OLSAT® Question Type: Aural Reasoning

In this post, we begin with an overview of "Aural Reasoning" question types, including what skills they measure and how many of these question types are on the OLSAT test. We also provide a sample question, accompanied by tips and strategies to help your student perform successfully on "Aural Reasoning" questions during the official OLSAT® exam.

Aural Reasoning: What To Expect?

‘Aural Reasoning’ questions assess a student’s ability to listen to, understand and visualize a question that is read aloud to him or her. These questions assess listening skills, visual vocabulary, and understanding about the characteristics and functions of things. They also measure the ability to pay close attention to details, and the ability to use logic and inferences to figure out the correct outcome and response.

Pre-K students taking the OLSAT® (for admission into Kindergarten) are asked approximately five of these types of questions.

Kindergarten students taking the OLSAT® (for admission into 1st Grade) are asked approximately 12 of these types of questions.

Aural Reasoning: Sample Question

answer: B

Aural Reasoning:Tips and Strategies

Make sure your student is focused by asking him to “listen carefully” before each question.

Tell your student to look at the answer options while you ask the questions. Ask your student to eliminate obviously wrong answers to narrow down the answer choices.

Ask your student to explain why he chose a specific answer. This will help you identify where your student is stumbling, and be an opportunity to reinforce his understanding of the concept and/or calculation.

If your student consistently cannot recall all the information read aloud to her in these questions, leave out some details that are not essential. Gradually add in more information when you think your student is ready. Aim ultimately to read the whole question just once, as this reflects the actual testing environment.

What's Next?

Learn more about the different question types on the OLSAT, including Following Directions, Arithmetic Reasoning, Analogies, Classifications, Series and Pattern Matrices.

If you think you need more information and guidance about the OLSAT, check out our in-depth article on the test, as well as our posts on the verbal and non-verbal section.

Also, learn everything you need to know about other tests that measure a child’s potential to learn in school, like the NNAT2.