Analogy Notes for SSC Exams

Analogy means similarity or a matching relationship. In an analogy question, two items are related in a certain way, and you have to find another item that has the same relationship with a third item. For example, in Doctor : Hospital :: Teacher : School, a doctor works in a hospital and a teacher works in a school. Analogy questions are asked in every SSC Reasoning paper, and they are easy marks if you know the common relationships. These analogy notes for SSC cover word, letter and number analogies with tables, a simple step-by-step method, solved examples and practice questions.

What Is an Analogy Question?

• The format is A : B :: C : ? and it is read as "A is to B as C is to ?".
• The relationship between A and B must be the same as the relationship between C and the answer.
• Questions can be based on words, letters, numbers or a mix of these.
• Some questions give two pairs and ask you to choose the pair that is similar to a given pair.

Step-by-Step Method

1. Read the first pair and make a short sentence that explains the relationship. For example, "A pen is used to write."
2. Apply the same sentence to the third word. "A knife is used to ___" gives cut.
3. Check the order. If the pair is Part : Whole, the answer must also be Part : Whole, not Whole : Part.
4. If two options look correct, make the sentence more exact, for example "tool and its function" instead of just "related".
5. Eliminate options that have a different relationship, and choose the one that is left.

Common Word Relationships

Letter Analogy

In letter analogy, the same rule is applied to both pairs. Find how each letter of the first word changes in the second word, and use the same change for the third word.

• Forward shift: CAT : ECV means every letter moves two places ahead (C → E, A → C, T → V).
• Backward shift: each letter moves back by a fixed number of places.
• Reverse order: LAMP : PMAL means the word is written backwards.
• Opposite letters: A ↔ Z, B ↔ Y and so on (positions add up to 27).

Example 1. CAT : ECV :: DOG : ?
Every letter moves two places ahead: D → F, O → Q, G → I. Answer: FQI.

Example 2. ACE : BDF :: GIK : ?
Every letter moves one place ahead: G → H, I → J, K → L. Answer: HJL.

Number Analogy

In number analogy, a mathematical rule connects the two numbers of the first pair. Apply the same rule to the third number.

Example 3. 12 : 144 :: 13 : ?
The second number is the square of the first, so 13² = 169. Answer: 169.

Solved Word Examples

Example 4. Pen : Write :: Knife : ?
A pen is used to write, and a knife is used to cut. Answer: Cut.

Example 5. Ornithology : Birds :: Entomology : ?
Ornithology is the study of birds, and entomology is the study of insects. Answer: Insects.

Example 6. Thermometer : Temperature :: Barometer : ?
A thermometer measures temperature, and a barometer measures atmospheric pressure. Answer: Atmospheric pressure.

Quick Tips

• Always make a sentence for the first pair. It stops you from choosing an option just because the words look related.
• Check the direction of the pair: Part : Whole is not the same as Whole : Part.
• For letter analogy, convert letters to numbers if the pattern is not clear.
• For number analogy, test square, cube, multiplication and addition in this order.
• Do not use outside facts that are not needed. Choose the simplest relationship.

Quick Revision Points

• Format is A : B :: C : ? and the relationship must be identical.
• Common word relationships are tool-function, person-workplace, animal-young one and instrument-measurement.
• In letter analogy, find the shift, reverse or opposite rule.
• In number analogy, test square, cube and basic operations.
• Always check the order of the pair.

Practice Questions With Answers

1. Doctor : Hospital :: Teacher : ?
   Answer: School (person and workplace).
2. Cow : Calf :: Cat : ?
   Answer: Kitten (animal and its young one).
3. Thermometer : Temperature :: Barometer : ?
   Answer: Atmospheric pressure (instrument and what it measures).
4. CAT : ECV :: DOG : ?
   Answer: FQI (every letter +2).
5. 6 : 36 :: 9 : ?
   Answer: 81 (square).
6. Ornithology : Birds :: Entomology : ?
   Answer: Insects (study and subject).
7. India : Rupee :: Japan : ?
   Answer: Yen (country and currency).
8. Pen : Write :: Knife : ?
   Answer: Cut (tool and function).
9. 5 : 125 :: 4 : ?
   Answer: 64 (cube).
10. King : Queen :: Lion : ?
    Answer: Lioness (male and female).

How to Practise This Chapter

Practise ten analogy questions daily and write the relationship sentence for each answer. Then attempt timed sets from our practice papers and check how the topic appears in real exams on the previous year papers page. You can read Letter, Number and Series before this chapter, and continue with Classification after it.

Explore More SSC Subjects

SSC exams test many subjects, so connect this topic with the related subjects below:

• Quantitative Aptitude Notes
• English Notes
• General Awareness Notes
• Computer Knowledge Notes
• Stenography Notes
• All SSC subjects and notes

Frequently Asked Questions

What is analogy in reasoning?

Analogy is a reasoning topic in which two items share a particular relationship, and you have to find another item that has the same relationship with a third item.

How many analogy questions come in SSC exams?

Usually two to four analogy questions come in the Reasoning section of SSC CGL, CHSL, MTS and GD papers, although the number changes every year.

What is the easiest way to solve an analogy question?

Make a short sentence for the first pair, apply the same sentence to the third word and choose the option that fits. This works for most word analogies.

What are the types of analogy asked in SSC?

SSC asks word analogy, letter analogy, number analogy and sometimes mixed analogy, where letters and numbers are used together.

How do I solve letter analogy?

Find how each letter of the first word changes into the second word, such as a shift of two places or reverse order. Apply the same change to the third word.

How do I solve number analogy?

Check whether the second number is the square, cube, multiple or sum of the first number. Then apply the same rule to the third number.

What if two options seem correct?

Write a more exact relationship sentence. For example, instead of "related to health" use "person and his workplace". The more exact sentence usually removes one option.

Does the order of words matter in analogy?

Yes. If the first pair is Part : Whole, the answer must also be Part : Whole. Reversing the order is a common trap in options.

Which topics should I revise for word analogy?

Revise animals and their young ones, homes, tools and functions, study subjects, instruments and measurements, countries with capitals and currencies, and synonyms and antonyms.

Are analogy questions based on general knowledge?

Some are. Questions on capitals, currencies and scientific instruments need basic general knowledge, so revising static GK helps in this chapter.

How much time should I spend on one analogy question?

Try to finish each question in 15 to 20 seconds. Analogy is one of the fastest sections of Reasoning if the relationship is clear.

Can I solve analogy questions by elimination?

Yes. After finding the relationship, remove the options that do not follow the same relationship or the same order, and the answer is usually clear.

What mistakes should I avoid in analogy?

Avoid choosing an option only because it is related to the word, avoid reversing the order of the pair, and avoid skipping the relationship sentence.