Dec 17, 2024

CAT4 Verbal Reasoning

CAT4 Verbal Reasoning
1.1 Verbal Classification
1.2 Verbal Analogies
Example Problems

CAT4 Verbal Reasoning

Verbal Reasoning Battery

In the Verbal Classification test, each question presents three words. The examinee must identify the conceptual connection between the three words and then choose the word that most closely matches the first three words from a list of five options.

This test evaluates general verbal reasoning and the ability to extract general principles from specific examples by identifying similarities and relationships between concepts. It also assesses general knowledge (e.g., that an ankle is a joint), word knowledge (e.g., that "cold" can mean both a virus or low temperature), and language development (e.g., that some words can be both verbs and nouns, and how words like "although" and "moreover" are used).

In the Verbal Analogies test, each question presents a word analogy in the form "A-B: C-_". The examinee must understand how the first pair of words are related and choose the second pair that completes the analogy from the five options.

This problem has two elements: first, the second word is either an element of the first or it is a term that describes the first. The second part involves replicating that relationship with the third word.

The problems are designed not to rely on background knowledge or vocabulary, but rather to require the student to flexibly identify and apply concepts.

1.1 Verbal Classification

Verbal Classification assesses the ability to identify and classify words based on meaning and relationships. In this section, students are evaluated on their ability to group words or phrases that share common attributes or categorize them into specific groups.

Identifying Categories: Students are given a list of words or phrases and must determine which one does not belong to the same category as the others. For example, if given the words “dog,” “cat,” “fish,” and “rose,” the student must identify that “rose” is not an animal and therefore is an unrelated word.
Grouping Words: Students must group words based on common features. For example, grouping “apple,” “banana,” “carrot,” and “grape” into the categories of fruits and vegetables.
Matching Relationships: Based on a given relationship, students must identify which word completes the classification. For example, if “cow” is related to “milk,” then “sheep” is related to __? (Answer: “wool”).

1.2 Verbal Analogies

Verbal Analogies assess the ability to recognize and understand relationships between pairs of words or phrases and apply the same relationship to a new pair. This section tests logical reasoning and the ability to draw connections between concepts.

Word Pairs: Students judge the relationship between two words and apply that relationship to a new pair. For example, if “pen” is related to “write,” then “fork” is related to __? (Answer: “eat”).
Contextual Analogies: Based on the contextual relationship, students must identify which word completes the analogy. For example, “Doctor is to Hospital as Teacher is to __?” (Answer: “School”).
Logical Relationships: Solving analogies involving more complex relationships is evaluated. For example, “Day is to Night as Summer is to __?” (Answer: “Winter”).