SSAT Upper Level Verbal : Analogies: Determining Meaning from Type of Relationship

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Upper Level Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #6 : Location, Time, Or Context

Basketball is to free throw as __________.

Possible Answers:

baseball is to inning

chess is to chessboard

football is to touchdown

tennis is to racket

swimming is to pool

Correct answer:

football is to touchdown

Explanation:

One scores points in basketball by making successful free throws, so we need to pick out an answer choice in which the first word is a noun conveying a sport and the second word a noun conveying the way one might score points or win when playing that sport. While “baseball is to inning” and “football is to touchdown” might each look like a potentially correct answer, “inning” is defined as “a single turn at bat for a team until three outs are made” in the context of baseball, so a baseball game is divided into innings, but one does not necessarily score points by completing innings. So, “baseball is to inning” cannot be the correct answer. “Touchdown,” however, is a noun that means “a six-point score made by carrying or passing the ball into the end zone of the opposing side” in the context of football, so one scores points in football by completing touchdowns, just as one scores points in basketball by completing free throws, making “football is to touchdown” the correct answer.

Example Question #5 : Location, Time, Or Context

Complete this analogy.

Skyscraper is to city as wharf is to __________.

Possible Answers:

mountain

cave

village

seaside

forest

Correct answer:

seaside

Explanation:

A skyscraper is something that one would expect to find in a city, so we need to pick out an answer choice that describes a location in which one would expect to find a wharf. “Wharf” is a noun defined as “a dock; a level quayside area to which a ship may be moored,” so the correct answer is “seaside,” because it is the only answer choice which is located on the border between water and land.

Example Question #531 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Brochure is to museum as __________.

Possible Answers:

map is to vacation

movie is to video

newspaper is to news

money is to groceries

document is to law

Correct answer:

map is to vacation

Explanation:

A brochure is something you use to guide you when you go to a museum; similarly, a map is something you use to guide you when you go on a vacation.

Example Question #1 : Location, Time, Or Context

Complete this analogy.

Nocturnal is to night as __________ is to day.

Possible Answers:

urban

diurnal

rural

eternal

cosmopolitan

Correct answer:

diurnal

Explanation:

"Nocturnal" means (of an animal) awake at night, asleep during the day. So, to solve this analogy you are looking for the answer choice that means (of an animal) awake during the day, asleep at night. The correct answer is therefore "diurnal." Additionally, "eternal" means lasting forever; "rural" means related to the countryside; "urban" means related to the city; "cosmopolitan" means worldly, sophisticated.

Example Question #532 : Analogies: Determining Meaning From Type Of Relationship

Complete this analogy.

Convict is to prison as __________ is to abbey.

Possible Answers:

essayist

pilot

monk

demigod

student

Correct answer:

monk

Explanation:

A "convict" is a prisoner. So, if a "convict" lives in a prison, which of these answer choices might live in an "abbey?" Well, an "abbey" is like a monastery, so the correct answer is a "monk." Additionally, an "essayist" is a writer of essay's; a "demigod" is a lower tier God.

Example Question #11 : Location, Time, Or Context

Complete this analogy.

Till is to __________ as study is to exam.

Possible Answers:

sinecure

aesthetic

harvest

bereavement

strut

Correct answer:

harvest

Explanation:

One generally "studies" to prepare for an "exam." So, which of these is something that one might "till" in preparation for? Well, to "till" is to cultivate the land, to plant crops that will one day need to be "harvested." The correct answer is thus, of course, "harvest." Additionally, a "strut" is an exaggerated and cocky walk; "bereavement" is a period of mourning after a loss; a "sinecure" is an easy job; "aesthetic" means related to beauty.

Example Question #12 : Location, Time, Or Context

Complete this analogy.

Barracks is to soldier as __________ is to baby.

Possible Answers:

dormitory

university

nursery

commode

monastery

Correct answer:

nursery

Explanation:

A "barracks" is a place where soldiers are housed. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these answer choices is a place where "babies" might be found. The correct answer is a "nursery." Additionally, a "dormitory" is a place where people, usually students, sleep; a "commode" is a room, usually a bathroom; a "monastery" is a place where monks or other religious adherents live.

Example Question #654 : Ssat Upper Level Verbal

Complete this analogy.

Foresight is to future as __________ is to past.

Possible Answers:

descendant

forethought

hindsight

prudence

insight

Correct answer:

hindsight

Explanation:

"Foresight" is the ability to see or predict future developments. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these words relates to the past in the same way that "foresight" relates to the future. The correct answer is therefore "hindsight" which means an understanding of something that emerges after it has happened. Additionally, "insight" means understanding about the present; "forethought" and "prudence" are synonyms of "foresight"; a "descendant" is someone in one's family who comes after oneself, like a grandson.

Example Question #661 : Ssat Upper Level Verbal

Complete the analogy.

Actuary is to risk as banker is to __________.

Possible Answers:

violence 

charity 

performance 

weather 

finances

Correct answer:

finances

Explanation:

An "actuary" is someone who assesses "risk" for a living. So, an "actuary" is someone who is concerned with "risk." To solve this analogy, you need to determine what it is that a "bursar" is associated with. A "banker" is someone who works for a bank managing finances, so "finances" is the correct answer.

Example Question #662 : Ssat Upper Level Verbal

Complete the analogy.

Abbot is to __________ as admiral is to navy.

Possible Answers:

parade

monastery

school 

kitchen

corporation

Correct answer:

monastery

Explanation:

An "admiral" is a high-ranking commander in the navy. So, to solve this analogy, you need to determine the organization in which an "abbot" has authority. The correct answer is that an "abbot" has authority over a "monastery." To provide further help, a "monastery" is a place where monks live, pray, and study.

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