Civil Service Exam (Professional) Analytical Ability — Analogy & Verbal RelationshipsCheat Sheet
A printable cheat sheet for Analogy & Verbal Relationships, built for Civil Service Exam (Professional) reviewers who want one go-to reference in the final stretch. Covers formulas, key definitions, common question types, and the Civil Service Commission (CSC)-specific twists you will see on Civil Service Exam (Professional) day.
Exam context
On the Civil Service Exam (Professional) 2026, the Analytical Ability subtest carries a "~25% weightage" weight in Civil Service Commission (CSC)'s pattern. Analogy & Verbal Relationships lands at position 1st out of 7 in the standard review order. Target score is 80%, and roughly 17 items come from Analytical Ability on a typical Civil Service Exam (Professional) 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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