CAT4 lessonsVerbal reasoning
CAT4 verbal analogies
Two words that go together, then a third word with a gap. Your child picks the word that goes with the third word in the same way as the first pair.
What your child sees
Level C, Year 6, a question like this one
hard → firm : full → ?
The first two words go together. Which word goes with the third word in the same way?
- Alarge
- Bfirm
- Cpacked
- Dempty
- Ewealthy
Worked example
The same question, one step at a time.
- 1Say how the first two words go together in a short sentence: "Hard" means almost the same as "firm."
- 2Use the very same sentence with the third word, and look for the word that makes it true.
- 3"Full" means almost the same as "packed."
- 4Final answer: packed.
Common traps
Every wrong choice is built from a mistake children really make.
A real link, but the wrong kind
The word does go with the third word, just not in the way the first pair goes together. Saying the first link as a short sentence catches this.
In the example: choice D (empty).
Copying the example
The second word of the first pair is offered again. It feels familiar, which is why it is there.
In the example: choice B (firm).
The right link to a different word
The link is the right kind, but it fits some other word and not the third one. Try the sentence with the third word itself.
In the example: choices A (large) and E (wealthy).
Where it is on the test
Verbal analogies is one of the two tests in the verbal reasoning battery. Each test has its own time limit.
| Level | Questions | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Level A (Year 4) | 24 | 8 minutes |
| Level B (Year 5) | 24 | 8 minutes |
| Level C (Year 6) | 24 | 8 minutes |
| Level D (Year 7) | 24 | 8 minutes |
| Level E (Year 8) | 24 | 8 minutes |
| Level F (Years 9 and 10) | 24 | 8 minutes |
| Level G (Year 11 and above) | 24 | 8 minutes |
Times are GL Assessment's published figures; question counts are ours where GL publishes none.
Try it
Practise this test online, new every time with the score at the end, or print the free worksheets.
The other test in this battery
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