Letter Codes
How to solve: Work out how a word is coded by moving letters along the alphabet, then code (or decode) another word.
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Free 11+ Verbal Reasoning questions
Ten free Verbal Reasoning questions, made fresh every time. Your child answers, sees straight away whether they got it right, and reads how to work it out.
Mixed Verbal Reasoning · 10 questions
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Verbal Reasoning question types
Each type has its own trick. Read the tip, then practise ten of just that type.
Letter Sequences
How to solve: Spot how letters (or letter pairs) move along the alphabet and find the next one in the series.
Number Sequences
How to solve: Find the rule in a series of numbers and work out the next one.
Missing Letters
How to solve: Find the one letter that ends the first word and starts the second word in every pair.
Compound Words
How to solve: Pick one word from each group to make a longer word, e.g. car + pet = carpet.
Missing Numbers
How to solve: Work out how the middle number is made from the two outside numbers, then complete the last group.
Hidden Words
How to solve: Find the four-letter word hidden across the end of one word and the start of the next.
Missing Three Letters
How to solve: Find the three-letter word that has been taken out of the word in capitals.
Closest Meaning
How to solve: Pick one word from each group so that the two words are closest in meaning.
Opposite Meaning
How to solve: Pick one word from each group so that the two words are most opposite in meaning.
Odd Two Out
How to solve: Find the two words that do not belong with the other three.
Word Analogies
How to solve: Complete the analogy: find the word that goes with the third word in the same way as the second goes with the first.
Letter Sums
How to solve: Each letter stands for a number. Work out the sum and give the answer as a letter.
About Verbal Reasoning in the 11+
Verbal Reasoning tests how well children think with words, letters and numbers: spotting patterns in letter sequences, cracking codes, finding hidden words and choosing words that mean the same or the opposite.
Many 11+ exams include Verbal Reasoning, either as its own paper or mixed with English. The question types follow set patterns, so practising each type helps children recognise them quickly and work through a paper with confidence.
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