CogAT Nonverbal cheat sheet

Analogies follow a fixed relation type: function, category, part-to-whole, degree, cause-effect, or antonym; name the relation in the stem pair before reading options.

Word-pair order matters: if the stem reads A→B, the answer must preserve the same direction (worker→tool, not tool→worker).

Sentence-completion blanks are answered by grammar first: article agreement, singular/plural verb, and preposition choice eliminate options before meaning is weighed.

Classification items: three words share one category and one does not; the odd word usually differs by category level (a specific item among general ones) or by connotation.

For verbal analogies with degree relations, the second pair must match both the direction and the size of the gap (warm:hot = cool:cold, not cool:frozen).

Antonym pairs must match part of speech and intensity; a mild opposite does not pair with an extreme word.

In classification, a word that fits two possible categories is usually the answer only if the other three form one tight, single category.

Context clues in sentence completion: contrast signals (but, although, unlike) reverse the blank's meaning; continuation signals (and, because, since) carry it forward.

Number series: compute consecutive differences first; if differences are constant it is arithmetic, if ratios are constant it is geometric, if second differences are constant it is quadratic.

Alternating series split into odd and even positions; each subsequence follows its own rule, so test both before rejecting a pattern.

Number analogies apply the same operation to both pairs; the operation may be +, −, ×, ÷, or a two-step rule such as ×2 then +1.

Number puzzles (missing value in an equation): substitute answer choices from the middle outward, since test designers rarely place the correct value first or last.

Relational comparison items: simplify both sides symbolically before computing; many comparisons resolve by structure alone (e.g., 3×n vs n×3).

For quantitative classification, test each candidate number for divisibility, parity, prime status, and perfect-square status against the other three.

Pattern rules with shapes and numbers: the count of sides or vertices often drives the numeric value, so count before calculating.

Estimation shortcut: when options are widely spaced, round operands to the nearest ten or hundred and eliminate ranges rather than computing exactly.

Figure analogies: isolate one transformation (rotation, reflection, size change, shading, added element) from the first pair, then apply exactly that transformation to the target figure.

Paper folding: unfold in reverse order of the folds; each unfold mirrors the hole pattern across the crease line, doubling the number of holes per fold.

Punch-hole counting: total holes equal the number of punches multiplied by 2 raised to the number of folds, unless holes overlap on a crease.

Figure classification: the three matching figures share a rule such as symmetry, number of enclosed regions, rotation direction, or line type; the odd figure breaks exactly one rule.

Cube nets: opposite faces never touch on the net; faces separated by one face in a straight line are opposite, and this fixes which faces can meet at an edge.

Figure series: track element count, position, shading, and orientation separately; a single series may change two attributes at once while holding a third constant.

Reflection versus rotation: a reflected figure is mirror-imaged (chirality flips), while a rotated figure preserves handedness; check an asymmetric detail to tell them apart.

Matrices (2×2 or 3×3): the rule runs across rows and down columns; verify a candidate rule on both directions before choosing.