Verbal Reasoning: Logic, Codes and Word Relationships
What this domain tests
Verbal Reasoning assesses logical thinking expressed in words: analogies, odd-one-out, letter and word codes, syllogisms, and short passages requiring a single valid inference. Success depends on precise reading and resisting assumptions the text does not support.
Concepts to master
- Analogies: identify the exact relationship (part-to-whole, cause-effect, degree, function, category) and apply it in the same direction.
- Odd-one-out: find the shared category of all but one option; beware words with multiple meanings.
- Letter codes: map positions in the alphabet, track shifts (+1, −2), reversals, and interleaved patterns.
- Syllogisms: use only the stated premises; "some" does not imply "all", and a valid conclusion must hold in every case.
- Inference: the correct answer is necessarily true from the passage, not merely plausible.
Traps that appear
- Distractor options that reverse the analogy's direction.
- Codes where the shift changes between letters - check each position individually.
- Conclusions that convert "some A are B" into "all B are A".
- Answer choices that are true in real life but unsupported by the passage.
Worked example
If CAT is coded as DBU, each letter moves forward one place. Apply the same rule to DOG: D→E, O→P, G→H, giving EPH. Rule of thumb: write the alphabet positions above the letters so shifts become visible, and verify the rule on every letter before choosing.