OLSAT Questions: Explanations & Samples
Read below for a full list of the different kinds of questions on the OLSAT and follow the links in the table for specific information about each question type. Learning about the questions on the OLSAT is the first step in understanding how to approach the questions on test day.
One of the reasons the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) is considered a difficult test is due to its wide variety of different types of questions. While some gifted tests have only a few types of questions (the NNAT has only four), the OLSAT has 21 different question types. It is important to be able to approach and solve each question which appears on the test.
View the table below to see exactly how the sections are broken down. Click on the links in the table to read more about each section. See the table below for a detailed breakdown of the test per level.
OLSAT Question Types
| Verbal | Nonverbal |
|---|---|
| Verbal Comprehension | Pictorial Reasoning |
| Following Directions | Picture Classification |
| Antonyms | Picture Analogies |
| Sentence Completion | Picture Series |
| Sentence Arrangement | Figural Reasoning |
| Verbal Reasoning | Figural Classification |
| Aural Reasoning | Figural Analogies |
| Arithmetic Reasoning | Pattern Matrix |
| Logical Selection | Figural Series |
| Word/Letter Matrix | Quantitative Reasoning |
| Verbal Analogies | Number Series |
| Verbal Classification | Numeric Inference |
| Inference | Number Matrix |
Number of Questions on the OLSAT
The OLSAT has a varying number of questions and minutes allotted depending on the level. Read the table below for further information:
| Level | Questions | Time Limit | ||
| Verbal | Nonverbal | Total | ||
| A (Pre-K) | 16 | 24 | 40 | 77 min. |
| A (K) | 30 | 30 | 60 | 77 min. |
| B | 30 | 30 | 60 | 77 min. |
| C | 30 | 30 | 60 | 72 min. |
| D | 32 | 32 | 64 | 50 min. |
| E | 36 | 36 | 72 | 60 min. |
| F | 36 | 36 | 72 | 60 min. |
| G | 36 | 36 | 72 | 60 min. |
How to Prepare for the OLSAT
Many schools use the OLSAT as an admission test to gifted and talented programs. Practice has been shown to improve the results significantly and reflect your child's abilities much better. Therefore, it is important to prepare for the OLSAT. Our website offers full practice packs for all OLSAT levels.
Help your child start preparing today with TestPrep-Online, allowing him/her to perform his/her best on the OLSAT Test. Our all-inclusive OLSAT practice packs include the OLSAT Video Academy, available with most premium packs and levels, as well as study guides, and full-length practice tests.
Tips for Strengthening OLSAT Scores
- Practice every type of question. Each level of the OLSAT has many different types of questions. Even though your child might find some of them easier than others, it is important to practice all of them. Your child will acquire tools even when solving easier questions and reading the explanations, and those tools will help him or her with the more difficult questions of the type.
- Always, always, always read the explanations. Our website offers a full explanation for every single question. The explanations contain tools for solving the question and similar questions, some background details, and sometimes other examples. Therefore, even if your child answers a question correctly, he or she will benefit from reading the explanation and it is important to make sure they do so.
- Figure out your child's strengths and weaknesses. Knowing what your child's stronger and weaker points are a key in helping him or her prepare efficiently and focus on the correct types of questions. Try to see how your child attempts to solve different types of questions and what types he or she answers incorrectly. Have a talk with your child's teachers to gain another perspective.
- Work on study habits. Always praise good study habits and remember that positive feedback is more effective than negative feedback. Good study habits include, but are not limited to: taking short breaks, studying after having a nutritious meal and a good night's sleep, reading the explanations, making sure to understand every single detail, not spending too much time on one question when simulating a test, and focusing on certain types that are more challenging.
- Provide your child with nutritious meals. Studying has been proven to be much more effective after a good breakfast. Provide your child with vegetables, fruit, proteins, and complex carbohydrates. Try to avoid sweets and sugar as much as possible, since they cause your child's sugar levels to plummet after a short rise, along with his or her concentration.
- Explain the importance of a good night's sleep. Since sleep deprivation can damage the effectiveness of studying, make sure your child gets enough sleep at night. Remember children need a lot more sleep than adults. Studying into the night, therefore, might be ineffective and also harm the next day's studying.
- Create a good environment for studying. A quiet house, no interruptions, nutritious food at a hand's reach and stress-free people create a good environment for studying. Try to focus on these to help your child achieve better results.