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Verbal Reasoning: question types and approaches
Verbal reasoning mixes word knowledge with precise rule-following. Recognising the question family helps a child decide whether to think about meaning, letter positions or the facts in a statement.
Choose a topic below. Each worked example is deliberately small so the method is easy to follow; exam questions may combine more features or steps. These are original teaching examples, not copied test questions.
Question type 1
Word meanings and groups
Skill and approach: Compare meanings and identify a relationship or category.
Try the idea: Which is closest to scarce: plentiful, rare, tidy or heavy?
See the worked explanation
Rare. Scarce means not readily available. Plentiful is the opposite, while tidy and heavy describe different qualities.
Watch for: Check whether the instruction asks for a similar or opposite meaning.
Question type 2
Word analogies
Skill and approach: Express the first relationship, then match it in the same direction.
Try the idea: Puppy is to dog as kitten is to what?
See the worked explanation
Cat. The first word names the young animal and the second the adult. Both pairs must share that relationship.
Watch for: A word that is merely associated with the topic may not fit.
Question type 3
Building and changing words
Skill and approach: Follow letter instructions exactly while checking real words.
Try the idea: Choose the word that completes both compounds: rain___ and ___tie. Options: coat, bow, drop, cloud.
See the worked explanation
Bow: rainbow and bowtie. Test the chosen word in both positions, not just the first.
Watch for: Do not add or rearrange letters unless permitted.
Question type 4
Letter codes
Skill and approach: Compare each original letter with its coded partner.
Try the idea: If FISH is coded GJTI by moving every letter one place forward, how is LAMP coded?
See the worked explanation
MBNQ: L→M, A→B, M→N, P→Q. Check each position separately.
Watch for: Some puzzles use different shifts at different positions.
Question type 5
Letter and number sequences
Skill and approach: Find a repeatable step; check alternating positions if needed.
Try the idea: What follows 4, 7, 11, 16?
See the worked explanation
22. The differences are 3, 4 and 5, so the next difference is 6. This is not a constant-step sequence.
Watch for: Test the rule across the whole sequence.
Question type 6
Logical statements
Skill and approach: Use only the given facts. Sketch an order or table.
Try the idea: Ravi finishes before Nina. Nina finishes before Alex. Who finishes last?
See the worked explanation
Alex. The order is Ravi, Nina, Alex. A simple three-name line makes the deduction visible.
Watch for: Avoid adding assumptions from everyday experience.
Helping at home
When reviewing a mistake, identify whether it came from an unfamiliar word, a misunderstood instruction or a missed rule. Keep a short vocabulary notebook with a sentence of your child’s own for each new word.
Which types should we practise?
Use the target school’s current admissions guidance and familiarisation material to choose the relevant formats. This guide describes common question families, not a syllabus for every school. Check the test instructions about timing and whether children may return to earlier questions.
Further reading: Exam Papers Plus — Verbal Reasoning guidance and GL Assessment’s official familiarisation guidance. These links offer additional background; our explanations and worked examples are independently written.
A clearer next step for your child
Our 11+ tuition gives children time to explore unfamiliar questions and explain their thinking. Mock exams provide an opportunity to practise working through a paper in an exam setting.
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