OC Thinking Skills Test | Essential Guide [With Tips and Sample Papers to Ace the Test]

The OC thinking skills test evaluates a student’s critical thinking abilities in spatial reasoning and logical reasoning.

OC Thinking Skills is the third and final section of the three sections in the Opportunity Class Test. The other two are OC Reading Section and OC Mathematical Reasoning Section.

In this article, we will cover, the types of questions, the format of questions as well as some tips that will help you ace the OC Thinking Skills test.

Let’s dive straight in

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What is the structure of the OC Thinking Skills Test

OC Thinking skills test consists of a question paper with 30 multiple-choice questions to be answered in 30 minutes.

This test is conducted at the last after the reading and mathematical reasoning OC test.

Test section	Format	Number of questions	Time
Thinking skills	Paper Based	30	30 minutes

Note: Students are supposed to use the question paper itself to write the answers. Extra sheets are not provided.

What kind of questions are there in an OC Thinking Skills Test

There are two categories of questions that appear in the OC thinking skills test:

• Spatial Reasoning (9 question types)
• Logical Reasoning (4 question types)

Spatial reasoning 

Spatial reasoning questions in the OC thinking skills test involve visual patterns and shape recognition.

Spatial reasoning focuses more on the ability to visualize and arrange the same shapes and patterns.

Spatial reasoning connects math to the physical world and includes skills such as map reading and symmetry understanding. 

Logical reasoning  

Logical reasoning questions in the OC Thinking skills test are about applying knowledge and logic to order, solve and draw conclusions based on a set of rules. 

Sample OC Thinking Skills Test questions

Below are some of the questions from the 2021 OC Thinking skills test.

Make sure to go through these tests and practice them for a better understanding of the OC thinking skills test. 

Skills you need to crack the OC Thinking Skills Test

Thinking skills can be tricky because you don’t know what is exactly in store for you.

While you can prepare for the Reading and Mathematical reasoning test, the Thinking skills test is difficult for most people since they are clueless about the format. 

Learning to master each type of question is key to performing well. To do this, you should possess the following skills:

• Students should start their study by attempting a variety of questions under each topic area. From this, students can then identify which topic areas they are least confident in and target their revision to those topic areas specifically.
• Take advantage of everyday opportunities for spatial thinking.  Learning such words can help children reason about spatial properties and may even accelerate spatial skill development.
• Provide children with tools for building structures, and encourage participation by getting involved yourself. Building structures with blocks as well as other construction toys help kids grow better spatial skills.
• Teach children how to draw shapes and diagrams. Teachers have long recognized that sketching can be an effective learning tool. We gain a better understanding of a structure, system, or concept when we create our own illustrations of it.

How to prepare for the OC Thinking Skills Test

You should keep the following aspects in mind while preparing for the OC thinking skills test:

• Format: It is essential to know the format of the paper in order to develop an understanding of how to answer the questions well. 
• Start reading more: The questions in the test might be difficult to read therefore when your child encounters questions like these, you want him or her to know exactly how to respond.
• Develop a good understanding of English and Mathematics: Build a strong foundation in English and Mathematics. To answer the thinking skills test accurately, you should have basic knowledge of Mathematics and English of Years 3 and 4.
• Manage your time well: It can be challenging to answer 30 questions in 30 minutes. Therefore, you need to manage your time well, while speed is important your answers need to be accurate as well. There should be a balance between speed and accuracy. 
• Practice: Practice is the key to success. Sample test papers are a must for you to ace the test. Keep practicing tests and stay up to date and check the NSW website for sample papers. 

You can refer to the books below to practice for the OC Thinking Skills Section:

• OC Thinking Skills Book 1- Author: Rebecca Gismondo & Ella Huang
• Opportunity Class (OC) Thinking Skills – 5 Sets of  Papers Series #1 (new style)

Further, here are a few more books for OC Test Prep.

Want to ace the OC Test? Find an expert 1-on-1 online OC Test tutor from Wiingy and help your child improve reading, mathematical and thinking skills required for the OC Exam!

OC Thinking Skills Test sample papers

It is important to practice the OC test since you should be aware of the structure for better performance. The NSW website has sample questions along with the answer and the explanation which will help you clear your concepts. 

• Thinking skills sample questions
• Thinking skills sample answer sheet
• Thinking skills explanation of answers

Tips to crack the OC Thinking Skills Test

• Work on your weaknesses: In a spatial awareness test, you are likely to find certain types of questions harder to answer correctly. You might find that you struggle to visualize 3D shapes, or that answering enough questions in the time limit is the problem. These weaker areas should be the focus of your practice.
• Understand what the question is asking for: Before you look at the answers, consider what the question is asking. This means taking some time to examine the given shapes or images, and imagining what the answers might be.
• Spend a few seconds thinking about a question and carefully studying it: You should consider a brief explanation of why each option is correct or incorrect. You will do well in the actual assessment if you can practice this tip in sample reasoning questions.