This is a 32-minute mixed-format Verbal Reasoning practice test (Set X), styled on GL Assessment 11+ multiple-choice papers. It is an all-new set of mixed reasoning questions on this topic. There are 32 questions in 8 timed sections: Closest in Meaning, Odd One Out, Compound Words, Word Analogies, Move a Letter, Hidden Words, Letter Sequences and Letter Codes. Every question is worth 1 mark, for 32 marks in total. Difficulty increases within each section and across the pack as a whole, from below-target opening questions through core target-level questions to a harder final stretch. 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 word is hidden across the join of two consecutive words in a sentence, using the end of the first word and the start of the second, reading in that order. Which option shows the word hidden in this sentence: 'Ravi decided to go into athletics after leaving school.'?
A) Goat B) Path C) Oath D) Bath E) Atom Answer: C. OATH is hidden across the join of INTO and ATHLETICS (...g-o-i-n-t-o-a-t-h-l-e-t-i-c-s...), using the last letter of INTO and the first three letters of ATHLETICS. Goat looks tempting because the sentence contains the word GO, but the letters G-O-A-T never actually sit together at any join, since GO is followed by INTO, not directly by AT. Path, Bath and Atom are all real words, but none of their letters appear together at any join in the sentence at all, since the sentence contains no letter P, B or M. Only option C is genuinely hidden across a join. Apply this same careful, letter-by-letter checking method throughout the pack, even as the sections move from meanings and odd one out through compound words, word analogies, move a letter, hidden words, letter sequences and letter codes: work out the rule precisely, test each option in turn, and check your answer against the text or pattern before choosing.
1
SECTION 1: CLOSEST IN MEANING (4 minutes, 4 questions)
Choose the word that is closest in meaning to the word in capitals.
Q1. Choose the word closest in meaning to ANCIENT.
A) Modern
B) Archaic
C) Recent
D) Fragile
E) Sudden
(Total for Question 1 is 1 mark)
2
(Closest in Meaning) Q2. Choose the word closest in meaning to RELUCTANT.
A) Eager
B) Willing
C) Unwilling
D) Keen
E) Enthusiastic
(Total for Question 2 is 1 mark)
3
(Closest in Meaning) Q3. Choose the word closest in meaning to CONCISE.
A) Elaborate
B) Vague
C) Brief
D) Verbose
E) Confusing
(Total for Question 3 is 1 mark)
4
(Closest in Meaning) Q4. Choose the word closest in meaning to DILIGENT.
A) Lazy
B) Hardworking
C) Idle
D) Careless
E) Slack
(Total for Question 4 is 1 mark)
5
SECTION 2: 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?
trout, salmon, dolphin, haddock, mackerel
A) Trout
B) Salmon
C) Dolphin
D) Haddock
E) Mackerel
(Total for Question 5 is 1 mark)
6
(Odd One Out) Q2. Which word does NOT belong with the others?
sparrow, robin, swallow, penguin, blackbird
A) Sparrow
B) Robin
C) Swallow
D) Penguin
E) Blackbird
(Total for Question 6 is 1 mark)
7
(Odd One Out) Q3. Which word does NOT belong with the others?
whisper, shout, murmur, mutter, glance
A) Whisper
B) Shout
C) Murmur
D) Mutter
E) Glance
(Total for Question 7 is 1 mark)
8
(Odd One Out) Q4. Which word does NOT belong with the others?
fjord, peninsula, estuary, archipelago, glacier
A) Fjord
B) Peninsula
C) Estuary
D) Archipelago
E) Glacier
(Total for Question 8 is 1 mark)
9
SECTION 3: COMPOUND WORDS (4 minutes, 4 questions)
Find the one word that can be joined onto the end of the first word and the front of the second word to make two new real words.
Q1. RAIN ( .... ) TIE
A) Coat
B) Bow
C) Drop
D) Fall
E) Storm
(Total for Question 9 is 1 mark)
10
(Compound Words) Q2. SUN ( .... ) POT
A) Shine
B) Rise
C) Flower
D) Set
E) Burn
(Total for Question 10 is 1 mark)
11
(Compound Words) Q3. DOOR ( .... ) LADDER
A) Way
B) Step
C) Bell
D) Man
E) Knob
(Total for Question 11 is 1 mark)
12
(Compound Words) Q4. OUT ( .... ) FAST
A) Side
B) Look
C) Break
D) Line
E) Cast
(Total for Question 12 is 1 mark)
13
SECTION 4: WORD ANALOGIES (4 minutes, 4 questions)
Work out how the first pair of words is connected, then choose the word that completes the second pair in the same way.
Q1. PUPPY is to DOG as KITTEN is to ( ? )
A) Feline
B) Cat
C) Puppy
D) Mouse
E) Kitten
(Total for Question 13 is 1 mark)
14
(Word Analogies) Q2. KNIFE is to CUT as HAMMER is to ( ? )
A) Nail
B) Hit
C) Build
D) Saw
E) Break
(Total for Question 14 is 1 mark)
15
(Word Analogies) Q3. ROOM is to HOUSE as CARRIAGE is to ( ? )
A) Engine
B) Track
C) Train
D) Station
E) Platform
(Total for Question 15 is 1 mark)
16
(Word Analogies) Q4. THIRSTY is to DRINK as HUNGRY is to ( ? )
A) Meal
B) Starve
C) Food
D) Eat
E) Cook
(Total for Question 16 is 1 mark)
17
SECTION 5: MOVE A LETTER (4 minutes, 4 questions)
In each question, one letter moves from the end of the first word to the front of the second word, so that both the word it leaves behind and the new word it forms are correctly spelled. Choose the option that shows this done correctly.
Q1. SHINE LATE
A) Hine and Slate
B) Shin and Elate
C) Shi and Nelate
D) Shine and Late
E) Shne and Ilate
(Total for Question 17 is 1 mark)
18
(Move a Letter) Q2. STRIPE VENT
A) Strip and Event
B) Tripe and Svent
C) Stri and Pevent
D) Stripe and Vent
E) Sripe and Tvent
(Total for Question 18 is 1 mark)
19
(Move a Letter) Q3. STARE RODE
A) Tare and Srode
B) Star and Erode
C) Sta and Rerode
D) Stare and Rode
E) Sare and Trode
(Total for Question 19 is 1 mark)
20
(Move a Letter) Q4. PASTE QUIP
A) Aste and Pquip
B) Pas and Tequip
C) Past and Equip
D) Paste and Quip
E) Pate and Squip
(Total for Question 20 is 1 mark)
21
SECTION 6: HIDDEN WORDS (4 minutes, 4 questions)
A word is hidden in each sentence, made from the end of one word and the start of the next word, reading in that order. Choose the hidden word.
Q1. Sarah kept the extra income safe in a savings account.
Which four-letter word is hidden across the join of two consecutive words?
A) Coin
B) Rain
C) Tram
D) Save
E) Tidy
(Total for Question 21 is 1 mark)
22
(Hidden Words) Q2. Priya double-checked the info verified by her teacher before the exam.
Which four-letter word is hidden across the join of two consecutive words?
A) Into
B) Open
C) Over
D) Vase
E) Ride
(Total for Question 22 is 1 mark)
23
(Hidden Words) Q3. Maya stayed home because attendance was optional that day.
Which four-letter word is hidden across the join of two consecutive words?
A) Heat
B) Seal
C) Seat
D) Atom
E) East
(Total for Question 23 is 1 mark)
24
(Hidden Words) Q4. The farmer moved the sheep into pens before nightfall.
Which four-letter word is hidden across the join of two consecutive words?
A) Oven
B) Ship
C) Open
D) Opts
E) Nest
(Total for Question 24 is 1 mark)
25
SECTION 7: LETTER SEQUENCES (4 minutes, 4 questions)
Find the letter that continues the sequence.
Q1. B, D, F, H, ( ? )
A) I
B) J
C) K
D) H
E) L
(Total for Question 25 is 1 mark)
26
(Letter Sequences) Q2. Z, X, V, T, ( ? )
A) S
B) R
C) Q
D) P
E) T
(Total for Question 26 is 1 mark)
27
(Letter Sequences) Q3. A, C, B, D, C, E, D, ( ? )
A) E
B) F
C) G
D) C
E) D
(Total for Question 27 is 1 mark)
28
(Letter Sequences) Q4. C, F, J, ( ? )
A) N
B) O
C) P
D) M
E) Q
(Total for Question 28 is 1 mark)
29
SECTION 8: LETTER CODES (4 minutes, 4 questions)
Work out the rule used to make the code, then apply it to find the answer.
Q1. In a code, each letter is moved one place forward in the alphabet (A becomes B, B becomes C, and so on). If CAT is coded as DBU, what does DOG become in this code?
A) EPH
B) EPG
C) DPH
D) EOH
E) FPH
(Total for Question 29 is 1 mark)
30
(Letter Codes) Q2. In a code, each letter is moved two places back in the alphabet (C becomes A, D becomes B, and so on). If PLUM is coded as NJSK, what does RIDE become in this code?
A) PGBC
B) OGBC
C) PHBC
D) PGCC
E) PGBD
(Total for Question 30 is 1 mark)
31
(Letter Codes) Q3. In a code, each letter is replaced by the letter the same number of places from the end of the alphabet as it is from the start (A becomes Z, B becomes Y, and so on). If BOOK is coded as YLLP, what does TRIP become in this code?
A) HIRK
B) GJRK
C) GIQK
D) GIRJ
E) GIRK
(Total for Question 31 is 1 mark)
32
(Letter Codes) Q4. In a code, every letter is moved forward through the alphabet by the same fixed number of places. In this code, PEN is coded as TIR. Using the same code, what does JAM become?
A) MEQ
B) NDQ
C) NEQ
D) NEP
E) OEQ
(Total for Question 32 is 1 mark)
Mark scheme · EP.V60 Verbal Reasoning Mixed Practice Set X
Question 1
B1 B) Archaic - archaic means very old or belonging to an earlier time, the closest match to ancient; cao
Answer: B) Archaic
Question 2
B1 C) Unwilling - reluctant means hesitant or unwilling to do something, the closest match to unwilling; cao
Answer: C) Unwilling
Question 3
B1 C) Brief - concise means giving information clearly in a few words, the closest match to brief; cao
Answer: C) Brief
Question 4
B1 B) Hardworking - diligent means showing careful and persistent effort, the closest match to hardworking; cao
Answer: B) Hardworking
Question 5
B1 C) Dolphin - Trout, Salmon, Haddock and Mackerel are all fish, while a Dolphin is a mammal, not a fish; cao
Answer: C) Dolphin
Question 6
B1 D) Penguin - Sparrow, Robin, Swallow and Blackbird can all fly, while a Penguin cannot fly; cao
Answer: D) Penguin
Question 7
B1 E) Glance - Whisper, Shout, Murmur and Mutter all describe ways of speaking, while a Glance is a quick look, not a way of speaking; cao
Answer: E) Glance
Question 8
B1 E) Glacier - Fjord, Peninsula, Estuary and Archipelago are all landforms shaped by their relationship with the sea, while a Glacier is a slow-moving mass of ice, not a coastal landform; cao
Answer: E) Glacier
Question 9
B1 B) Bow - RAIN gains BOW to become RAINBOW, and BOW gains TIE to become BOWTIE; cao
Answer: B) Bow
Question 10
B1 C) Flower - SUN gains FLOWER to become SUNFLOWER, and FLOWER gains POT to become FLOWERPOT; cao
Answer: C) Flower
Question 11
B1 B) Step - DOOR gains STEP to become DOORSTEP, and STEP gains LADDER to become STEPLADDER; cao
Answer: B) Step
Question 12
B1 C) Break - OUT gains BREAK to become OUTBREAK, and BREAK gains FAST to become BREAKFAST; cao
Answer: C) Break
Question 13
B1 B) Cat - a PUPPY is a young DOG, and a KITTEN is a young CAT; cao
Answer: B) Cat
Question 14
B1 B) Hit - a KNIFE is used to CUT, and a HAMMER is used to HIT; cao
Answer: B) Hit
Question 15
B1 C) Train - a ROOM is part of a HOUSE, and a CARRIAGE is part of a TRAIN; cao
Answer: C) Train
Question 16
B1 D) Eat - being THIRSTY is relieved by the action to DRINK, and being HUNGRY is relieved by the action to EAT; cao
Answer: D) Eat
Question 17
B1 B) Shin and Elate - moving the last letter of SHINE (E) to the front of LATE leaves SHIN, a real word (the front of the lower leg), and forms ELATE, a real word (to make very happy); cao
Answer: B) Shin and Elate
Question 18
B1 A) Strip and Event - moving the last letter of STRIPE (E) to the front of VENT leaves STRIP, a real word, and forms EVENT, a real word; cao
Answer: A) Strip and Event
Question 19
B1 B) Star and Erode - moving the last letter of STARE (E) to the front of RODE leaves STAR, a real word, and forms ERODE, a real word (to wear away gradually); cao
Answer: B) Star and Erode
Question 20
B1 C) Past and Equip - moving the last letter of PASTE (E) to the front of QUIP leaves PAST, a real word, and forms EQUIP, a real word (to supply with what is needed); cao
Answer: C) Past and Equip
Question 21
B1 B) Rain - RAIN is hidden across the join of EXTRA and INCOME (...e-x-t-r-a-i-n-c-o-m-e...), using the last two letters of EXTRA and the first two letters of INCOME; cao
Answer: B) Rain
Question 22
B1 C) Over - OVER is hidden across the join of INFO and VERIFIED (...i-n-f-o-v-e-r-i-f-i-e-d...), using the last letter of INFO and the first three letters of VERIFIED; cao
Answer: C) Over
Question 23
B1 C) Seat - SEAT is hidden across the join of BECAUSE and ATTENDANCE (...b-e-c-a-u-s-e-a-t-t-e-n-d-a-n-c-e...), using the last two letters of BECAUSE and the first two letters of ATTENDANCE; cao
Answer: C) Seat
Question 24
B1 C) Open - OPEN is hidden across the join of INTO and PENS (...i-n-t-o-p-e-n-s...), using the last letter of INTO and the first three letters of PENS; cao
Answer: C) Open
Question 25
B1 B) J - each letter is 2 places after the one before (B=2, D=4, F=6, H=8, J=10); cao
Answer: B) J
Question 26
B1 B) R - each letter is 2 places before the one before it (Z=26, X=24, V=22, T=20, R=18); cao
Answer: B) R
Question 27
B1 B) F - the sequence alternates between adding 2 and subtracting 1 (A+2=C, C-1=B, B+2=D, D-1=C, C+2=E, E-1=D, D+2=F); cao
Answer: B) F
Question 28
B1 B) O - the gap between letters increases by 1 each time (+3, +4, +5): C=3, F=6, J=10, O=15; cao
Answer: B) O
Question 29
B1 A) EPH - each letter moves forward one place in the alphabet: D->E, O->P, G->H; cao
Answer: A) EPH
Question 30
B1 A) PGBC - each letter moves back two places in the alphabet: R->P, I->G, D->B, E->C; cao
Answer: A) PGBC
Question 31
B1 E) GIRK - each letter is replaced by the letter the same number of places from the end of the alphabet: T->G, R->I, I->R, P->K; cao
Answer: E) GIRK
Question 32
B1 C) NEQ - working out the shift from PEN/TIR shows every letter moves forward 4 places; applying this to JAM: J->N, A->E, M->Q; cao