OC Thinking Skills Practice Test 3 — 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.
  • Additional Evidence: Strengthening and weakening arguments with new information.
  • Spatial Reasoning: Visualising and manipulating shapes, positions, and arrangements.
  • Seating Arrangements: Deducing who sits where from ordering and constraint clues.
  • Logical Deduction: Drawing necessary conclusions from given rules and conditions.
  • Drawing a Conclusion: Logic-based deduction and inference from given premises.

Sample Questions from Test 3

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

Thinking Skills

Three coloured lights sit in a row. Each light is either red or green. When the first light flashes, it signa…

Question 1 · Multiple choice

Question

Three coloured lights sit in a row. Each light is either red or green. When the first light flashes, it signals the second light; the second light then signals the third light.

The first light is green. The third light is red.

Options

Which statement must be true?

  • A.Exactly two lights are green.
  • B.A green light directly signals a red light at some point in the chain.
  • C.A red light directly signals a green light at some point.
  • D.Exactly one light is green.

Correct answer

B.A green light directly signals a red light at some point in the chain.

Explanation

Step 1: List what we know.

  • Light 1 = green
  • Light 3 = red
  • Light 2 = unknown (could be red or green — we are not told)

The chain runs: Light 1 → Light 2 → Light 3.

Step 2: Test both possible cases for light 2.

Case 1 — Light 2 is RED:

Chain: green(1) → red(2) → red(3)

Here, green light 1 directly signals red light 2. ✓ A green signals a red!

Case 2 — Light 2 is GREEN:

Chain: green(1) → green(2) → red(3)

Here, green light 2 directly signals red light 3. ✓ A green signals a red!

Step 3: Find the statement that is true in BOTH cases.

Option B says: "A green light directly signals a red light at some point in the chain."

In Case 1 → green(1) signals red(2) ✓ In Case 2 → green(2) signals red(3) ✓

No matter what colour light 2 is, a green always ends up signalling a red somewhere. So Option B must be true!

Quick check of the others:

  • Option A ("Exactly two lights are green"): In Case 1 only one light is green. Not always true. ✗
  • Option C ("A red signals a green"): In Case 1, red(2) signals red(3) — no red signals green. In Case 2, green(2) signals red(3) — no red signals green either. Never true. ✗
  • Option D ("Exactly one light is green"): In Case 2, lights 1 and 2 are both green — that's two greens. Not always true. ✗

Answer: Option B must always be true.

Thinking Skills

Six friends—Ava, Ben, Cal, Dot, Eli, and Fay—are sitting at a rectangular study table for a group project. Th…

Question 2 · Multiple choice

Question

Six friends—Ava, Ben, Cal, Dot, Eli, and Fay—are sitting at a rectangular study table for a group project. There are three chairs on the North side and three chairs on the South side, directly facing each other.

Clues:
- Ava and Ben are in the same row, with exactly one person sitting between them.
- Cal sits exactly opposite either Dot or Eli.
- If Cal sits exactly opposite Dot, then Fay sits exactly opposite Eli.
- Ben sits in the same row as Cal.

Options

Which one of the following statements must be true?

  • A.Ben sits exactly opposite Dot.
  • B.Eli sits exactly opposite Cal.
  • C.Fay sits exactly opposite Ava.
  • D.Ava sits immediately next to Eli.

Correct answer

B.Eli sits exactly opposite Cal.

Explanation

Draw the 2×3 grid. "Next to" means side-by-side in the same row. "Opposite" means directly across the table.

Step 1: Find the Anchor Chain (Before Running Any What-If)

Look at Clues 1 and 4 together — they are a powerful combo.

  • Clue 4: Ben is in the same row as Cal.
  • Clue 1: Ava and Ben are in the same row, with exactly one person between them.

Combining these: Ava, Ben, AND Cal are all in the same row. In a 3-seat row, the only way to have one person between Ava and Ben is if that person is in the middle seat. Since Cal is also in this row, Cal must be the person sitting in the middle between Ava and Ben.

     [ ??? ROW ]
[ Ava ] [ Cal ] [ Ben ]
-----------------------
[  ?  ] [  ?  ] [  ?  ]

(Ava and Ben could swap sides, but Cal is always in the middle.)

Step 2: The "What-If" Test (Pushing the Domino)

Look at Clue 2: "Cal sits exactly opposite either Dot or Eli." We run our What-If Test on Dot, because it triggers the domino in Clue 3.

Assumption: What if Cal sits exactly opposite Dot?

Let's watch the domino fall:

  • Domino 1: If Cal is opposite Dot, Clue 3 says Fay must sit exactly opposite Eli.

Step 3: The CRASH! 💥

Cal is in the middle seat of his row. For Cal to be exactly opposite Dot, Dot must be in the same column — which means Dot is in the middle seat of the other row.

[ Ava ] [ Cal ] [ Ben ]  ← Cal's row (completely full!)
-----------------------
[  ?  ] [ Dot ] [  ?  ]  ← Other row

The only two empty seats left are the two corners of the Other Row. Those seats must go to Eli and Fay.

But look at the Domino! It says Fay must sit exactly opposite Eli. For two people to be "exactly opposite," they must be in the same column but in different rows. However, both Eli and Fay are stuck in the same row — the Other Row. Two people in the same row cannot be "exactly opposite" each other.

This is physically impossible. CRASH! 💥

Step 4: The Rebound Deduction

Because our assumption caused a crash, it was wrong.

  • Cal cannot sit opposite Dot.
  • Go back to Clue 2: Cal must sit opposite Dot or Eli.
  • Therefore, Cal MUST sit exactly opposite Eli.

Step 5: Finding the Answer

Cal is in the middle seat of his row. The seat directly opposite a middle seat is always the other row's middle seat. So Eli must be in the middle seat of the other row.

[ Ava ] [ Cal ] [ Ben ]  ← Cal's row
-----------------------
[ Dot/Fay ] [ Eli ] [ Fay/Dot ]  ← Other row

(Dot and Fay fill the remaining corners, but we don't know which one is on which side.)

Checking the Options

  • B is the only provable truth: Cal is always in one middle seat and Eli is always directly across in the other middle seat. ✅
  • A is not always true: Ben could be in the left or right corner, and Dot could be on either side — we cannot determine if they are in the same column.
  • C is not always true: Same reasoning — Fay and Ava's exact corners are undetermined.
  • D is always false: Ava is in Cal's row and Eli is in the opposite row. They are never in the same row and cannot be next to each other.

🧠 The "Repeatable Approach" for Anchor Chain Puzzles

  • Combine clues BEFORE running a What-If: If two clues both mention the same person, combine them first. Here, Clues 1 and 4 both mention Ben, so putting them together gives you a pre-built block that fills an entire row.
  • A full row is a CRASH magnet: Once a row is completely filled by your anchor chain, any rule that forces yet another person into that row will instantly crash.
  • The Opposite Trap: On a 3×2 table, "exactly opposite" always means same column, different rows. If two people end up stranded in the same row, they can never be "exactly opposite" — instant CRASH!

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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