This is a 40-minute mixed-format Verbal Reasoning practice test (Set N), styled on GL Assessment 11+ multiple-choice papers. It is a fourteenth, all-new set of mixed reasoning questions on this topic. There are 45 questions in 10 timed sections: Closest in Meaning, Opposite in Meaning, Word Analogies, Hidden Words, Compound Words, Letter Sequences, Number Series, Word Codes, Odd One Out and Related Words. Every question is worth 1 mark, for 45 marks in total. Difficulty increases within each section and across the pack as a whole. For each question, choose the ONE best answer from the options A to E. No calculator is allowed. Work through the sections in order and try to keep to the suggested time shown at the start of each section. If you are unsure of an answer, mark your best guess and move on, then return to it at the end if there is time left.
Worked example. Worked example (Hidden Words): a shorter word is hidden inside a longer word, spelled using letters that are next to each other and in the same order. Which four-letter word is hidden inside STARLING? Answer: Star. Spell out the letters of STARLING one at a time: S-T-A-R-L-I-N-G. Test each possible run of four consecutive letters in turn: STAR (positions 1 to 4) is a real word, while TARL (positions 2 to 5), ARLI (positions 3 to 6), RLIN (positions 4 to 7) and LING (positions 5 to 8) are not real words. So STAR is the only four-letter word hidden inside STARLING. Apply this same letter-by-letter approach throughout the pack, even as the sections move from meanings and analogies to compound words, letter and number sequences, coded words, odd one out and related-word groups: work through each source word or pattern methodically, test every option carefully, and rule out anything that is not a genuine match before choosing your answer.
1
SECTION 1: CLOSEST IN MEANING (4 minutes, 5 questions)
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to the word in capitals.
Q1. Choose the word closest in meaning to INQUISITIVE.
A) Curious
B) Indifferent
C) Careless
D) Bored
E) Timid
(Total for Question 1 is 1 mark)
2
(Closest in Meaning) Q2. Choose the word closest in meaning to VORACIOUS.
A) Satisfied
B) Modest
C) Greedy
D) Cautious
E) Calm
(Total for Question 2 is 1 mark)
3
(Closest in Meaning) Q3. Choose the word closest in meaning to TEDIOUS.
A) Exciting
B) Dull
C) Brief
D) Pleasant
E) Simple
(Total for Question 3 is 1 mark)
4
(Closest in Meaning) Q4. Choose the word closest in meaning to FLIMSY.
A) Sturdy
B) Fragile
C) Heavy
D) Solid
E) Strong
(Total for Question 4 is 1 mark)
5
(Closest in Meaning) Q5. Choose the word closest in meaning to OBLIVIOUS.
A) Alert
B) Attentive
C) Unaware
D) Observant
E) Watchful
(Total for Question 5 is 1 mark)
6
SECTION 2: OPPOSITE IN MEANING (4 minutes, 4 questions)
Choose the word that is most nearly opposite in meaning to the word in capitals.
Q1. Choose the word most nearly opposite in meaning to ABRUPT.
A) Gradual
B) Sudden
C) Quick
D) Rushed
E) Hasty
(Total for Question 6 is 1 mark)
7
(Opposite in Meaning) Q2. Choose the word most nearly opposite in meaning to IMPARTIAL.
A) Fair
B) Neutral
C) Biased
D) Balanced
E) Objective
(Total for Question 7 is 1 mark)
8
(Opposite in Meaning) Q3. Choose the word most nearly opposite in meaning to SPARSE.
A) Empty
B) Dense
C) Thin
D) Scattered
E) Bare
(Total for Question 8 is 1 mark)
9
(Opposite in Meaning) Q4. Choose the word most nearly opposite in meaning to LETHARGIC.
A) Sluggish
B) Weary
C) Energetic
D) Drowsy
E) Listless
(Total for Question 9 is 1 mark)
10
SECTION 3: WORD ANALOGIES (4 minutes, 5 questions)
Work out the relationship between the first pair of words, then choose the option that completes the second pair in the same way.
Q1. PADLOCK is to KEY as SAFE is to ?
A) Handle
B) Combination
C) Hinge
D) Shelf
E) Alarm
(Total for Question 10 is 1 mark)
11
(Word Analogies) Q2. BEEHIVE is to HONEY as COW is to ?
A) Grass
B) Barn
C) Milk
D) Farmer
E) Herd
(Total for Question 11 is 1 mark)
12
(Word Analogies) Q3. VOLCANO is to LAVA as CLOUD is to ?
A) Sky
B) Wind
C) Mountain
D) Rain
E) Storm
(Total for Question 12 is 1 mark)
13
(Word Analogies) Q4. OVEN is to BAKE as FREEZER is to ?
A) Cook
B) Melt
C) Freeze
D) Boil
E) Warm
(Total for Question 13 is 1 mark)
14
(Word Analogies) Q5. THERMOSTAT is to TEMPERATURE as SPEEDOMETER is to ?
A) Distance
B) Fuel
C) Direction
D) Speed
E) Time
(Total for Question 14 is 1 mark)
15
SECTION 4: HIDDEN WORDS (4 minutes, 5 questions)
A shorter word is hidden inside each longer word below, spelled using letters that are next to each other and in the same order.
Q1. Which four-letter word is hidden inside ELASTIC?
A) LAST
B) EAST
C) TICK
D) ELAS
E) STIC
(Total for Question 15 is 1 mark)
16
(Hidden Words) Q2. Which four-letter word is hidden inside INVENTOR?
A) VENT
B) NVEN
C) TORN
D) INVE
E) NTOR
(Total for Question 16 is 1 mark)
17
(Hidden Words) Q3. Which four-letter word meaning 'a strong desire to do something' is hidden inside HAMBURGER?
A) BURG
B) HAMB
C) URGE
D) MBUR
E) RGER
(Total for Question 17 is 1 mark)
18
(Hidden Words) Q4. Which five-letter word is hidden inside FLOWERPOT?
A) LOWER
B) FLOWE
C) OWERP
D) WERPO
E) ERPOT
(Total for Question 18 is 1 mark)
19
(Hidden Words) Q5. Which four-letter word meaning 'a place to buy things' is hidden inside GRASSHOPPER?
A) HOPP
B) SHOP
C) RASS
D) OPPE
E) ASSH
(Total for Question 19 is 1 mark)
20
SECTION 5: COMPOUND WORDS (4 minutes, 4 questions)
Find the word that completes the word before the brackets and starts the word after the brackets.
Q1. PAINT ( .... ) WOOD
A) Brush
B) Pot
C) Tin
D) Roller
E) Colour
(Total for Question 20 is 1 mark)
21
(Compound Words) Q2. EARTH ( .... ) HOLE
A) Quake
B) Worm
C) Ball
D) Ware
E) Bound
(Total for Question 21 is 1 mark)
22
(Compound Words) Q3. NOTE ( .... ) CASE
A) Book
B) Pad
C) Paper
D) Card
E) Writer
(Total for Question 22 is 1 mark)
23
(Compound Words) Q4. BASE ( .... ) UP
A) Ball
B) Camp
C) Line
D) Ment
E) Board
(Total for Question 23 is 1 mark)
24
SECTION 6: LETTER SEQUENCES (4 minutes, 5 questions)
Work out the pattern in each sequence of letters and choose the letter that continues it.
Q1. B, F, J, N, ?
A) P
B) Q
C) R
D) S
E) T
(Total for Question 24 is 1 mark)
25
(Letter Sequences) Q2. N, K, H, E, ?
A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
E) F
(Total for Question 25 is 1 mark)
26
(Letter Sequences) Q3. D, F, I, M, ?
A) P
B) Q
C) R
D) N
E) O
(Total for Question 26 is 1 mark)
27
(Letter Sequences) Q4. V, S, O, J, ?
A) F
B) E
C) C
D) D
E) B
(Total for Question 27 is 1 mark)
28
(Letter Sequences) Q5. C, Y, F, V, I, S, ?
A) K
B) T
C) M
D) R
E) L
(Total for Question 28 is 1 mark)
29
SECTION 7: NUMBER SERIES (4 minutes, 4 questions)
Work out the pattern in each sequence of numbers and choose the number that continues it.
Q1. 90, 80, 70, 60, ?
A) 40
B) 45
C) 50
D) 55
E) 65
(Total for Question 29 is 1 mark)
30
(Number Series) Q2. 50, 45, 40, 35, ?
A) 25
B) 28
C) 30
D) 32
E) 33
(Total for Question 30 is 1 mark)
31
(Number Series) Q3. 7, 14, 28, 56, ?
A) 63
B) 84
C) 98
D) 112
E) 120
(Total for Question 31 is 1 mark)
32
(Number Series) Q4. 3, 4, 6, 10, 18, ?
A) 26
B) 28
C) 30
D) 32
E) 34
(Total for Question 32 is 1 mark)
33
SECTION 8: WORD CODES (4 minutes, 5 questions)
Work out the rule used in each code, then apply it to find the answer.
Q1. In a code, each letter is replaced by the letter two places later in the alphabet (for example A becomes C). What does ARROW become in this code?
A) CTTQY
B) CTTPY
C) BTTQY
D) CTSQY
E) DTTQY
(Total for Question 33 is 1 mark)
34
(Word Codes) Q2. In a code, each letter is replaced by the letter three places earlier in the alphabet (for example D becomes A). What does KETTLE become in this code?
A) HBQQIB
B) HBQQIA
C) IBQQIB
D) HCQQIB
E) HBRQIB
(Total for Question 34 is 1 mark)
35
(Word Codes) Q3. In a code, each letter is replaced by the letter four places later in the alphabet (for example A becomes E). What does PENCIL become in this code?
A) TIRGMP
B) TIQGMP
C) SIRGMP
D) TIRFMP
E) TIRGNP
(Total for Question 35 is 1 mark)
36
(Word Codes) Q4. In a code, each letter is replaced by its position in the alphabet, so A=1, B=2 and so on. What is the code for the word QUILT?
A) 17 21 9 12 20
B) 17 21 9 12 19
C) 17 20 9 12 20
D) 16 21 9 12 20
E) 17 21 8 12 20
(Total for Question 36 is 1 mark)
37
(Word Codes) Q5. In a code, each letter is replaced by the letter three places later in the alphabet (for example A becomes D). Using the same code, SDUURW is a coded word. What is the original word?
A) PARROT
B) PARENT
C) PATROL
D) PARROW
E) PARSNIP
(Total for Question 37 is 1 mark)
38
SECTION 9: ODD ONE OUT (4 minutes, 4 questions)
Four of the five words belong together in the same group. Choose the ONE word that does not belong.
Q1. Which word does not belong with the others?
A) Toaster
B) Blender
C) Microwave
D) Fridge
E) Cushion
(Total for Question 38 is 1 mark)
39
(Odd One Out) Q2. Which word does not belong with the others?
A) Chess
B) Draughts
C) Dominoes
D) Swimming
E) Backgammon
(Total for Question 39 is 1 mark)
40
(Odd One Out) Q3. Which word does not belong with the others?
A) Ruby
B) Emerald
C) Pumice
D) Sapphire
E) Topaz
(Total for Question 40 is 1 mark)
41
(Odd One Out) Q4. Which word does not belong with the others?
A) Fortnight
B) Decade
C) Kilogram
D) Century
E) Millennium
(Total for Question 41 is 1 mark)
42
SECTION 10: RELATED WORDS (4 minutes, 4 questions)
Each question gives three words that are connected in the same way. Choose the ONE word from the options that is connected to them in the same way.
Q1. Look at these three words: LONDON, PARIS, MADRID. Which ONE of the options below is connected to them in the same way?
A) Rome
B) Barcelona
C) Liverpool
D) Munich
E) Milan
(Total for Question 42 is 1 mark)
43
(Related Words) Q2. Look at these three words: MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY. Which ONE of the options below is connected to them in the same way?
A) June
B) Sunday
C) Spring
D) Hour
E) Week
(Total for Question 43 is 1 mark)
44
(Related Words) Q3. Look at these three words: TRIANGLE, PENTAGON, HEXAGON. Which ONE of the options below is connected to them in the same way?
A) Octagon
B) Sphere
C) Cylinder
D) Cone
E) Cube
(Total for Question 44 is 1 mark)
45
(Related Words) Q4. Look at these three words: CANTANKEROUS, IRASCIBLE, TESTY. Which ONE of the options below is connected to them in the same way?
A) Amiable
B) Gracious
C) Peevish
D) Serene
E) Jovial
(Total for Question 45 is 1 mark)
Mark scheme · EP.V44 Verbal Reasoning Mixed Practice Set N
Question 1
B1 A) Curious - curious means eager to find out or learn about things, the closest match to inquisitive
Answer: A) Curious
Question 2
B1 C) Greedy - greedy means wanting a very large amount, the closest match to voracious
Answer: C) Greedy
Question 3
B1 B) Dull - dull means uninteresting or boring, the closest match to tedious
Answer: B) Dull
Question 4
B1 B) Fragile - fragile means delicate and easily broken, the closest match to flimsy
Answer: B) Fragile
Question 5
B1 C) Unaware - unaware means not noticing or realising something, the closest match to oblivious
Answer: C) Unaware
Question 6
B1 A) Gradual - gradual means happening slowly over time, the opposite of abrupt
Answer: A) Gradual
Question 7
B1 C) Biased - biased means unfairly favouring one side, the opposite of impartial
Answer: C) Biased
Question 8
B1 B) Dense - dense means tightly packed together, the opposite of sparse
Answer: B) Dense
Question 9
B1 C) Energetic - energetic means full of energy and enthusiasm, the opposite of lethargic
Answer: C) Energetic
Question 10
B1 B) Combination - a padlock is opened with a key, and a safe is typically opened with a combination
Answer: B) Combination
Question 11
B1 C) Milk - a beehive produces honey, and a cow produces milk
Answer: C) Milk
Question 12
B1 D) Rain - a volcano releases lava, and a cloud releases rain
Answer: D) Rain
Question 13
B1 C) Freeze - an oven's function is to bake food, and a freezer's function is to freeze food
Answer: C) Freeze
Question 14
B1 D) Speed - a thermostat measures temperature, and a speedometer measures speed
Answer: D) Speed
Question 15
B1 A) LAST - the letters in positions 2 to 5 of ELASTIC spell LAST
Answer: A) LAST
Question 16
B1 A) VENT - the letters in positions 3 to 6 of INVENTOR spell VENT
Answer: A) VENT
Question 17
B1 C) URGE - the letters in positions 5 to 8 of HAMBURGER spell URGE, meaning a strong desire
Answer: C) URGE
Question 18
B1 A) LOWER - the letters in positions 2 to 6 of FLOWERPOT spell LOWER
Answer: A) LOWER
Question 19
B1 B) SHOP - the letters in positions 5 to 8 of GRASSHOPPER spell SHOP, meaning a place to buy things
Answer: B) SHOP
Question 20
B1 A) Brush - completes PAINT to make PAINTBRUSH and begins WOOD to make BRUSHWOOD
Answer: A) Brush
Question 21
B1 B) Worm - completes EARTH to make EARTHWORM and begins HOLE to make WORMHOLE
Answer: B) Worm
Question 22
B1 A) Book - completes NOTE to make NOTEBOOK and begins CASE to make BOOKCASE
Answer: A) Book
Question 23
B1 C) Line - completes BASE to make BASELINE and begins UP to make LINEUP
Answer: C) Line
Question 24
B1 C) R - the letters move up the alphabet in steps of four (B, F, J, N, R)
Answer: C) R
Question 25
B1 B) B - the letters move down the alphabet in steps of three (N, K, H, E, B)
Answer: B) B
Question 26
B1 C) R - the gap between letters grows by one each time, so the next gap after M is +5
Answer: C) R
Question 27
B1 D) D - the gap between letters (moving backwards) grows by one each time, so the next gap after J is -6
Answer: D) D
Question 28
B1 E) L - the sequence interleaves two patterns, and the odd-position letters rise by 3 each time (C, F, I, L)
Answer: E) L
Question 29
B1 C) 50 - the sequence decreases by 10 each time
Answer: C) 50
Question 30
B1 C) 30 - the sequence decreases by 5 each time
Answer: C) 30
Question 31
B1 D) 112 - each term doubles the one before
Answer: D) 112
Question 32
B1 E) 34 - the gap between terms doubles each time, so the next gap after 18 is +16
Answer: E) 34
Question 33
B1 A) CTTQY - shifting each letter of ARROW two places forward gives CTTQY; cao
Answer: A) CTTQY
Question 34
B1 A) HBQQIB - shifting each letter of KETTLE three places back gives HBQQIB; cao
Answer: A) HBQQIB
Question 35
B1 A) TIRGMP - shifting each letter of PENCIL four places forward gives TIRGMP; cao
Answer: A) TIRGMP
Question 36
B1 A) 17 21 9 12 20 - Q=17, U=21, I=9, L=12, T=20; cao
Answer: A) 17 21 9 12 20
Question 37
B1 A) PARROT - shifting each letter of SDUURW three places back gives PARROT; cao
Answer: A) PARROT
Question 38
B1 E) Cushion - cushion is a piece of soft furnishing, while toaster, blender, microwave and fridge are all kitchen appliances
Answer: E) Cushion
Question 39
B1 D) Swimming - swimming is a sport done in water, while chess, draughts, dominoes and backgammon are all games played sitting at a table
Answer: D) Swimming
Question 40
B1 C) Pumice - pumice is a lightweight volcanic rock, while ruby, emerald, sapphire and topaz are all precious gemstones
Answer: C) Pumice
Question 41
B1 C) Kilogram - kilogram is a unit of mass, while fortnight, decade, century and millennium are all units used to measure periods of time
Answer: C) Kilogram
Question 42
B1 A) Rome - London, Paris and Madrid are all capital cities of European countries, and Rome is also a capital city
Answer: A) Rome
Question 43
B1 B) Sunday - Monday, Wednesday and Friday are all days of the week, and Sunday is also a day of the week
Answer: B) Sunday
Question 44
B1 A) Octagon - triangle, pentagon and hexagon are all flat shapes (polygons) made of straight sides, and an octagon is also this kind of shape
Answer: A) Octagon
Question 45
B1 C) Peevish - cantankerous, irascible and testy all describe someone easily annoyed or bad-tempered, and peevish also describes this quality