Analogies: 11+ non-verbal reasoning
The first figure changes into the second. Your child works out exactly how, then makes the same change to a third figure.
What the questions look like
Two pairs of boxes with an arrow in each pair: the first pair is complete, and the second has a figure and an empty box. The change can be to the shading, the size, the turn, the number of marks, or two of these at once.
The options include the third figure with only part of the change made, or the right change made the wrong way round.
Write down every change
Compare the first two figures feature by feature: what is different, and what stays the same?
Make exactly those changes
Apply each change to the third figure and nothing else.
Check the answer has them all
Rule out any option that has only some of the changes.
A worked example
The first figure changes into the second. Which figure does the third change into?
From the first figure to the second: the arrow goes from white to black, and it turns a quarter turn clockwise, from pointing up to pointing right. It still has one dot.
- ?
So the triangle must turn black and turn a quarter turn clockwise, and keep its own two dots.
- ABCDE
A is black but hasn’t turned. B has lost a dot. D has turned but is still white. E is the second figure again.
- ABCDE
C is black, points right and has two dots: the same change, made to the triangle.
Try 8 questions
New questions every time, in the style of GL Assessment’s papers, and marked when you finish.
The usual mistakes
Making only one change
Seeing the shading change and missing the turn, so choosing A.
Copying the second figure
Choosing E, the arrow again, instead of making the change to the third figure.
Changing what should stay
Taking a dot away (B) because the second figure has one dot, when the number of dots didn’t change.
The other kinds of question
Each has its own page with a worked example and questions to try. What non-verbal reasoning is, and who tests it.
With Exam Prep, Thena sets practice papers in your child’s test’s style and goes over every mistake with them on her board: £49 a month with the Solo plan.
Questions about analogies
How do you solve a non-verbal analogy?
Compare the first two figures feature by feature and write down every change: the shading went from white to black, it turned a quarter turn, one more dot. Then make exactly those changes to the third figure, and nothing else.
What’s the most common mistake?
Making only one of the changes. When two things change from the first figure to the second, the option with just one of them is usually there to catch a child who stopped looking.
Thena goes over every question your child gets wrong
She draws it on her board, finds where it went wrong and works it through with them, then gives them one like it to do alone.
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