Analogies · SwaPrep

Mental Ability

4 min read10 sections

Core Method
Types with Examples
Worked Examples — Easy
Worked Examples — Medium
Worked Examples — Hard
Shortcuts & Tricks
Common Mistakes
Exam Strategy
Practice Questions
Key Terms / Formulas

Introduction

Analogy questions test your ability to identify the relationship between a given pair and find another pair with the identical relationship. APPSC favours word analogies (worker-tool, place-famous for) and number analogies (square, cube). Quick identification of relationship type is the key skill.

Section 1 of 101 min

Section 1: Core Method

Read the given pair and understand both words/numbers
Identify the relationship — ask "What connects A to B?"
Verbalize it — form a sentence: "A is to B because..."
Apply to options — find the pair that mirrors the EXACT same relationship
Eliminate distractors — superficial similarity is not the same logical link
Verify direction — A:B must have the SAME direction as C:D

Golden Rule: The relationship must be identical in type AND direction.

Section 2 of 101 min

Section 2: Types with Examples

Synonym

ExampleHappy : Joyful :: Sad : ?

RelationshipSimilar meaning → Sorrowful

Antonym

ExampleHot : Cold :: Big : ?

RelationshipOpposite → Small

Part-Whole

ExamplePage : Book :: Room : ?

RelationshipComponent of → Building

Worker-Tool

ExampleCarpenter : Hammer :: Surgeon : ?

RelationshipProfessional-instrument → Scalpel

Item-Category

ExampleRose : Flower :: Dog : ?

RelationshipMember of class → Animal

Function/Purpose

ExampleKnife : Cut :: Pen : ?

RelationshipObject-action → Write

Product-Material

ExampleCloth : Cotton :: Paper : ?

RelationshipMade from → Wood

Male-Female

ExampleBull : Cow :: Horse : ?

RelationshipGender pair → Mare

Country-Capital

ExampleIndia : New Delhi :: Japan : ?

Relationship→ Tokyo

Country-Currency

ExampleIndia : Rupee :: USA : ?

Relationship→ Dollar

Unit-Measurement

ExampleKilogram : Weight :: Meter : ?

Relationship→ Length

Number (square)

Example4 : 16 :: 5 : ?

Relationshipn² → 25

Number (cube)

Example2 : 8 :: 3 : ?

Relationshipn³ → 27

Letter position

ExampleAB : CD :: EF : ?

RelationshipConsecutive pairs → GH

Type	Example	Relationship
Synonym	Happy : Joyful :: Sad : ?	Similar meaning → Sorrowful
Antonym	Hot : Cold :: Big : ?	Opposite → Small
Part-Whole	Page : Book :: Room : ?	Component of → Building
Worker-Tool	Carpenter : Hammer :: Surgeon : ?	Professional-instrument → Scalpel
Item-Category	Rose : Flower :: Dog : ?	Member of class → Animal
Function/Purpose	Knife : Cut :: Pen : ?	Object-action → Write
Product-Material	Cloth : Cotton :: Paper : ?	Made from → Wood
Male-Female	Bull : Cow :: Horse : ?	Gender pair → Mare
Country-Capital	India : New Delhi :: Japan : ?	→ Tokyo
Country-Currency	India : Rupee :: USA : ?	→ Dollar
Unit-Measurement	Kilogram : Weight :: Meter : ?	→ Length
Number (square)	4 : 16 :: 5 : ?	n² → 25
Number (cube)	2 : 8 :: 3 : ?	n³ → 27
Letter position	AB : CD :: EF : ?	Consecutive pairs → GH

Section 3 of 101 min

Section 3: Worked Examples — Easy

Q1: Doctor : Patient :: Lawyer : ?

Relationship: Professional : Person served
Doctor treats a patient; Lawyer represents a client
Answer: Client

Q2: Bird : Nest :: Horse : ?

Relationship: Animal : Dwelling
Bird lives in nest; Horse lives in stable
Answer: Stable

Q3: 9 : 81 :: 11 : ?

Relationship: Number : Its square
9² = 81, 11² = 121
Answer: 121

Section 4 of 101 min

Section 4: Worked Examples — Medium

Q4: Marathon : Race :: Hibernation : ?

Relationship: Specific instance : General category
Marathon is a type of race; Hibernation is a type of sleep
Answer: Sleep

Q5: Cobbler : Leather :: Tailor : ?

Relationship: Craftsperson : Material
Cobbler works with leather; Tailor works with cloth
Answer: Cloth

Q6: ACEG : BDFH :: MOQS : ?

Pattern: Alternate letters. M(13),O(15),Q(17),S(19) — each +2
Corresponding shift: N(14),P(16),R(18),T(20) — each +2
Answer: NPRT

Section 5 of 101 min

Section 5: Worked Examples — Hard

Q7: 7 : 56 :: 9 : ?

Pattern: n × (n+1) → 7 × 8 = 56, 9 × 10 = 90
Trap: Students may try n² (49, 81) — but 56 ≠ 49
Answer: 90

Q8: Connoisseur : Art :: Gourmet : ?

Relationship: Expert appreciator : Domain
Connoisseur appreciates art; Gourmet appreciates food
Answer: Food

Q9: SEND : VHQG :: HELP : ?

S→V(+3), E→H(+3), N→Q(+3), D→G(+3)
H→K(+3), E→H(+3), L→O(+3), P→S(+3)
Answer: KHOS

Section 6 of 101 min

Section 6: Shortcuts & Tricks

Shortcut	When to Use
Name the relationship first	Before looking at options, describe the link in one phrase
Direction matters	A:B is different from B:A — maintain the same order
Number analogies: check square first	Most common: n², then n³, then n(n+1)
Letter analogies: convert to numbers	Use position values (A=1...Z=26) to spot arithmetic patterns
GK-based: memorize common pairs	Capitals, currencies, inventions, famous landmarks
Eliminate by category	If relationship is function-based, drop synonym/antonym options

Section 7 of 101 min

Section 7: Common Mistakes

Reversing the relationship direction — A:B should have the SAME direction as C:D
Choosing superficially related words — "Doctor : Hospital" is NOT the same as "Doctor : Patient"
Ignoring degree/intensity — "Warm : Hot" requires a similar intensity jump
GK gaps — Not knowing capitals/currencies leads to wrong answers on factual analogies
Overthinking simple relationships — The simplest explanation is usually correct

Section 8 of 101 min

Section 8: Exam Strategy

APPSC keeps these at easy-to-medium difficulty
Build a mental catalog of the 14+ relationship types above
Identify the type BEFORE looking at options — this prevents distractor traps
Time: 30-45 seconds; if you can't identify the relationship in 15 seconds, mark and move on
Negative marking: -0.333 per wrong answer — skip if unsure between 2 options

Section 9 of 101 min

Section 9: Practice Questions

Pen : Write :: Knife : ? → Cut (function)
Cub : Lion :: Kitten : ? → Cat (young-adult)
Agra : Taj Mahal :: Paris : ? → Eiffel Tower (place-famous for)
3 : 27 :: 4 : ? → 64 (n³)
Paw : Cat :: Hoof : ? → Horse (body part-animal)

Section 10 of 101 min

Section 10: Key Terms / Formulas

Term	Meaning
Analogy	A comparison based on identical relationship
Verbal analogy	Word-based pairs
Number analogy	Mathematical relationship (square, cube, n(n+1))
Letter analogy	Alphabet position-based pattern
Direction	The order of the relationship (A→B must match C→D)