In this guide
An analogy gives you one pair with a relationship, A : B, and asks you to complete a second pair, C : ?, with the same relationship. The symbol "::" means "in the same way as". So Teacher : School :: Farmer : ? is read as "teacher is to school as farmer is to what?"
Analogies are among the quickest questions in the reasoning section. They go wrong for one reason only: the candidate picks a word that is connected to C, instead of one that has the same relationship as the first pair. The method below prevents that.
The three-step method
- Name the relationship of the first pair in a short sentence. "A teacher works in a school."
- Use the same sentence with the second pair. "A farmer works in a ___."
- Test every option in the sentence and pick the one that fits exactly. If two fit, make your sentence more precise.
Common word relationships
| Relationship | Example |
|---|---|
| Worker : place of work | Teacher : School |
| Worker : tool | Carpenter : Saw |
| Tool : what it does | Needle : Sew |
| Instrument : what it measures | Thermometer : Temperature |
| Unit : quantity | Kilogram : Mass |
| Animal : home | Lion : Den |
| Young one : animal | Puppy : Dog |
| Creature : where it lives or moves | Fish : Water |
| Part : whole | Wheel : Car |
| Word : opposite | Brave : Coward |
| Word : similar meaning | Begin : Start |
| Product : what it is made from | Paper : Wood |
| Cause : effect | Fire : Smoke |
Check the order as well as the relationship. In Puppy : Dog, the young one comes first, so the matching pair is Calf : Cow, not Cow : Calf. Keep the second pair in the same order as the first.
Number relationships
With numbers, test these patterns in order. With two numbers, more than one rule may fit, so let the options decide.
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Square | 6 : 36 |
| Cube | 4 : 64 |
| n² + 1 | 7 : 50 |
| n² − 1 | 5 : 24 |
| n × (n + 1), the same as n² + n | 6 : 42 |
| n³ + 1 or n³ − 1 | 3 : 28, 3 : 26 |
| Multiply by a fixed number | 4 : 12, 7 : 21 |
Letter relationships
Turn letters into positions (A = 1, … Z = 26) before you compare them. Our reasoning plan explains the EJOTY trick for this.
- Shift: each letter moves forward or back by the same number (ACE → BDF is +1).
- Opposite letters: the pair adds up to 27 (A ↔ Z, B ↔ Y).
- Reversal: the letters are written backwards (ABC → CBA).
- Different shifts: first letter +1, second +2, third +3. Check each position separately.
Worked examples
Example 1: Teacher : School :: Farmer : ?
(a) Field (b) Crop (c) Tractor (d) Village
- Sentence: "A teacher works in a school." So "A farmer works in a field."
- Answer: (a) Field. Crop and tractor are connected to a farmer, but they are not a place of work.
Example 2: Thermometer : Temperature :: Barometer : ?
- A thermometer measures temperature. A barometer measures atmospheric pressure.
Example 3: 4 : 64 :: 5 : ?
(a) 25 (b) 100 (c) 120 (d) 125
- 64 = 4³. So the answer is 5³ = (d) 125.
Example 4: 7 : 50 :: 9 : ?
(a) 72 (b) 81 (c) 82 (d) 90
- 50 = 7² + 1. So 9² + 1 = (c) 82.
- Note that 81 is a trap: it is 9², but the rule needs the + 1.
Example 5: ACE : BDF :: GIK : ?
- A → B, C → D, E → F: each letter moves forward by 1.
- G → H, I → J, K → L. Answer: HJL.
Example 6: AZ : BY :: CX : ?
- A and Z are opposite letters (1 + 26 = 27), and so are B and Y. The first letter goes forward by 1 and the second goes back by 1.
- C → D and X → W. Answer: DW, which is also an opposite pair (4 + 23 = 27).
Practice set
- Doctor : Patient :: Lawyer : ? (a) Court (b) Case (c) Judge (d) Client
- 3 : 9 :: 8 : ? (a) 16 (b) 56 (c) 64 (d) 81
- 5 : 24 :: 7 : ? (a) 42 (b) 48 (c) 49 (d) 50
- DOG : EPH :: CAT : ?
- Fish : Water :: Bird : ? (a) Nest (b) Tree (c) Air (d) Feather
- Carpenter : Saw :: Tailor : ? (a) Needle (b) Cloth (c) Shop (d) Thread
- Kilogram : Mass :: Ampere : ? (a) Voltage (b) Electric current (c) Resistance (d) Power
- BD : GI :: KM : ?
Answers:
- (d) Client. A doctor serves a patient; a lawyer serves a client.
- (c) 64. 9 = 3², so 8² = 64.
- (b) 48. 24 = 5² − 1, so 7² − 1 = 48.
- DBU. Each letter moves forward by 1: C → D, A → B, T → U.
- (c) Air. A fish moves through water; a bird moves through air. A nest is a home, which is a different relationship.
- (a) Needle. A carpenter's working tool is a saw; a tailor's is a needle. Cloth and thread are materials, not tools.
- (b) Electric current. The kilogram is the SI unit of mass; the ampere is the SI unit of electric current.
- PR. B (2) → G (7) and D (4) → I (9) are both +5. So K (11) → P (16) and M (13) → R (18).
What to do next
- Learn the relationship table. For each row, write one more example of your own.
- Solve 20 word analogies using the sentence method, saying the sentence each time.
- Solve 20 number and letter analogies, checking every option.
- Move on to classification (odd one out), which uses the same skill of naming a shared property.
A note on dates and numbers. Exam patterns, vacancies and schedules change from year to year. Always confirm the current details in the latest notification on the Railway Recruitment Boards website .
Get the next Group D guide by email
New guides every week. No spam, unsubscribe any time.