Analogy

Analogy — Summary

Analogy questions ask you to find a pair with the SAME relationship as a given pair — "A is to B as C is to ?". They cover numbers, letters and words, and are quick, reliable marks in placement reasoning (Infosys, Cognizant, elitmus) once you name the relation precisely.

Types and approach

Number analogy: find the operation (×, +, square, cube). 3 : 27 :: 4 : 64 (cubes).
Letter analogy: track the position shift. AB : CD :: EF : GH (each letter +2).
Word analogy: identify the relation (part-whole, cause-effect, synonym, tool-user). Doctor : Hospital :: Teacher : School.

Pair	Relation	Completion
2 : 8	cube	3 : 27
AB : CD	+2 letters	EF : GH
Pen : Write	tool : action	Knife : Cut
Cub : Bear	young : animal	Kitten : Cat

Exam Tricks & Tips

🎯 State the relationship in words first, then apply it to the second pair.
🎯 For numbers, test squares/cubes before assuming a simple ×/+ rule.
🎯 For letters, compute position differences on BOTH sides — they must match.
🎯 Keep the relation's DIRECTION (young→animal, not animal→young).
🎯 If two options fit, choose the one matching the tightest/most specific relation.
❌ Don't pick an option that reverses the relationship's order.

Expected exam pattern: number/letter/word analogies, "choose the pair with the same relation". 1 to 2 questions, ~40 seconds.

Quick recap: name the relation, keep its direction, test squares/cubes for numbers and position-shifts for letters, then match.

Analogy — Flashcards

Q1. What does an analogy test?
A1. Finding a pair with the same relationship as a given pair.

Q2. Complete 3 : 27 :: 4 : ?
A2. 64 (cubes).

Q3. Complete AB : CD :: EF : ?
A3. GH (each letter +2).

Q4. Doctor : Hospital :: Teacher : ?
A4. School (workplace relation).

Q5. First step in solving an analogy?
A5. State the relationship in words.

Q6. For number analogies, test what before ×/+?
A6. Squares and cubes.

Q7. Pen : Write :: Knife : ?
A7. Cut (tool : action).

Q8. Why keep the relation's direction?
A8. Reversing it (animal→young vs young→animal) gives a wrong match.

Q9. Cub : Bear :: Kitten : ?
A9. Cat (young : animal).

Q10. Complete 5 : 25 :: 8 : ?
A10. 64 (squares).

Q11. When two options both fit, choose?
A11. The most specific/tightest relationship.

Q12. Complete Z : A :: Y : ?
A12. B (mirror around the alphabet).

Analogy asks "A is to B as C is to ?" — you must find the exact relationship in the first pair and apply the identical relationship to the second. The discipline is naming the relationship in words before looking at the options.

What this topic tests: identifying the precise relationship in a pair (semantic, numeric, or letter-based) and replicating it.

The method

Beginner — verbalise the link

State the relationship as a sentence: "Dog is to Puppy as Cat is to ?" → "X is the young of Y", so answer Kitten. Common semantic links: worker–tool, cause–effect, part–whole, synonym, antonym, category–member, degree (warm–hot).

Intermediate — number and letter analogies

Number analogy: find the operation. 8 : 64 :: 9 : ? → n² → 81. Check add/multiply/square/cube.
Letter analogy: convert to positions. AD : EH :: IL : ? → each letter +4 → MP. Or find the internal gap and the shift.

Advanced — the fast approach and tie-breaking

If two options seem to fit, make the relationship more specific until only one survives. "Poet : Poem" is "creator : creation" — so "Sculptor : Statue", not "Sculptor : Stone".
Match the direction: if A→B is "tool used by worker", keep worker→tool order, not the reverse.

Worked example

Carpenter : Wood :: Blacksmith : ?
Relationship: "worker : material they shape." A blacksmith shapes Iron. (Not "hammer" — that's the tool, a different relationship.)

Where it appears

TCS NQT, Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant reasoning; verbal and numeric analogies both appear in most placement papers.

Speed tricks and shortcuts

Frame the relationship in a full sentence before scanning options.
Number analogies: test square, cube, ×, +, and prime/position links.
Preserve the order and direction of the relationship.
Mnemonic: "Name the bond first, then match it exactly."

❌ Common mistake

Picking an option that is merely related but not by the same relationship (e.g. tool instead of material). Also reversing the direction. The relationship type and its direction must be identical across both pairs.

🔑 Key points

✓- Verbalise the exact relationship, then apply it to the second pair.
✓- Common links: cause-effect, part-whole, worker-tool, degree, category.
✓- Numbers: check square/cube/multiply/add; letters: use positions.
✓- Keep the relationship's direction and specificity.

🔁 Recap

✓Say the relationship out loud as a precise sentence, then find the option that fits it in the same direction. Sharpen the wording until exactly one option qualifies.

Analogy — Worked Example

Worked Example

Problem: Complete the analogy: AB : ZY :: CD : ?

Solution: Find the rule linking the first pair, then apply the identical rule to the second.

Look at AB → ZY. Each letter is replaced by its mirror in the alphabet (A↔Z, B↔Y, …), where a letter at position p maps to position 27 − p:

A (1) → Z (26): 27 − 1 = 26 ✓
B (2) → Y (25): 27 − 2 = 25 ✓

Apply the same mirror rule to CD:

C (3) → position 27 − 3 = 24 = X
D (4) → position 27 − 4 = 23 = W

So CD maps to XW.

Answer: XW.