Verbal Reasoning

Analogy means similarity or correspondence between two things. In these questions, the first pair shares a relationship; you must find a second pair with the SAME relationship. Format: A : B :: C : ?

Common relationship types:

• Synonym/Antonym (Big : Large)
• Worker : Tool (Carpenter : Saw)
• Part : Whole (Wheel : Car)
• Cause : Effect (Hard work : Success)
• Object : Function (Pen : Write)
• Animal : Young one (Cow : Calf)

Memory trick: Frame a SENTENCE linking the first pair, e.g. 'A Doctor treats a Patient.' Then apply the SAME sentence to the options: 'A Teacher teaches a ___.' The option that fits perfectly is the answer.

Q: 7 : 56 :: 9 : ?

Step 1: Find the relation between 7 and 56. Try multiplication: 7 x 8 = 56. So the rule could be n x (n+1) = 7 x 8 = 56. Yes!

Step 2: Apply to 9: 9 x (9+1) = 9 x 10 = 90.

Answer: 90.

Tip: Always test common operations in order — multiply, square, cube, add, then combinations like n²+n. Here 7²=49 (no), 7³ too big, so n(n+1) fits. Confirm with the second number before choosing.

In Classification questions, four or five items are given and all EXCEPT ONE share a common property. You must spot the ODD ONE OUT — the item that does not belong to the group.

Steps to solve:

1. Read all options quickly and look for an obvious category (all are fruits, all are even numbers, all are prime, etc.).
2. Find what THREE items have in common.
3. The one that breaks the pattern is the answer.

Common bases: living vs non-living, even/odd, prime numbers, perfect squares, vowels vs consonants, geographical (capitals vs countries), and word-meaning groups.

Memory trick: Ask 'Which three are friends?' The lonely one is your answer. Always double-check by confirming the other three truly match before locking your choice.

Q: Find the odd one: 17, 27, 37, 47

Step 1: Check if they are prime. A prime number has only two factors: 1 and itself.

• 17 = prime (factors 1, 17)
• 27 = 3 x 9 = NOT prime (divisible by 3)
• 37 = prime
• 47 = prime

Step 2: Three of them (17, 37, 47) are prime; 27 is composite.

Answer: 27.

Tip: For number classification, always test primality, even/odd, and perfect squares/cubes. Quick primality check: try dividing by 2, 3, 5, 7.

A series is an ordered sequence following a hidden rule. You find the rule, then predict the missing term.

Number series patterns:

• Addition/Subtraction: +2, +4, +6... or -3, -3...
• Multiplication/Division: x2, x3...
• Squares/Cubes: 1, 4, 9, 16 (n²)
• Mixed: alternate add and multiply
• Difference of differences (when gaps grow)

Alphabet series: convert letters to position numbers (A=1, B=2 ... Z=26) and look for the gap. EJOTY trick helps locate letters: E=5, J=10, O=15, T=20, Y=25.

Memory trick: First write the DIFFERENCES between consecutive terms. If differences are constant, it is simple addition; if differences themselves form a pattern, the rule is one level deeper.

Useful tools:

1. EJOTY positions: A=1, E=5, J=10, O=15, T=20, Y=25, Z=26. To find letter at position 18: it is between O(15) and T(20), count O,P,Q,R = 18, so R.

2. Common number rules to test in order:
   +constant -> +growing -> x constant -> squares -> cubes -> alternate two rules.

Worked example: 3, 6, 11, 18, 27, ?
Differences: 3, 5, 7, 9 (increasing by 2). Next difference = 11. So 27 + 11 = 38.
Answer: 38.

Tip: For two-step alternating series like 2, 6, 4, 12, 8 ... separate odd and even positions and solve each chain independently.

In Coding-Decoding, words are written in a secret code using a rule. You decode the rule from a given example and apply it to a new word.

Main types:

1. Letter shifting: each letter moves forward/backward by a fixed number. CAT -> DBU (each +1).
2. Reverse coding: write the word backwards. CAT -> TAC.
3. Number coding: letters replaced by position numbers. A=1...Z=26. CAB -> 3,1,2.
4. Substitution: a whole word stands for another word.

Memory trick: Write A=1 to Z=26 along a rough line when needed. For shift codes, compare the position of each coded letter with the original to find the constant gap, then apply the same gap to the target word.

Q: If CAT is coded as ECV, how is DOG coded?

Step 1: Compare CAT with ECV.

• C(3) -> E(5): +2
• A(1) -> C(3): +2
• T(20) -> V(22): +2
  Rule: each letter moves +2.

Step 2: Apply +2 to DOG.

• D(4) -> F(6)
• O(15) -> Q(17)
• G(7) -> I(9)

Answer: FQI.

Tip: If a letter goes past Z, wrap around to A (Z+1 = A). Always verify the SAME shift works for every letter of the example before applying it.