Analogy & Classification
Syllabus Unit: General Intelligence & Reasoning
Why it matters
Chapter overview
Analogy and classification questions test pattern recognition across words, letters, numbers and figures: identify the exact relationship in a given pair or group first, then apply that same relationship to find the missing term or the item that breaks it. This topic builds a systematic hypothesis-testing method — the same skill applied to semantic, numeric, and visual patterns alike.
Tier-I Examination Syllabus General Intelligence & Reasoning 25% weightage
Live Animation1 / 4
1Read First PairNote the exact words/letters
2Identify RelationshipSemantic type or letter shift
3Test the RuleConfirm it fits the first pair exactly
4Apply to Second PairFind or verify the missing term
1Word & Letter Analogies
Word analogies test the exact semantic relationship between a given pair; letter analogies apply a fixed alphabet-position shift instead.
Learning Objectives
- Identify the semantic relationship type in a word pair: synonym, antonym, part-whole, tool-function, or cause-effect.
- Apply the identified relationship consistently to find the missing word in the second pair.
- Solve letter analogies by finding the fixed forward/backward alphabet-position shift applied to each letter.
- Solve mixed letter-number analogies by converting each letter to its alphabet position (A=1 ... Z=26) first.
Key Terms
Semantic RelationshipThe specific logical connection (tool-function, part-whole, cause-effect, synonym/antonym) linking the first word pair.
Alphabet PositionEach letter's numeric place in the alphabet, A=1 through Z=26, used to convert letter analogies into number analogies.
Letter ShiftA fixed number of positions added to or subtracted from each letter's alphabet position to generate the next term.
Analogy BridgeThe single rule connecting the first pair, which must be reapplied identically to solve the second pair.
Every analogy question hides exactly one rule connecting the first pair — the entire task is naming that rule precisely enough to reapply it.
Common semantic relationship types
- Synonym / Antonym: Happy:Joyful (synonym) or Hot:Cold (antonym).
- Tool-Function: Pen:Write, Knife:Cut.
- Part-Whole: Wheel:Car, Page:Book.
- Worker-Workplace: Doctor:Hospital, Teacher:School.
Letter analogies
AB : CD :: EF : GH (each letter shifted forward by +2 positions)
Exam TipFor mixed letter-number analogies, convert every letter to its position number first (A=1...Z=26), solve the arithmetic pattern, then convert back if needed.