Notes for SSC CGL examinations — name the exact relationship, preserve its direction, and transfer the same rule from the first pair to the second.
Read: “\(A\) is related to \(B\) in the same way that \(C\) is related to \(D\).” First define the rule as a verb phrase from left to right.
Correct rule: “young one of → adult animal.” Reverse rule “adult of” is different. Therefore foal → horse matches; horse → foal does not.
If several rules fit the first pair, prefer the simplest standard rule that produces exactly one option. Options are evidence, but never permission to invent a strained rule.
| Relationship | Direction phrase | Model pair | What must remain same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synonym | means nearly the same as | Rapid : Swift | part of speech and sense |
| Antonym | opposite in meaning to | Expand : Contract | same semantic dimension |
| Worker–tool | normally works with | Carpenter : Saw | profession first, instrument second |
| Worker–workplace | normally works in | Chef : Kitchen | person first, place second |
| Object–function | is used to | Thermometer : Measure temperature | object first, primary function second |
| Part–whole | is a component of | Page : Book | smaller unit first |
| Whole–part | contains | Tree : Branch | reverse of part–whole |
| Class–member | has member/example | Metal : Copper | general class first |
| Member–class | belongs to class | Rose : Flower | specific first |
| Product–raw material | is made from | Paper : Pulp | finished item first |
| Cause–effect | may produce | Virus : Disease | cause precedes effect |
| Instrument–measurement | measures | Barometer : Pressure | instrument first, quantity second |
| Young one–adult | develops into | Larva : Insect | life stage direction |
| Place–product | is where this is produced/stored | Mint : Coin | precise institutional role |
| Degree/intensity | is a stronger/weaker degree of | Warm : Hot | same quality, changed intensity |
A synonym can substitute in a matching context. Mere association is weaker.
“Silence : Library” is object/typical place, not synonymy. Match the type of relation, not a loose topic connection.
True antonyms oppose on the same dimension and usually share grammatical form.
“Victory : Enemy” is associated, not opposite. “Accept : Rejection” mixes verb and noun; prefer matching form when options allow.
A member is a complete example of a class; a part is a physical/structural component of a whole.
Use the test: “Is the first item itself a kind of the second, or merely inside it?”
These four frequently overlap, so encode direction explicitly:
The pair “Surgeon : Scalpel” must match another professional → specialised tool, not tool → function.
Ask what process links the nouns:
Reversing source/product is a standard distractor.
Test simple, standard rules before complicated ones. A useful hierarchy:
A valid rule must reproduce the first result exactly and transfer unchanged to the second input.
Common forms: \(R(x)=x+k\), \(kx\), \(x^2\), \(x^3\), \(x(x+1)\), or \(x^2\pm k\).
Example: \(6:42::8:?\) can use \(x(x+1)\), giving \(8\times9=72\).
For \(n=10a+b\), common transforms are:
Example: \(34:12\) may be digit product \(3\times4\), so \(52:?\Rightarrow10\).
Do not switch from digit product in one pair to digit sum in another.
Some analogies reverse digits, swap positions, or use distance from a fixed number.
Check whether leading zero is allowed: reversal of \(40\) is usually \(4\), not \(04\), unless a fixed-width code is specified.
Thus \(A\leftrightarrow Z\), \(B\leftrightarrow Y\), \(C\leftrightarrow X\). A shift of \(+k\) moves forward; \(-k\) moves backward. Wrap cyclically only if the pattern requires it.
| Landmark | A | E | J | M | N | T | Z |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | \(1\) | \(5\) | \(10\) | \(13\) | \(14\) | \(20\) | \(26\) |
Track each position independently. Common rules:
Write a small shift vector under the first pair and copy it exactly.
Separate the letter and number components, then test whether each follows its own rule.
Possible clean rule: letter \(+3\), number squared. Apply both, in the same order, to the new term.
Rotation preserves handedness and internal arrangement while every point moves around a centre. Record angle and direction: \(90^\circ\) clockwise, \(180^\circ\), etc.
A \(180^\circ\) rotation is not automatically a mirror reflection.
A vertical mirror swaps left and right but keeps top/bottom; a horizontal mirror swaps top/bottom but keeps left/right. Reflection reverses handedness.
For the first pair, record changes in a fixed order:
| Feature | Questions to ask |
|---|---|
| Orientation | rotated by how much and which direction? |
| Position | did an element move corner-to-corner, inside-to-outside, clockwise? |
| Count | were sides, dots, lines or components added/deleted? |
| Shading | did shaded region move, invert or alternate? |
| Line style | solid/dotted, thick/thin, straight/curved changed? |
| Size | enlarged, reduced or swapped with another element? |
Apply all changed features, not just the most visible one.
Two figures/items may be similar by relation while differing in surface form. Analogy asks for structural similarity.
When the question supplies a model pair and asks for a matching option, use a two-column test:
Example logic: “Scissors : Cut” means instrument → primary action. “Needle : Stitch” matches. “Tailor : Needle” is user → tool; “Cloth : Shirt” is material → product.
Replace “associated with” by a narrow arrow sentence:
“Author writes book” immediately rejects publisher–book, reader–book and book–author reversals.
If “cobbler : awl” fits professional → specialised tool, do not dilute it to person → object. The narrower valid rule separates options.
Try \(+,-,\times,\div\), powers and \(ax+b\) before digit gymnastics. Prefer the rule with fewer arbitrary constants.
When two clean rules fit the model pair, apply both to the new input. Usually only one output appears. Do not design a rule backwards from a favourite option.
Memorise \(E=5,J=10,M=13,N=14,T=20,Z=26\). Count short distances from anchors instead of reciting from \(A\).
Write numeric differences once:
Copy the vector position by position to the second group. Use modular wrap beyond \(Z\) only when the analogy shows cyclic behaviour.
Choose one asymmetric dot, notch or shaded corner. Track it first to identify rotation/reflection; then verify the remaining elements.
In complex figures, count sides, dots and internal lines first. A simple \(+1\) or \(-1\) count rule may be the true analogy while orientation is unchanged.
“Doctor : Hospital” and “Teacher : Book” are both associated, but the first is worker–workplace; the second is worker–resource.
“Puppy : Dog” is young → adult. “Cat : Kitten” reverses it and is therefore wrong despite using the correct animal family.
A wheel is part of a car; a sedan is a member/type of cars. Both can be “inside the idea of car,” but structurally differ.
One pair can support infinitely many formulas. Reject rules with arbitrary constants or special exceptions when a standard operation fits.
If \(34\to12\) uses digit product, \(52\) must also use digit product. Sum, product and reversal cannot be mixed just to reach an option.
A \(+3\) shift from \(Y\) gives \(B\) only if cyclic wrap is part of the demonstrated rule. Otherwise the item may use backward shift or another pattern.
Track an asymmetric marker. Rotation preserves clockwise ordering; reflection reverses it.
An option may rotate correctly but shade the wrong corner, or add the right dot while changing line style. All model changes must transfer.
“India : Asia” is country → continent. “Nile : Africa” is river → continent, not the same relation, even though both locate something geographically.
Imagine copying the labelled arrow from \(A\to B\) and pasting it between \(C\) and the answer.
NAME the relationship category and arrow sentence before claiming an option. This blocks association-based guesses.
A rose is a flower (member/class). A petal is in a rose (part/whole).
Opposite letter positions sum to \(27\): \(1+26,2+25,\ldots,13+14\).
Both first terms enter one unchanged rule machine. If the machine’s gears change, the analogy is invalid.
In figural analogy, follow one asymmetric marker. Its path reveals rotation or reflection before the busy design distracts you.
Scan in order: Rotation/reflection, Count, Position, Shading/style.
The winning rule is exact, transferable and economical—not the most imaginative explanation.