Verbal reasoning
CAT4 verbal analogies
Hot is to cold as up is to…? Find the word that completes the pair.
What the questions look like
Your child sees a pair of words that are linked in a certain way, then the first word of a second pair. They choose the word that completes the second pair in the same way.
In the digital CAT4 (Levels A–G) this section is timed at 8 minutes.
Worked example
Example 1 · easier
Foot goes with shoe in the same way that hand goes with…
Show answer
Answer: C A shoe covers a foot, and a glove covers a hand.
What it measures
Seeing relationships between ideas: opposites, part and whole, young and adult, worker and workplace, object and use.
Tips for your child
- Make a sentence that links the first pair: "a puppy grows into a dog".
- Use the same sentence for the second pair: "a kitten grows into a…".
- If more than one option fits, make the sentence more specific.
- Keep the order the same. "Teacher → school" is not the same as "school → teacher".
Watch out for: Words that are related to the second word but in a different way from the first pair ("bee → honey" when the link was "lives in").
A harder example
Example 2 · harder
Visible goes with invisible in the same way that possible goes with…
Show answer
Answer: E Invisible is the opposite of visible, and impossible is the opposite of possible.
Practise with fresh questions every time
Our verbal analogies questions are generated new on every visit, so your child can practise as much as they like without memorising answers. Choose a level:
Questions parents ask
What kinds of relationships come up?
Common ones are opposites, part to whole, young to adult, worker to workplace, object to what it's used for, and smaller to bigger versions of the same thing.
How can we practise at home?
Make it a car game: one person says a pair ("bird → nest"), the other makes a new pair with the same link ("bee → hive").
Questions on this page are original Edzuno practice items in the CAT4 style, not real CAT4 questions. CAT4 is a trademark of GL Education. Timing source: GL Assessment.