OLSAT® Level D

posted by Karen Quinn, The Testing Mom - June 26th, 2012

If your child is facing an upcoming OLSAT level D examination, you may be anxious about their performance. This is especially true if they have never taken an OLSAT before. Thankfully, there are many ways you can help them prepare, from simple at-home study to fully customized packages for each level of the test. Read more about the different study packages at http://www.brainbuildingfun.com/otscabteoprg.html, keeping in mind that these materials are available through a variety of retailers and (in some cases) your local library.

OLSAT level D testing is used for a variety of purposes. If your child is beginning at a new school, the test may be used as part of an entrance examination. This is especially common at private, gifted and advanced placement institutions. The OLSAT is also used to identify potential difficulties, allowing teachers and parents to provide appropriate assistance. The OLSAT also gives insight into how a student is progressing through school, both individually and as compared to their peers.

Children taking the level D version will be presented with question in graduated degrees of difficulty, unlike lower levels where more difficult questions are placed between simpler ones. This transition helps to familiarize students with the OLSAT format they will be using in years to come.

It’s important to remember that the OLSAT doesn’t test common school subjects; rather, it measures your child’s ability to comprehend information and use it to reason.

Whenever possible, it’s best to start preparing at least a month before your child takes the test. Of course, this isn’t always possible, especially if you are given short notice that your child will be taking the test. If that’s the case, don’t worry – familiarizing your child with the format of the test and the kinds of skills it employs will still be very helpful.

Grade 3 students are the target grade level and age group of the OLSAT® Level D exams. This level marks a step up level from the pre-kindergarten to kindergarten to grades 1 and 2. Additional items are given in OLSAT® Level D in assessing and measuring a Grade 3 student’s learning and cognitive skills.

OLSAT® Level D includes the following test items:

• Verbal Comprehension which determines the child’s ability regarding antonyms, sentence completion and sentence arrangement.
• Verbal Reasoning skills like: arithmetic reasoning, logical selection, word matrix, verbal analogies and verbal classifications.
• Figural Reasoning rates the figural classification, analogy and sequencing, and pattern matrix skills.
•  Quantitative Reasoning items evaluate the child’s ability in terms of number series, number matrices and numeric inferences.

Please note that pictoral reasoning tests are no longer included in OLSAT® Level D and quantitative reasoning skills are now measured together with the standard verbal and nonverbal cluster items. Good luck to you and your kid!