OC Thinking Skills Practice Test 18 — 2027 NSW Opportunity Class Exam

Sharpen deductive logic, argument evaluation, and analytical reasoning with this 30-question OC Thinking Skills practice test. Matched to the 2027 NSW Opportunity Class Placement Test format and timed to build real exam speed for Year 4/5 students.

Duration

30 Minutes

Format

2027 NSW Format

Questions

30 multiple-choice

Level

NSW OC Placement Test Level

Skills Covered in this Test

This practice test mirrors the official weightings of the NSW Department of Education exam.

The breakdown

  • Finding Procedures: Identifying the correct sequence or steps to reach an outcome.
  • Spatial Reasoning: Visualising and manipulating shapes, positions, and arrangements.
  • Seating Arrangements: Deducing who sits where from ordering and constraint clues.
  • Detecting Reasoning Errors: Identifying flaws, assumptions, and gaps in arguments.
  • Relevant Selections: Choosing the option that best supports or completes an argument.
  • Matching Arguments: Recognising argument structures that are parallel or equivalent.

Sample Questions from Test 18

The first two questions of this mock test (same order and wording as the timed exam).

Thinking Skills

In a survey of school children, everyone who liked drawing liked reading. Everyone who liked reading liked si…

Question 1 · Multiple choice

Question

In a survey of school children, everyone who liked drawing liked reading. Everyone who liked reading liked singing, but no one who liked reading liked dancing. Steve, Nicole, Kevin and Sarah all took part in the survey.

Options

Based on the information, which one of the following must be true?

  • A.If Steve likes singing, he also likes reading.
  • B.If Nicole does not like dancing, she does not like singing.
  • C.If Kevin does not like drawing, he does not like reading.
  • D.If Sarah likes drawing, she does not like dancing.

Correct answer

D.If Sarah likes drawing, she does not like dancing.

Explanation

Step 1: Turn the survey rules into a logic chain.

The three rules are:

  • Drawing → Reading (everyone who liked drawing also liked reading)
  • Reading → Singing (everyone who liked reading also liked singing)
  • Reading → NOT Dancing (no one who liked reading liked dancing)

Combine these into one chain:

Drawing → Reading → Singing and Drawing → Reading → NOT Dancing

Step 2: Test each statement.

Option A — "If Steve likes singing, he also likes reading." We know Reading → Singing (forward), but not the reverse. Someone could enjoy singing without ever having read — the reverse is not given. ❌ Not necessarily true.

Option B — "If Nicole does not like dancing, she does not like singing." Not liking dancing does not tell us anything about singing. Nicole could love singing without ever liking reading (the chain that leads to "not dancing"). ❌ Not necessarily true.

Option C — "If Kevin does not like drawing, he does not like reading." This is the inverse fallacy: Kevin could like reading for a reason other than drawing. ❌ Not necessarily true.

Option D — "If Sarah likes drawing, she does not like dancing." Follow the chain: Drawing → Reading → NOT Dancing. If Sarah likes drawing, she must like reading, and since no one who likes reading likes dancing, Sarah cannot like dancing. ✓ This must always be true.

The answer is D.

Thinking Skills

Ana, Ben, Cara, and Dan each sit on one side of a square table — north, east, south, or west (one person per …

Question 2 · Multiple choice

Question

Ana, Ben, Cara, and Dan each sit on one side of a square table — north, east, south, or west (one person per side). Ben sits on the south side. Cara sits on the north side. Dan sits on the east side.

An object is placed at each corner of the table:

  • North-west corner: a lamp
  • North-east corner: a plant
  • South-east corner: a clock
  • South-west corner: a book

Each person looks toward the centre of the table.

Which friend would see the lamp on their left and the book on their right?

Options

  • A.Ana
  • B.Ben
  • C.Cara
  • D.Dan

Correct answer

A.Ana

Explanation

Step 1: Map out the seating.

From the clues:

  • Ben = south, Cara = north, Dan = east
  • The only side left for Ana is west.
           NORTH (Cara)
              │
WEST (Ana) ──[TABLE]── EAST (Dan)
              │
           SOUTH (Ben)

Step 2: Work out what each person sees from their seat.

Each person faces the centre of the table. When you face the centre, the corners on your left and right depend on which side you are on.

PersonSits atFacesLeftRight
BenSouthNorthWest → SW corner = bookEast → SE corner = clock
CaraNorthSouthEast → NE corner = plantWest → NW corner = lamp
DanEastWestNorth → NE corner = plantSouth → SE corner = clock
AnaWestEastNorth → NW corner = lampSouth → SW corner = book

Step 3: Find who sees lamp on the left and book on the right.

Looking at the table above, only Ana (sitting on the west side, facing east) sees:

  • Lamp (north-west corner) on her left ✓
  • Book (south-west corner) on her right ✓

Ana would see the lamp on her left and the book on her right.

Core Competencies

Additional EvidenceData SufficiencyDetecting Reasoning ErrorsDrawing a ConclusionEvaluating HypothesesFinding ProceduresIdentifying SimilarityLogical DeductionMatching ArgumentsRelevant SelectionsSeating ArrangementsSpatial ReasoningSyllogismsTruth/Liar Puzzles

Prepare with Precision

  • Build deductive logic and analytical reasoning at OC exam speed.
  • Practise argument evaluation, spatial puzzles, and multi-variable reasoning.
  • Identify which OC Thinking Skills question types need the most work.

This public page gives students and parents a detailed look at the skills and question types covered in every OC Thinking Skills practice test. The full 30-question timed test—with real-time scoring and detailed review—is available to enrolled members, so your child can build real confidence for the 2027 NSW Opportunity Class exam.

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