Questions
3 questions per paper
Difficulty
Medium
Importance
High yield for HPCL/NTPC
Overview
Analogy and Classification test your ability to recognize logical patterns, relationships, and distinct characteristics within sets of words, numbers, or letters. These topics are fundamental to the Reasoning section of PSU exams as they assess cognitive flexibility and the ability to infer underlying structure quickly. Mastering this requires identifying the specific logic that links entities, moving beyond surface-level observations.
Word Analogies
Word analogies require identifying the semantic relationship between a pair of terms and replicating that relationship in a second pair. Success depends on understanding synonyms, antonyms, functional roles, and hierarchical structures between the given words.
- Category vs Sub-category relationships
- Part-to-whole or Whole-to-part logic
- Functional, utilitarian, or tool-based associations
- Intensity of emotion or action shifts
- Gender or collective noun groupings
Number Analogies
These rely on identifying mathematical relationships between numbers or sets of numbers. Candidates must scan for common arithmetic operations or sequence patterns to determine how the first set transforms into the second.
- Square and cube root relationships (n^2 +/- k or n^3 +/- k)
- Prime number sequences and odd/even properties
- Digit summation (sum of digits equals a constant or follows a pattern)
- Multiplication and division factors
- Arithmetic and geometric progression identification
Letter Analogies
Letter analogies analyze the positional shifts within the English alphabet. You must track the forward or backward movement of letters, often mapping them to their corresponding numerical rank (A=1, Z=26) to solve complex patterns.
- Positional shifting (A+3 = D, B-2 = Z)
- Vowel vs Consonant grouping patterns
- Reverse alphabet mapping (A-Z, B-Y pairings)
- Interleaving or alternating skip sequences
- Cycle looping patterns (Z followed by A)
Odd One Out Classification
Classification involves selecting the term that does not belong to a group of items sharing a common trait. This requires identifying the rule that applies to all items except for one outlier.
- Identify shared properties (physical, semantic, or numerical)
- Look for the 'odd' mathematical operator
- Exclude based on category membership
- Differentiate by unique internal components
- Check for spelling or phonetic anomalies
Formula Sheet
Numerical position mapping: A=1, ..., M=13, ..., Z=26
Opposite pair sum constant: X + Reverse(X) = 27
Digit sequence: Sum of terms = Constant
Exam Tip
If a relationship isn't immediately obvious, test for prime numbers, squares, or positional alphabet shifts before attempting complex multi-step arithmetic.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming only one logical relationship exists when multiple possibilities might seem plausible at first glance.
- Over-complicating simple arithmetic sequences when the solution is often a basic difference or digit sum.
- Ignoring the specific direction of the relationship (e.g., swapping the cause-and-effect order).
More Revision Notes
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