Verbal Reasoning · 8 guides
Verbal Reasoning study guides
Eight short guides to the question types that come up again and again in 11+ verbal reasoning, each with a method you can use every time.
What to expect in the 11+
Verbal reasoning tests how well you think with words, letters and numbers. Most questions are puzzles with one right answer: a hidden word, a code to crack, a missing letter or the next pair in a series.
Many 11+ papers (GL Assessment and several grammar school consortiums) include a verbal reasoning section, and other tests mix the same question types into their English or reasoning papers. The good news: there are only around twenty question types, and each one has a method you can learn.
Work through the guides in order. Learn the method, follow the worked examples with a pencil, then try the practice questions. Knowing the alphabet positions (A = 1 to Z = 26) by heart will help in almost every guide.
The guides
- Guide 1
Letter codes and alphabet positions
Crack 11+ letter codes: number the alphabet, find the shift between letters, use mirror pairs like A and Z, and decode words step by step.
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- Guide 2
Hidden words
Find a four-letter word hidden across the end of one word and the start of the next: a quick method, worked examples and the traps to avoid.
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- Guide 3
Missing letters and compound words
Find the letter that ends one word and starts the next, and join words to make compound words, with a step-by-step method and 11+ examples.
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- Guide 4
Closest and opposite meanings
Pick the word closest in meaning or opposite in meaning: test each word in a sentence, watch for word classes and double meanings, with examples.
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- Guide 5
Word analogies
Solve 'A is to B as C is to ?' questions: say the link as a sentence, test it on each option and spot common links like opposites and young animals.
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- Guide 6
Number and letter series
Find the next number or letter pair in a series: look at the gaps, check for two patterns at once and count along the alphabet, with 11+ examples.
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- Guide 7
Number codes and letter sums
Swap letters for numbers to work out letter sums, find missing numbers in a pair of sums and match words to number codes, step by step.
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- Guide 8
Logic and reading information
Untangle 11+ logic puzzles: make a table or line, add facts one at a time, rule out what can't be true and decide what must be true.
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Tips for verbal reasoning
- Write the alphabet across the top of your working paper before you start.
- Read the instructions for each question type carefully: they change from section to section.
- Check your answer is a real word, spelled correctly, when the question asks for a word.
- Don't spend too long on one question: mark it, move on and come back.
- Read widely: a big vocabulary helps with synonyms, analogies and hidden words.
- Practise little and often: ten minutes a day beats an hour once a week.