CAT4 verbal reasoning words: how the questions work
Verbal reasoning questions ask how words relate to each other. Here is how analogies and odd one out work, with worked examples and how to practise the words.
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What is CAT4 verbal reasoning?
CAT4 is a reasoning test that some schools use as part of entry. Its verbal reasoning questions include verbal analogies and verbal classification, and both depend on knowing what words mean and how they relate. VocabGecko is independent of CAT4, but its analogies and odd one out questions practise the same word skills.
This page describes the question styles in general. The exact questions and format depend on the test your child sits, so use the school's own guidance and practice material to check.
How do verbal analogies and odd one out questions work?
A verbal analogy gives one pair of linked words and asks which word completes a second pair in the same way, so your child works out the link first, such as same meaning or opposite meaning. An odd one out question gives a group of words and asks which does not belong. Both reward knowing exactly what each word means. Here are three worked examples.
Example 1
Meticulous is to careful as tranquil is to ...?
- calm
- rare
- plentiful
- hesitant
Answer: calm. Meticulous and careful mean almost the same, so the link is same meaning. Tranquil means calm and peaceful, with no noise or trouble, so calm completes the second pair.
Example 2
Abundant is to scarce as plentiful is to ...?
- rare
- careful
- calm
- unwilling
Answer: rare. Abundant and scarce are opposites, so the link is opposite meaning. Plentiful means the same as abundant, so its opposite is rare, which means the same as scarce.
Example 3
Which word does not belong with the others?
- calm
- serene
- peaceful
- hesitant
Answer: hesitant. Calm, serene and peaceful all go with tranquil. Hesitant belongs with reluctant, which means not keen to do something, so it is the odd one out.
What makes these questions tricky?
Analogies are tricky because the link between the first pair can be hard to name, and a wrong answer often fits a different link. Odd one out is tricky because several words can seem to belong together in more than one way. In both, a child who knows each word exactly can reason it out, while a child who only half knows it can only guess.
- Say the link between the first pair in a short sentence.
- Check that the same sentence works for the second pair.
- For odd one out, find what three words share, then spot the one that does not.
How can my child practise these words?
By learning each word properly, then meeting it in different question types. Over time VocabGecko practises each word as an analogy and as an odd one out, as well as a synonym, an antonym, a cloze and a spelling question, and brings it back just before it would be forgotten. It sits beside practice papers for the test itself and does not replace them.
Our 11+ vocabulary guide explains how to help words stay learned.
What should my child practise next?
Synonym, antonym, cloze and verbal reasoning questions all rest on the same thing: knowing what words mean and how they relate to each other. The vocabulary guide explains how to help a child learn those words so they stay learned, and the pages below explain the other question types one at a time.
Ready to try it with your child's own words?
Join the free beta waitlist. Once you have a place, you type in the words from your next practice test and check the first cards. Joining takes about a minute. VocabGecko is free during the beta, needs no card, and works alongside the prep platform or tutor you already use.
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