they collectively support
2. In an organizational chart, what do the connecting lines between boxes typically represent? → Relationships or reporting structures between positions or groups
3. A student wants to establish credibility in an opinion piece. Which strategy is most effective? → Citing specific, credible sources and acknowledging complexity
4. What term describes the introductory part of a narrative that provides background information? → Exposition
5. A survey shows: 45% of students prefer science, 35% prefer history, and 20% prefer art. Which type of graphic BEST displays this data? → Pie chart
6. When approaching a graphic text in an OSSLT reading passage, what should you do FIRST? → Read the title and any headings to understand the overall topic
7. What is the purpose of a subheading in a news report? → To break up the text and signal a new section's topic
8. What is a 'byline' in a news article? → The name of the reporter who wrote the article
9. A paragraph describes how Lake Huron's water levels have fluctuated over the past decade due to climate change. What is the primary purpose of this paragraph? → To inform readers about environmental changes
10. Which title is correctly capitalized and punctuated? → The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
11. A news report uses 'sources close to the investigation say.' What does this attribution indicate? → The information comes from unnamed individuals with knowledge of the investigation
12. A character who stands in opposition to the main character is called the ___. → Antagonist
13. Which sentence uses comparative and superlative forms correctly? → This test is easier than the last one.
14. Which best describes the 'inverted pyramid' structure in news reports? → Most important information comes first, followed by decreasing detail
15. A graphic text shows a map with an arrow pointing north. This arrow or symbol is called a: → Compass rose or directional indicator
16. When a graphic text includes a legend (also called a key), what is its purpose? → To identify what different colors, symbols, or patterns represent
17. Which of the following sentences uses apostrophes correctly? → The dog wagged its tail because it's happy to see its owner's car.
18. What is this selection's central thesis? → Co-operation reduces conflict
19. What element of the various people of the neighborhood is reflected in Our Lady of Grace? → the Caribbean birds
20. Which type of language should a news reporter avoid to maintain objectivity? → Emotive or biased language
21. A student identifies main idea, three details, and author's purpose. What additional element would complete a thorough analysis? → An evaluation of language, tone, and potential bias
22. Read the exchange: 'Priya: We need to fundraise at least $500. James: [laughs] Good luck with that.' What does James's response suggest? → James is sceptical that the goal can be reached
23. A headline reads: 'Ontario Students Excel in National Science Competition.' What type of news is this? → A feature story about a local achievement
24. What effects did Chainey's kidney ailment cause? → Chainey no longer expected to be flawless in what she attempted
25. What is a 'pull quote' in a news article layout? → A highlighted quote taken from the article body and displayed prominently on the page
26. When an author's attitude toward the subject or audience is revealed through word choice, it is called the story's ___. → Tone
27. After reading about youth unemployment, a student writes: 'This made me think about how summer jobs are harder to find.' What reading strategy is this? → Making a personal connection to the text
28. A student is writing about the causes of the Red River Flood of 1997. Which organizational pattern would be most effective? → Cause and effect
29. What is the primary difference between a fact and an opinion? → A fact can be verified with evidence; an opinion expresses a personal belief
30. A passage mentions 'food rations were reduced to half a loaf of bread per family per day.' What can you infer about conditions? → The community was experiencing severe food shortage or famine