AFPSAT Analytical Ability — Analogy & Verbal RelationshipsCheat Sheet
Cheat sheet for AFPSAT Analytical Ability — Analogy & Verbal Relationships. Compact, printable, and organised around the concepts Armed Forces of the Philippines tests most frequently in the AFPSAT 2026. Perfect for the week before exam day.
Exam context
On the AFPSAT 2026, the Analytical Ability subtest carries a "Core" weight in Armed Forces of the Philippines's pattern. Analogy & Verbal Relationships lands at position 1st out of 7 in the standard review order. Target score is AFP-set percentile, and roughly a meaningful share of items come from Analytical Ability on a typical AFPSAT paper.
Analogy & Verbal Relationships - Cheat sheet
Your last-minute revision companion for mastering analogy patterns and verbal relationships in CSE Professional exams
Sections
Section Title
Core Analogy Types & Patterns
Important Facts
- Define The Relationship (DTR) - state relationship in a sentence first
- Narrow the relationship if multiple answers seem correct
- Don't be afraid to substitute words to test relationships
- Observe parallelism - maintain same grammatical structure
- Never reverse the order - follow exact pattern of given pair
Key Definitions
Term
Analogy
Example
dog : mammal :: snake : reptile (classification relationship)
Definition
A comparison showing how two things are alike, identifying relationships between word pairs
Term
Single Word Approach
Example
canine : dog :: feline : ___ (answer: cat)
Definition
Given a pair and third word, find the word that relates to third word same as first pair
Term
Paired Word Approach
Example
mango : fruit :: rose : flower
Definition
Find the pair of words with same relationship as the given pair
Section Title
Synonym & Antonym Relationships
Important Facts
- Look for intensity differences - sad : depressed (degree relationship)
- Check if both pairs follow same synonym/antonym pattern
- Watch for false synonyms that sound similar but differ in meaning
Key Definitions
Term
Synonym Analogy
Example
clean : tidy :: beautiful : lovely
Definition
Both pairs contain words with similar meanings
Term
Antonym Analogy
Example
dark : light :: hot : cold
Definition
Both pairs contain words with opposite meanings
Section Title
Classification & Part-Whole Relationships
Important Facts
- Don't confuse part-whole with whole-part - order matters
- Classification goes from specific to general
- Look for taxonomical relationships (species to genus)
Key Definitions
Term
Classification
Example
stiletto : shoe :: sedan : car
Definition
Specific item belongs to general category
Term
Part-Whole
Example
lens : camera :: wheel : bicycle
Definition
First term is component of second term
Term
Whole-Part
Example
flower : petal :: house : room
Definition
First term contains second term as component
Section Title
Function & Purpose Relationships
Important Facts
- Focus on PRIMARY function, not secondary uses
- Worker-tool vs tool-worker - check the order carefully
- Some objects have multiple functions - pick most common
Key Definitions
Term
Tool-Function
Example
pencil : write :: hammer : pound
Definition
Object and its primary use or action
Term
Worker-Tool
Example
doctor : stethoscope :: carpenter : hammer
Definition
Professional and their primary instrument
Term
Object-Action
Example
cup : drink :: bed : sleep
Definition
Thing and what it does or what's done with it
Section Title
Cause & Effect, Sequence Relationships
Important Facts
- Cause-effect: first must directly cause second
- Sequence: look for life cycles, development stages
- Time sequence: chronological order matters
Key Definitions
Term
Cause-Effect
Example
rain : flood :: virus : disease
Definition
First causes second to happen
Term
Sequence
Example
caterpillar : butterfly :: tadpole : frog
Definition
Natural order or progression
Term
Degree/Intensity
Example
whisper : shout :: drizzle : downpour
Definition
One is more/less intense than other
Section Title
Location & Characteristic Relationships
Important Facts
- Capital-country relationships are common
- Animal habitat: penguin : Antarctica
- Gender pairs: check for proper male-female matching
Key Definitions
Term
Location
Example
Manila : Philippines :: Paris : France
Definition
Where something is found or belongs
Term
Characteristic
Example
lion : brave :: fox : cunning
Definition
Quality or trait associated with something
Term
Gender
Example
stallion : mare :: rooster : hen
Definition
Male-female relationships
Must Remember
- Always Define The Relationship (DTR) first - state it in a sentence
- Order matters - never reverse the given pattern
- Narrow overly broad relationships to find unique answer
- Check grammatical parallelism - noun:noun :: noun:noun
- Look for primary relationships, not secondary connections
- Don't guess - eliminate wrong answers systematically
- Common relationships: synonym, antonym, part-whole, classification, function, cause-effect
- Worker-tool relationships appear frequently in CSE exams
- Animal relationships: adult-young, male-female, sound, habitat
- Country-capital and element-symbol pairs are exam favorites
Last Minute Tips
- If multiple answers seem correct, your relationship definition is too broad - narrow it down
- For animal analogies, check: adult-young, male-female, sound, or habitat patterns
- Filipino context clues: Philippines-peso, Manila-capital type relationships often tested
- Eliminate choices with wrong grammatical structure first (verb where noun needed)
- In CSE exams, classification and function relationships appear most frequently
Comparison Tables
Rows
Values
- Similar : Similar
- happy : joyful
- Same meaning words
Property
Synonym
Values
- Opposite : Opposite
- hot : cold
- Contrasting meanings
Property
Antonym
Values
- Part : Whole
- wheel : car
- Component to complete object
Property
Part-Whole
Values
- Specific : General
- rose : flower
- Example to category
Property
Classification
Values
- Tool : Purpose
- knife : cut
- Object to its use
Property
Function
Values
- Person : Instrument
- chef : spatula
- Professional to equipment
Property
Worker-Tool
Values
- Cause : Result
- rain : flood
- What leads to what
Property
Cause-Effect
Values
- Before : After
- seed : tree
- Natural progression
Property
Sequence
Columns
- Relationship Type
- Pattern
- Example
- Key Clue
Table Title
Common Relationship Types Quick Reference
Rows
Values
- A : B :: C : ___
- Find word that relates to C like B relates to A
- dog : bark :: cat : meow
Property
Single-Word
Values
- A : B :: ___ : ___
- Find pair with same relationship as A:B
- pen : write :: brush : paint
Property
Paired-Word
Columns
- Approach
- Format
- Strategy
- Example
Table Title
Single-Word vs Paired-Word Approach
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