Analogy Questions for SSC CGL

What is an Analogy

An analogy question establishes a relationship between two given terms and asks you to find a third or fourth term that maintains the same relationship. Think of it as a pattern-matching game: find the rule, apply the rule. The challenge is that SSC CGL often uses slightly tricky or indirect relationships to trap hasty readers.

• Format: A : B :: C : ? or A : ? :: C : D
• Three main types: Word/Semantic, Number, and Letter analogies
• Always identify the EXACT nature of the relationship before looking at options
• Beware of superficial connections — always verify the relationship goes both ways
• SSC CGL also asks tool-to-user, cause-effect, product-raw material, part-whole relationships

Word or Semantic Analogies

These test your knowledge of relationships between real-world concepts. The most common categories are: function/use (pen writes), part-whole (page is part of book), category (mango is a fruit), cause-effect (fire causes ash), raw material to product (wood to furniture), worker to tool (carpenter uses saw), worker to product (baker makes bread), animal to young (cow to calf), and antonym or synonym pairs.

• Cause-Effect: Drought causes Famine; Virus causes Disease
• Raw material to Product: Cotton to Cloth, Grapes to Wine
• Worker to Tool: Surgeon uses Scalpel, Carpenter uses Saw
• Animal to Shelter: Dog lives in Kennel, Horse lives in Stable
• Animal to Sound: Lion Roars, Frog Croaks
• Always check if the relationship is reversible or one-directional before answering

Number Analogies

A pair of numbers is given with a hidden mathematical relationship. You must find the same relationship in the second pair. Common operations include squares, cubes, adding/subtracting a fixed number, multiplying, digit reversal, sum of digits, and prime number patterns. The key skill is to test multiple operations quickly — start with simple addition/subtraction, then squares/cubes.

• Check: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division first
• Then check: square, cube, square root of one term gives the other
• Sum or product of digits is also a common trick
• Difference of squares: 36:6 :: 49:7 (square root relationship)
• Two-step operations: (n x 2) + 1 pattern — identify step by step
• Write out the operation explicitly before jumping to the answer

Letter Analogies

A pair of letter groups is given and you find the missing group using alphabetical position logic. Always write out A=1, B=2 ... Z=26 mentally. Common tricks: reversing the alphabet (Z=1, Y=2 using the formula: reverse position = 27 minus forward position), skipping fixed gaps, or applying the same operation to each letter in the group.

• Write forward positions: A=1, B=2, C=3 ... Z=26
• Reverse positions: A=26, B=25 ... Z=1. Formula: reverse = 27 - forward
• Common pattern: each letter moves +2, +3, or +4 positions forward
• EJOT pattern: every 5th letter (E=5, J=10, O=15, T=20)
• Opposite letter pairs: A-Z, B-Y, C-X — mirror pairs sum to 27
• Check if same operation is applied to all letters in the cluster

Non-Verbal or Symbolic Analogies

In Tier 1 and Tier 2, figure or symbol analogies may appear where shapes, patterns, or figures change by a fixed rule. Spot what changes — rotation (90, 180 degrees), size change, shading, number of sides, addition or removal of elements. Apply the same transformation to find the answer figure.

• Check rotation: 90 degrees clockwise, anticlockwise, or 180 degrees
• Check size: does the figure double, halve, or stay same
• Check shading: does filled become empty or vice versa
• Check count: number of lines, dots, or shapes — does it follow +1 or x2
• Eliminate options that change even ONE property differently than the rule

• Choosing an answer based on one word being related to the question word without checking if the EXACT relationship type matches the original pair
• In number analogies, testing only addition or subtraction and missing square or cube relationships — always test at least 4-5 operations
• Confusing forward and reverse alphabetical positions — forgetting the formula 27 minus forward position for reverse
• Rushing on word analogies and picking the first familiar connection — for example, seeing Doctor and picking Hospital when the real relationship was Doctor-Stethoscope (worker to tool)
• In letter analogies, applying the operation to only the first letter of the group and not checking if the same gap works for all letters

• RULE-APPLY-VERIFY: Find the Rule in the given pair, Apply it to the incomplete pair, Verify it fits perfectly — 3 steps every time
• 27 minus trick: To get reverse position of any letter, do 27 minus its forward number. A(1) = 27-1 = 26. Easy mental math.
• FARM for word analogy types: Function, Animal-related, Raw material, Member-group — covers 80 percent of word analogy categories
• For numbers: SADS check — Sum, Add/Subtract constant, Difference pattern, Square/cube — run these 4 checks in order to crack any number analogy fast

• SSC CGL Tier 1 typically has 3-4 analogy questions; Tier 2 reasoning section may push this to 5+. It is a high return topic — never skip it.
• Word analogies in recent papers (2023-24) have heavily favored scientific terms: element to symbol (Gold:Au), disease to cause (Scurvy:Vitamin C deficiency). Keep a small list of such pairs.
• Number analogies in SSC CGL rarely go beyond two-step operations. If your answer requires more than two operations, re-examine — you likely missed a simpler pattern.
• Letter analogy questions in SSC CGL are usually solvable in under 25 seconds if you know A-Z positions cold. Memorize the alphabet positions up to Z=26 before exam day.
• For tough word analogies, use elimination: remove options that clearly change the relationship direction (for example, from specific-to-general to general-to-specific). This alone narrows it to 1-2 choices fast.