Verbal Reasoning
Question types
Verbal reasoning tests word knowledge and logic rather than reading. Expect synonyms and antonyms; analogies ('A is to B as C is to ?'); odd one out; letter and number sequences; letter codes and ciphers; compound words; hidden words; alphabetical ordering; small logic puzzles; missing words in sentences; and jumbled sentences to reorder.
Traps
- Near-synonyms that differ in strength or register ('warm' vs 'boiling').
- Analogies where the relationship runs the other way (part-to-whole vs whole-to-part).
- Codes: check both the direction of the shift and the position in the word; some codes use alternating rules.
- Sequences with two interleaved rules (1st, 3rd, 5th follow one pattern; 2nd, 4th, 6th another).
- Odd one out where two options seem plausible - you must find the rule that excludes exactly one.
- Hidden words often straddle two words, e.g. 'the rat io'.
Rule of thumb
Say the relationship aloud as a full sentence before choosing ('a puppy is a young dog, so a kitten is a young…'). If your sentence works for the options, you have the rule; if not, test a different relationship.
Worked example
If CAT is coded as DBU, how is DOG coded? Each letter moves one forward in the alphabet: C→D, A→B, T→U. Applying the same shift gives D→E, O→P, G→H, so the answer is EPH. Always verify the rule on every letter, not just the first.