Navigating the "Who is Correct?" Questions in the OC Thinking Skills Test — OC practice papers & screen-based prep

When the NSW Department of Education transitioned the Opportunity Class (OC) Placement Test to include Thinking Skills, it introduced a question format that quickly became notorious among Year 4 students: the "Who is Correct?" logic puzzle.

Unlike traditional comprehension questions where a student simply retrieves a fact, these questions present a scenario followed by two or more characters arguing about what that scenario means. The student is then asked to play the role of the judge: Is Character A right? Is Character B right? Are they both right? Or are they both completely wrong?

These questions are fundamentally testing evaluating reasoning. They demand that a student separates hard facts from assumptions, recognises logical fallacies, and avoids the temptation to rely on outside knowledge.

This guide breaks down exactly how these questions are structured, the hidden traps examiners use to confuse students, and the step-by-step strategy required to solve them flawlessly.

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Part 1: The Anatomy of the Question

Every "Who is Correct?" question follows a strict, three-part architecture:

1. The Scenario (The Rulebook). A short paragraph that establishes the facts, rules, or conditions of a specific universe.
2. The Statements. Two characters (e.g., Jack and Mia) each make a claim based on the scenario.
3. The Options. The standard four multiple-choice responses:

The Danger Zone: "Both" and "Neither" are the most dangerous options — they require the student to evaluate two entirely separate arguments perfectly within a 60-second time limit.

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Part 2: The Three Laws of "Who is Correct?" Logic

Before attempting to solve these puzzles, students need to internalise these three unbreakable laws of verbal reasoning.

Law 1: The Text is a Closed Universe

Whatever is stated in the prompt is the absolute truth, and nothing else exists. If the prompt says "All the sky is green today," the student must accept that. If a character says "The sky is blue because I looked outside," that character is logically incorrect within the universe of the test — regardless of what they know from real life.

Law 2: The "Must Be True" Standard

In Thinking Skills, "correct" does not mean "probably true" or "could be true." It means it is 100% logically certain based solely on the evidence provided. If there is even one tiny exception to a character's claim, that character is incorrect.

Law 3: Beware of "The Backwards Trap"

This is the most commonly tested logical flaw in these exams. It tests whether a student understands the difference between a requirement and a guarantee.

Reading the rule in reverse is the single most common mistake in the "Who is Correct?" format.

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Part 3: The 4 Common Traps Students Fall Into

Examiners use highly specific psychological distractors to trip students up. Recognising these traps is half the battle.

Trap 1: The "Real World" Bias

A character makes a statement that is undeniably true in real life — but is not supported by the text.

• Text: "Penguins are birds that live in Antarctica."
• Character: "Penguins are excellent swimmers."
• Verdict: Incorrect. While true in reality, the text never mentioned swimming. The character is importing outside knowledge.

Trap 2: The "Over-Extender"

A character takes a moderate fact and inflates it into an extreme claim using absolute words.

• Text: "Many students at the school enjoy playing chess."
• Character: "All the smart students play chess."
• Verdict: Incorrect. The text said "many," not "all," and never made any claim about intelligence.

Trap 3: The "Emotional Logic" Trap

The scenario presents a situation, and a character makes a moral judgement about what should happen rather than what is happening. Logic tests do not care about feelings — only structural facts. A character arguing about fairness or values is almost always wrong.

Trap 4: The "Sufficient vs. Necessary" Trap

This is the hardest concept for 10-year-olds to grasp, and one of the most frequently tested.

• Text: "To be allowed on the rollercoaster, you must be 120 cm tall."
• Character: "I am 130 cm tall, so they have to let me on the rollercoaster."
• Verdict: Incorrect. Being tall enough is necessary to be considered, but it is not sufficient to guarantee entry. What if the rollercoaster is closed? What if they don't have a ticket?

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Part 4: The Step-by-Step Solving Strategy

When the clock is ticking, panic can set in. Teach your child this rigid, 4-step framework to keep their thinking clear and methodical.

Step 1: Quarantine the Characters

Never read Jack and Mia's statements back-to-back. Reading them together jumbles the logic in the brain. Cover Mia's statement while evaluating Jack, and vice versa.

Step 2: Put Character A on Trial

Read Jack's statement. Cross-reference it directly with the rules in the scenario. Ask: "Is there any possible way Jack could be wrong based on the text?"

• If yes → Cross out Jack's name.
• If no → Give Jack a tick.

Step 3: Put Character B on Trial

Now cover Jack's statement and look only at Mia. Repeat the exact same process. Does she use extreme words? Does she fall into the Backwards Trap? Does she bring in outside knowledge?

• Give Mia a tick or a cross.

Step 4: Marry the Results

Look at your ticks and crosses and select the corresponding option. By treating it as two separate True/False questions, you remove the confusion of comparing the characters against each other.

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Part 5: Sample Question Walkthrough

The Scenario:

"To be selected for the school swimming relay team, a student must be able to swim 50 metres in under 40 seconds. The team only has four spots available. Yesterday, the coach finalised the team."

The Statements:

• Leo says: "My friend Toby was selected for the team, which means Toby can definitely swim 50 metres in under 40 seconds."
• Ruby says: "I swam 50 metres in 38 seconds during the trials, so I must be on the team."

Question: Who is correct?

The Answer: A) Only Leo is correct.

The Lesson: Leo read the rule forwards (team → met the time requirement). Ruby read it backwards (met the requirement → guaranteed a spot). This is the Backwards Trap in action.

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Part 6: How to Practise at Home

Building this level of critical analysis requires a shift in how children process information. You can train this skill without ever opening a textbook.

• The "Rule Lawyer" Game. Create a household rule (e.g., "If you finish your broccoli, you can have dessert"). Then give scenarios: "I gave you dessert — does that mean you ate your broccoli?" (Yes). "You ate your broccoli — does that mean I have to give you dessert?" (No — the rule says you can have it, not that I must give it). This trains the Backwards Trap instinct.
• Scrutinise the Ads. When an advertisement makes a claim, pause the TV. Ask your child to play both characters. "Character A says this product will make you popular. Character B says this product contains sugar. Who is correct based only on the commercial?"
• Focus on the "Why." When your child completes a practice paper, don't just mark it right or wrong. If they got a "Who is Correct?" question wrong, ask them to explain the logical flaw the incorrect character made. If they can articulate the trap, they won't fall into it next time.

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Final Thoughts

The "Who is Correct?" questions are not designed to trick students who are bad at reading; they are designed to challenge students who read too much into a text. By training your child to stick rigidly to the provided facts, identify the Backwards Trap, and evaluate each character in complete isolation, you equip them with the precise tools needed to master the OC Thinking Skills test.

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