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Verbal Reasoning · GL-style question types

The 21 verbal reasoning question types

Verbal reasoning questions follow set patterns, so once your child knows how each type works, most of the battle is won. Here is every GL-style type: what it looks like, a worked example, a method that works and the traps to watch for, with a free question to try for most of them.

Free verbal reasoning questionsPrintable worksheets

All 21 types at a glance

GL Assessment doesn't publish one official list. These are the 21 names parents and tutors widely use for GL-style verbal reasoning; types 1 to 15 are the core set, and some areas' papers use only some of the types. Publishers sometimes use other names, shown in brackets. Tests from other providers, such as CEM-style papers, mix verbal reasoning with English instead.

  1. 1Insert a letter(Missing letter)
  2. 2Related words(Two odd ones out)
  3. 3Word-letter codes(Letter codes)
  4. 4Closest meaning(Synonyms)
  5. 5Hidden word
  6. 6Missing word(Missing three letters)
  7. 7Letters for numbers(Letter sums)
  8. 8Move a letter
  9. 9Letter series(Letter sequences)
  10. 10Word connections(Word analogies)
  11. 11Number series(Number sequences)
  12. 12Compound words
  13. 13Make a word(Word in brackets)
  14. 14Letter connections(Letter analogies)
  15. 15Reading information(Logic problems)
  16. 16Opposite meaning(Antonyms)
  17. 17Complete the sum
  18. 18Related numbers(Number connections)
  19. 19Word-number codes(Number codes)
  20. 20Complete the word(Complete the third pair)
  21. 21Same meaning(Double meanings)

Type 1: Insert a letter(Missing letter)

Your child finds one letter that ends the first word and starts the second word in every pair given.

Worked example

Find the letter that ends the first word and starts the second in both pairs: kne [ ? ] ait gro [ ? ] ise

  1. kne_ and _ait: w makes knew and wait.
  2. Test w on the second pair: grow and wise.
  3. Other letters may fit one pair, but only w fits both.

Answer: w

How to tackle it

Not taught in school, but it uses spelling. The 11+ strategy: take the hardest pair first, list the letters that fit it, then test only those letters on the other pairs. The right letter must work in every pair.

Common traps

  • Choosing a letter that fits one pair but not the other.
  • Checking only the first word in each pair.
  • Not trying less common letters such as w, k or y.

Try one

Find the letter that will end the first word and start the second word. The same letter must fit both pairs.

lio [ ? ] ame tha [ ? ] ice

  1. Ap
  2. Bw
  3. Cn
  4. Dd
  5. Er
Show the answer

n. The letter is n: lion and name; than and nice. No other letter makes real words in every pair.

Type 2: Related words(Two odd ones out)

From five words, your child finds the two that don't belong with the other three.

Worked example

Which two words don't belong with the other three? apple carrot pear potato banana

  1. Find the group of three: apple, pear and banana are fruit.
  2. Carrot and potato are vegetables.

Answer: carrot and potato

How to tackle it

Schools teach word meanings and word classes, which help here. The 11+ strategy: find the three that share something (all fruit, all mean happy) and name the group. The two left over are the answer, even if they share something too.

Common traps

  • Picking one word only, when the question asks for two.
  • Grouping by spelling or length instead of meaning.
  • Forgetting some words have two meanings (orange: a fruit and a colour).

Try one

Which two words do not belong with the other three?

lemonade ankle elbow water shoulder

  1. Aelbow and water
  2. Blemonade and water
  3. Celbow and shoulder
  4. Dlemonade and shoulder
  5. Elemonade and elbow
Show the answer

lemonade and water. Shoulder, elbow and ankle are all body parts; lemonade and water are drinks. So the odd two out are lemonade and water.

Type 3: Word-letter codes(Letter codes)

A word is written in code by moving its letters along the alphabet; your child spots the rule, then codes or decodes another word.

Worked example

If the code for CAT is ECV, what is the code for DOG?

  1. C to E is 2 places forward, A to C is 2, T to V is 2. The rule is +2.
  2. D (4) + 2 = F (6); O (15) + 2 = Q (17); G (7) + 2 = I (9).

Answer: FQI

How to tackle it

Schools teach alphabetical order but not letter positions. The 11+ strategy: write the alphabet across the top of the page with 1 to 26 underneath, then compare each letter with its code letter and count the jump, forwards or backwards.

Common traps

  • Assuming every letter moves the same amount without checking each one.
  • Coding when the question asks to decode, so moving the wrong way.
  • Losing count past Z: after Z it goes back to A.

Try one

If the code for DIG is EJH, what is the code for JAM?

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

  1. AKBM
  2. BKBN
  3. CJAM
  4. DLCO
  5. EIZL
Show the answer

KBN. Each letter moves 1 place forward in the alphabet. D→E, I→J, G→H. Doing the same to JAM: J→K, A→B, M→N, so the code is KBN.

Type 4: Closest meaning(Synonyms)

Your child picks one word from each of two groups so that the two words are closest in meaning.

Worked example

Find two words, one from each group, that are closest in meaning: (big wet shout) (cold small large)

  1. Big: is there a word meaning the same? Large.
  2. Small is the opposite of big, so it's a trap.
  3. Wet and shout have no partner in the second group.

Answer: big and large

How to tackle it

Synonyms are taught throughout KS2 English and used to improve writing. The 11+ strategy: take each word in the first group, think of its meaning, and look for a partner in the second group. Watch for opposites placed as traps.

Common traps

  • Choosing an opposite because it's linked to the word.
  • Picking two words from the same group.
  • Choosing words that go together (cold and wet) but don't mean the same.

Try one

Find two words, one from each group, that are closest in meaning.

(simple inside amble) (tall beautiful straightforward)

  1. Asimple and straightforward
  2. Bamble and straightforward
  3. Csimple and tall
  4. Dinside and straightforward
  5. Esimple and beautiful
Show the answer

simple and straightforward. simple and straightforward mean nearly the same thing. None of the other pairs mean the same.

Type 5: Hidden word

Your child finds a four-letter word hidden across the end of one word and the start of the next in a sentence.

Worked example

Find the four-letter word hidden across two neighbouring words: The horse ate the hay in the stable.

  1. Read across each gap: e|hor, se|at, te|th...
  2. Horse ends in se and ate starts with at: se + at = seat.

Answer: seat

How to tackle it

Not taught in school. The 11+ strategy: run a finger along each gap between two words, reading four letters at a time across the gap, trying 1 + 3, 2 + 2 and 3 + 1 splits. Ignore spaces, capitals and punctuation.

Common traps

  • Finding a word inside one word rather than across two.
  • Only checking 2 + 2 splits and missing 1 + 3 or 3 + 1.
  • Rushing past the first word of the sentence.

Try one

Find the four-letter word hidden across two neighbouring words in this sentence. The letters run in order, from the end of one word into the start of the next.

Stella stayed for a sleepover.

  1. Alost
  2. Blast
  3. Cisle
  4. Dform
  5. Erash
Show the answer

last. last is hidden in "Stella stayed": the last 2 letters of "Stella" (la) and the first 2 letters of "stayed" (st). None of the other words in the sentence hide a word in the same way.

Type 6: Missing word(Missing three letters)

A word in capitals in a sentence has three letters taken out, and those three letters make a word on their own.

Worked example

Which three-letter word is missing? We walked across the soft new CAR in our socks.

  1. Think what you walk on in socks: a carpet.
  2. CAR + PET = CARPET, and pet is a word on its own.
  3. Check other fits: CARROT or CARTON don't make sense in the sentence.

Answer: PET (CARPET)

How to tackle it

Not taught directly, though it uses spelling and reading for meaning. The 11+ strategy: read the sentence to guess the full word, then find which three-letter word fills the gap. Always check the finished word makes sense in the sentence.

Common traps

  • Ignoring the sentence, which tells you which word is meant.
  • Choosing letters that aren't a real three-letter word.
  • Only looking at the end of the word; the gap is often in the middle.

Try one

Three letters next to each other have been taken out of the word in capitals. These three letters make a word on their own. Which three-letter word is missing?

I was SCA of the big dog.

  1. ARED
  2. BROD
  3. CLID
  4. DBED
  5. ELET
Show the answer

RED. Put RED back in: SCA + RED makes SCARED, which makes sense in the sentence. None of the other options can go anywhere in SCA to make a real word.

Type 7: Letters for numbers(Letter sums)

Each letter stands for a number; your child works out a sum using those numbers and gives the answer as a letter.

Worked example

If A = 4, B = 6, C = 12, D = 2 and E = 8, what is A + B − D? Give the answer as a letter.

  1. Swap in the numbers: 4 + 6 − 2.
  2. 4 + 6 = 10, then 10 − 2 = 8.
  3. Which letter is 8? E.

Answer: E

How to tackle it

This is KS2 arithmetic in disguise, including using the order of operations (brackets, then times and divide, then add and take away). Swap each letter for its number, write the sum out, work it, then find which letter has that value.

Common traps

  • Giving the number (8) instead of the letter.
  • Working left to right when times or divide should go first.
  • Using a letter's alphabet position instead of its given value.

Try one

If A = 2, B = 1, C = 0, D = 4 and E = 5, what is the answer to this sum? Give your answer as a letter.

E − D

  1. AA
  2. BB
  3. CC
  4. DD
  5. EE
Show the answer

B. Put in the numbers: 5 − 4 = 1. B = 1, so the answer is B.

Type 8: Move a letter

Your child moves one letter from the first word into the second word so that both become new, real words.

Worked example

Which letter moves from the first word to the second to make two new words? (beat rush)

  1. Try each letter of beat: without b it is eat, a real word.
  2. Now put b into rush: b + rush = brush, also a real word.
  3. Check the others: without e, a or t, beat doesn't leave a word that also works with rush.

Answer: b (beat becomes eat, rush becomes brush)

How to tackle it

This isn't taught in primary school, but it builds on spelling and phonics work. The 11+ strategy: try each letter of the first word in turn, check the word left behind is real, then try that letter in every gap of the second word.

Common traps

  • Changing the order of the other letters, which isn't allowed.
  • Checking only the first word and forgetting the second must be real too.
  • Only trying letters at the ends, when the middle letter is often the one.

Try one

Move one letter from the first word into the second word to make two new words. Do not change the order of the other letters. Which letter moves?

(beat ear)

  1. Af
  2. Be
  3. Ca
  4. Dt
  5. Eb
Show the answer

b. Move b: beat without the b is eat, and ear with the b added is bear. No other letter makes two real words.

Type 9: Letter series(Letter sequences)

A series of letters or letter pairs moves along the alphabet, and your child finds the next one.

Worked example

Find the next pair in the series: AB CE EH GK ?

  1. First letters: A, C, E, G jump +2 each time, so next is I.
  2. Second letters: B (2), E (5), H (8), K (11) jump +3, so next is N (14).

Answer: IN

How to tackle it

Schools teach alphabet order, not letter series. The 11+ strategy: write A to Z with 1 to 26 underneath. For pairs, follow the first letters on their own, then the second letters on their own, writing each jump underneath. After Z, go back to A.

Common traps

  • Treating the pair as one item instead of following each letter separately.
  • Counting the starting letter as one of the jumps.
  • Forgetting to go back to A after Z.

Try one

Find the next letter in the series.

D E F G H ?

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

  1. AK
  2. BH
  3. CG
  4. DI
  5. EJ
Show the answer

I. The letter moves +1 each time: D, E, F, G, H, I.

Type 10: Word connections(Word analogies)

Your child completes a sentence like "cat is to kitten as dog is to ?" by finding the same link between words.

Worked example

Cat is to kitten as dog is to ? (cub, puppy, bark, kennel, foal)

  1. Make a link sentence: a kitten is a baby cat.
  2. Use the same sentence: a ? is a baby dog.
  3. Bark and kennel link to dog in other ways, so they're traps.

Answer: puppy

How to tackle it

Schools teach vocabulary, word classes, plurals and past tenses, which these rely on. The 11+ strategy: say the link as a sentence ("a kitten is a baby cat") and use the same sentence for the second pair ("a ? is a baby dog").

Common traps

  • Picking a word linked to dog in a different way, like bark.
  • Not saying the link sentence, so the rule stays fuzzy.
  • Mixing up the order of the pairs.

Try one

Choose the word that completes the sentence in the best way.

Nurse is to hospital as teacher is to ?

  1. Abakery
  2. Bcourt
  3. Cmine
  4. Dship
  5. Eschool
Show the answer

school. A hospital is where a nurse works, and a school is where a teacher works. So the answer is school.

Type 11: Number series(Number sequences)

A row of numbers follows a rule, and your child works out the next number in the series.

Worked example

Find the next number: 2, 3, 5, 8, 12, ?

  1. Write the gaps: +1, +2, +3, +4.
  2. Each gap is one more than the last, so the next gap is +5.
  3. 12 + 5 = 17.

Answer: 17

How to tackle it

Sequences are taught in KS2 maths: counting in steps, then finding the term-to-term rule. Use the same method: write the gap between each pair of numbers underneath. If the gaps aren't the same, look at how the gaps change.

Common traps

  • Looking only at the last two numbers.
  • Missing two series woven together (every other number).
  • Small adding or times-table slips after finding the rule.

Try one

Find the next number in the series.

3 6 9 12 15 18 ?

  1. A19
  2. B21
  3. C20
  4. D23
  5. E22
Show the answer

21. Add 3 each time. So the next number is 21.

Type 12: Compound words

Your child picks one word from each of two groups so that, joined together, they make one longer word.

Worked example

Pick one word from each group to make a new word. The first group's word comes first. (hat car fog) (pet lid ten)

  1. Try hat with each: hatpet, hatlid, hatten. None is a word.
  2. Try car: carpet is a word.
  3. Check fog too: fogpet, foglid, fogten are not words.

Answer: car + pet = carpet

How to tackle it

Compound words (football, sunflower) are taught in Key Stage 1 and 2 spelling. The 11+ adds a twist: the join is often hidden, as in car + pet = carpet. The strategy is to try every pairing in order and say each one out loud.

Common traps

  • Stopping at the first word that sounds nearly right.
  • Putting the second group's word first.
  • Missing joins where the sound changes, like carpet.

Try one

Choose one word from each group that together make a new word. The word from the first group always comes first.

(car sun sand) (yard shine wreck)

  1. Asand + shine
  2. Bcar + wreck
  3. Csun + yard
  4. Dsun + shine
  5. Esand + yard
Show the answer

sun + shine. sun + shine makes sunshine. None of the other pairings makes a real word.

Type 13: Make a word(Word in brackets)

Two groups show how a word in brackets is built from letters of the words either side; your child builds the missing word the same way.

Worked example

pain (into) told fish (shed) edge home ( ? ) atom

  1. In the first group, in comes from the end of pain and to from the start of told.
  2. Check the second group: sh from the end of fish, ed from the start of edge makes shed.
  3. Do the same: me from the end of home, at from the start of atom.

Answer: meat

How to tackle it

Not taught in school as such. The 11+ strategy is to number the letters of each outside word (1, 2, 3, 4), work out which numbered letters make the bracket word, check the rule on the second group, then apply it to the last.

Common traps

  • Working out a rule from one group without checking it on the second.
  • Taking letters in the wrong order.
  • Spotting a real word that uses a different rule.

Try one

In each group, the word in brackets is made from letters of the two outside words. Make the missing word in the last group in the same way.

said (idea) easy just (stir) iron echo (?) pear

  1. Ahose
  2. Bhope
  3. Cacre
  4. Dpace
  5. Eharp
Show the answer

hope. The word in brackets is the 3rd and 4th letters of the first word, then the 1st and 2nd letters of the second word. For example, said and easy make idea. Doing the same with echo and pear makes hope.

Type 14: Letter connections(Letter analogies)

One pair of letters changes into another (CD is to FG), and your child makes the same change to a third pair.

Worked example

CD is to FG as KL is to ?

  1. C (3) to F (6) is +3, and D (4) to G (7) is +3.
  2. K (11) + 3 = N (14); L (12) + 3 = O (15).

Answer: NO

How to tackle it

Schools don't teach this, but it uses alphabet order. The 11+ strategy: write A to Z with 1 to 26 underneath, count how far each letter moves, then move the new letters the same way. Some use mirror letters (A with Z, B with Y).

Common traps

  • Checking only the first letter of the pair.
  • Miscounting by including the starting letter in the count.
  • Missing a mirror pattern (A with Z, B with Y).

Try one

Find the letters that complete the sentence in the best way.

MO is to PR as FO is to ?

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

  1. AIS
  2. BIQ
  3. CRI
  4. DIR
  5. ECL
Show the answer

IR. Each letter moves 3 places forward. MO becomes PR, so FO becomes IR.

Type 15: Reading information(Logic problems)

Your child reads a few clues about people (who is taller, who sits where, who goes to which club) and works out the answer.

Worked example

Amy is taller than Ben. Cara is shorter than Ben. Dev is taller than Amy. Who is the second tallest?

  1. Write Amy above Ben, then Cara below Ben.
  2. Dev goes above Amy.
  3. The order, tallest first, is Dev, Amy, Ben, Cara.

Answer: Amy

How to tackle it

Not taught as a topic, though maths problem-solving uses similar thinking. The 11+ strategy: draw it. Write names in a line from tallest to shortest, sketch the seats, or draw circles for clubs, adding one clue at a time.

Common traps

  • Trying to hold everything in their head instead of drawing it.
  • Mixing up taller and shorter, or left and right.
  • Choosing something that might be true rather than must be true.

Try one

Dev, Isla, Jack, Tom and Zara are cousins. They compare their ages. Zara is older than Jack. Isla is younger than Zara. Dev is younger than Jack. Tom is older than Zara.

Who is the oldest?

  1. AZara
  2. BJack
  3. CTom
  4. DIsla
  5. EDev
Show the answer

Tom. Everyone except Tom is younger than someone: Jack is younger than Zara, Zara is younger than Tom, Isla is younger than Zara and Dev is younger than Jack. So Tom is the oldest.

Type 16: Opposite meaning(Antonyms)

Your child picks one word from each of two groups so that the two words are most opposite in meaning.

Worked example

Find two words, one from each group, that are most opposite in meaning: (ancient cheerful tidy) (old modern happy)

  1. Ancient means very old, so old is a same-meaning trap.
  2. The opposite of ancient is modern.
  3. Cheerful and happy mean the same; tidy has no opposite here.

Answer: ancient and modern

How to tackle it

Antonyms are taught in KS1 and KS2 English, often alongside prefixes (happy and unhappy). The 11+ strategy: take each word in the first group and say its opposite, then look for it in the second group. Watch for same-meaning words placed as traps.

Common traps

  • Picking a word with the same meaning because it feels linked.
  • Choosing a word that's just different rather than opposite.
  • Picking two words from the same group.

Try one

Find two words, one from each group, that are most opposite in meaning.

(big stone pleasant) (horrible finish amble)

  1. Apleasant and amble
  2. Bpleasant and horrible
  3. Cpleasant and finish
  4. Dstone and horrible
  5. Ebig and horrible
Show the answer

pleasant and horrible. pleasant and horrible are opposites. None of the other pairs are opposites.

Type 17: Complete the sum

A number sentence has a gap on one side of the equals sign; your child finds the number that makes both sides equal.

Worked example

Find the number that completes the sum: 6 × 4 = 30 − ( ? )

  1. Work out the side with no gap: 6 × 4 = 24.
  2. So 30 − ( ? ) must also make 24.
  3. 30 − 6 = 24, so the missing number is 6.

Answer: 6

How to tackle it

This is Key Stage 2 arithmetic. Work out the side with no gap first, then use the inverse to find the missing number. Remember the order of operations: multiply and divide before adding and taking away.

Common traps

  • Writing the answer to the first side (24) instead of the missing number.
  • Working left to right when a multiplication or division should go first.
  • Using the wrong inverse, such as adding when the gap is being taken away.

Practise it

We don't have free questions of this exact type yet. It is arithmetic in disguise, so quick-fire number facts and the four operations study guide are the best practice.

Type 18: Related numbers(Number connections)

In each group the middle number is made from the two outside numbers; your child finds the rule and completes the last group.

Worked example

7 (15) 2 5 (16) 3 6 ( ? ) 4

  1. Try adding: 7 + 2 = 9, not 15. Try multiplying: 7 × 2 = 14, one less than 15.
  2. Test multiply then add 1 on the second group: 5 × 3 + 1 = 16. It works.
  3. Last group: 6 × 4 + 1 = 25.

Answer: 25

How to tackle it

This uses KS2 arithmetic (adding, taking away, times tables). The 11+ strategy: test a simple rule on the first group (add, take away, multiply), then check it works on the second group before using it on the last one.

Common traps

  • Finding a rule that fits the first group but not testing it on the second.
  • Using the numbers in the wrong order for take-away rules.
  • Times-table slips in the final step.

Try one

Find the number that completes the third group in the same way as the first two.

5 (7) 2 4 (5) 1 13 (?) 10

  1. A22
  2. B3
  3. C24
  4. D23
  5. E131
Show the answer

23. In each group, add the two outside numbers: 5 and 2 give 7; 4 and 1 give 5. So 13 and 10 give 23.

Type 19: Word-number codes(Number codes)

Each letter stands for a number; using some words and their codes, your child codes or decodes another word.

Worked example

If the code for MILK is 1234 and the code for SILK is 5234, what is the code for SLIM?

  1. From MILK: M = 1, I = 2, L = 3, K = 4.
  2. SILK starts with 5, so S = 5.
  3. SLIM is S, L, I, M = 5, 3, 2, 1.

Answer: 5321

How to tackle it

Not taught in school. The 11+ strategy: write each word above its code, letter over number, and match letters to numbers. When codes are jumbled, look for repeated letters or words sharing a letter to find which code is which.

Common traps

  • Writing the numbers in the order of the example, not the new word.
  • Assuming jumbled codes are in the same order as the words.
  • Not checking the answer by decoding it again.

Try one

If the code for UNIT is 3784 and the code for WHIP is 2589, what is the code for HINT?

  1. A8574
  2. B4587
  3. C5374
  4. D5874
  5. E5784
Show the answer

5874. This gives H = 5, I = 8, N = 7, T = 4. So HINT is written 5874.

Type 20: Complete the word(Complete the third pair)

Two pairs of words show the same change from the first word to the second; your child makes the same change to a third word.

Worked example

(stone, tone) (brain, rain) (scold, ?)

  1. stone becomes tone: the first letter is taken off.
  2. Check the second pair: brain without its first letter is rain. The rule works.
  3. scold without its first letter is cold.

Answer: cold

How to tackle it

Write the first pair one above the other and see exactly which letters have gone, moved or changed, by position (first letter, second letter…). Check the same rule works on the second pair, then apply it to the third word. The answer must be a real word.

Common traps

  • Making a real word with a different rule: scold without its second letter is sold, which is a word but not the same change.
  • Finding a rule from the first pair and not testing it on the second.
  • Changing the order of the letters that stay.

Practise it

We don't have free questions of this exact type yet. The make a word and move a letter types use the same careful letter-by-letter checking, so practise those.

    Type 21: Same meaning(Double meanings)

    Your child chooses the word that goes equally well with two pairs of words, because it has two different meanings.

    Worked example

    Choose the word that goes equally well with both pairs: (growl, howl) (trunk, branch)

    1. Growl and howl are noises a dog might make.
    2. Trunk and branch are parts of a tree.
    3. Bark is a dog's noise and the outside of a tree.

    Answer: bark

    How to tackle it

    KS2 English covers homonyms (words spelled the same with different meanings). The 11+ strategy: work out what links the first pair, then the second pair, and find one word that fits both. Each wrong option usually fits only one pair.

    Common traps

    • Choosing a word that fits only one pair.
    • Not thinking of a word's less common meaning.
    • Trying to make the word fit both pairs with the same meaning.

    Try one

    Choose the word that goes equally well with both pairs of words.

    (rubber, pencil) (queen, king)

    1. Aprince
    2. Bscissors
    3. Cknight
    4. Druler
    5. Ecrayon
    Show the answer

    ruler. ruler goes with rubber and pencil because it can mean something for measuring and drawing lines, and with queen and king because it can mean someone in charge of a country. Each of the other words goes with only one of the pairs.

    How to learn the question types

    1. Step 1

      One type at a time

      Read the worked example together, then try a handful without a timer until your child can explain the method.

    2. Step 2

      Write the alphabet line

      A to Z with 1 to 26 underneath makes codes, series and letter connections much easier.

    3. Step 3

      Mix the types

      Once several types feel secure, mix them, as a real paper does. Read every new set of instructions carefully.

    4. Step 4

      Then add timing

      Only add a timer once the methods are automatic. Go through every mistake afterwards: that's where the learning happens.

    Alphabet questions (putting words in order, or counting along the alphabet) also turn up in many practice books, and the same alphabet line helps. How to explain alphabetical order.

    Free verbal reasoning practice

    14 free printable verbal reasoning worksheets, each at Easy, Medium and Hard with an answers page. No sign-up.

    Verbal reasoning question types: questions parents ask

    What are the 21 verbal reasoning question types?

    They are the GL-style verbal reasoning formats that parents and tutors usually list for the 11+, from insert a letter and hidden words to letter codes, number series and reading information. GL Assessment doesn't publish one official list, and each area's paper uses its own selection, so not every child meets all 21.

    Does every 11+ test include verbal reasoning?

    No. Many GL Assessment tests include it, either as its own paper or mixed with other subjects, but some tests leave it out: the Sutton SET is English and Maths only, and the CSSE test in Essex is English (with a writing task) and Maths. Check which test your child will sit.

    Is verbal reasoning taught at school?

    Not usually as a subject. Children use the skills behind it, such as vocabulary, spelling and arithmetic, but most will not have met the specific question types before, so learning how each type works is an important part of 11+ preparation.

    How should my child learn the question types?

    Take one type at a time: read a worked example together, try a few questions without a timer, and talk through the method until your child can explain it. Once several types feel secure, mix them, and add timing only when the methods are automatic.

    Are 11+ verbal reasoning questions multiple choice?

    In GL Assessment papers they are usually multiple choice, with answers marked on a separate answer sheet. Some tests and practice books use a standard format where your child writes each answer, so check your test's familiarisation material and practise that way.

    Is CEM-style verbal reasoning the same?

    Not quite. CEM-style tests mix verbal reasoning with English, so there is more vocabulary, cloze and comprehension and fewer of the set puzzle types. Most areas that used CEM have since moved to other providers, so check which provider your school uses.

    How can I help with verbal reasoning at home?

    Daily reading and word games build the vocabulary that many types depend on, and a written alphabet line with the numbers 1 to 26 underneath makes the code and series types far easier. Short, regular practice of one type at a time works better than long sessions.

    Where can my child practise verbal reasoning for free?

    Academy11+ has free verbal reasoning questions with answers explained and no sign-up, 14 free printable verbal reasoning worksheets at Easy, Medium and Hard, and a "how to explain it" note for parents on most of the question types.

    More 11+ guides

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