Unlike annual standardized testing which attempts to assess the extent to which your child knows what they should have been taught (things like reading comprehension and math algorithms) the OLSAT is about cognitive skills. The skills tested are:
- Verbal Comprehension – Antonyms, Sentence Completion, Sentence Arrangement
- Verbal Reasoning – Arithmetic Reasoning, Logical Selection, Word/Letter Matrix, Verbal Analogies, Verbal Classification, Inference
- Figural Reasoning – Figural Analogies, Pattern Matrix, Figural Series
- Quantitative Reasoning – Number Series, Number Inference, Number Matrix
Another way in which the OLSAT differs from the tests which most parents and children are familiar with is that there are questions with a wide range of difficulty. Your gifted child may be used to getting close to 100% on most tests. That won't necessarily be the case on the OLSAT.
If you've got a gifted child and you want to ensure that they're exposed to the skill set tested for on the OLSAT we recommend:
- Building Thinking Skills for core verbal and non-verbal reasoning skills
- Patterns in Mathematics for core quantitative reasoning
- Challenge Math for extension in quantitative reasoning skills. Quick Think Math is another option for this. Neither book is designed to teach new math content. Challenge Math will extend your child to problem solve using the information they know. Quick Think Math will get your child to quickly work out which math skill set to apply to a particular problem.
- Gruber's Essential Guide to Test Taking for an overview of the skills required (and skills like reading comprehension frequently tested for in conjunction with the OLSAT)
- Orbiting with Logic for logic and general problem solving
- Think Analogies or Thinkanalogy Puzzles for the nitty gritty on verbal analogies and lots of examples
- Creative Thinking Puzzles for a variety of puzzles playing with language and numbers
- Mind Benders for additional logic
- Mathematical Reasoning Middle School Supplement if your child needs to work on core math concepts
For most gifted children Building Thinking Skills Level 3 Figural and Verbal, Patterns in Mathematics, Quick Think Math, Gruber's Essential Guide to Test Taking and Orbiting with Logic will be the best place to start and many children be sufficient. After that you know your child best. Do they need to work on vocabulary, spatial reasoning, flexibility, attention or something else. The books below all work on skills tested for in the OLSAT.
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OLSAT® and Otis-Lennon School Ability Test® are registered trademarks of NCS Pearson. The recommendations made here are those of thinktonight and are not endorsed by NCS Pearson.
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