All SSAT Upper Level Verbal Resources
Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Measurement
Speedometer is to speed as . . .
odometer is to distance
ice is to iceberg
smell is to nose
binoculars are to sight
echolocation is to bat
odometer is to distance
Since a speedometer measures speed, we're looking for an answer choice in which the first word measures what the second word represents. While "binoculars are to sight" might seem like a good answer, because binoculars are a device that enhance your sight, it doesn't represent the "measuring device is to measured quantity" relationship that we're looking for. "Odometer is to distance," however, does represent that relationship, as an odometer measures distance, so "odometer is to distance" is the right answer.
Example Question #2 : Measurement
Complete this analogy.
Clock is to time as __________.
length is to ruler
degree is to temperature
odometer is to distance
meter is to yard
volume is to gram
odometer is to distance
The best choice is "odometer is to distance." The relationship between "clock" and "time" is that a clock measures time. Likewise, an odometer is a device in a car which measures distance traveled. Considering the other options, "length is to ruler" is the only other choice with the correct relationship, but it is not in the right order as it is worded what is being measured to measuring device instead of measuring device to what is being measured as it is in the question. "Meter is to yard" is incorrect because a meter and a yard are both two different units that measure length. "Degree is to temperature" is incorrect because a degree is a unit of measurement for temperature (not a device that measures temperature) and temperature is the thing being measured. "Volume is to gram" cannot be correct as volume is what is being measured while a gram is a unit of measurement (albeit the incorrect one for volume).
Example Question #3 : Measurement
Complete this analogy.
Grotto is to cavern as gorge is to __________.
ocean
clod
canyon
mountain
hill
canyon
A grotto is a small cave, often an artificial one and a cavern is a large cave or part of a cave, so the comparison between the two terms is one of size. We thus need to pick out an answer choice that represents something that could be thought of as a very large ditch. Since a gorge is a narrow valley with a stream at the bottom, "canyon," which means a deep gorge, is the best answer, because just like a cavern can be thought of as a very large grotto, a canyon can be thought of as a large gorge.
Example Question #1 : Measurement
Complete this analogy.
Metropolis is to village as ocean is to __________.
storm
sailboat
nautical
puddle
whale
puddle
A “metropolis” is defined as a large city, while a “village” is a small settlement in the countryside. A metropolis is a large-scale version of a village, and we need to pick out an answer choice that describes something of which the larger-scale version would be an ocean. While “puddle” and “storm” might each look like a potentially correct answer because like an ocean, they both involve water, a larger-scale storm would not be an ocean, so “storm” cannot be the correct answer. One could think of a large-scale puddle as an ocean however, as both are bodies of water, so “puddle” is the correct answer.
Example Question #5 : Measurement
Complete this analogy.
Colon is to sphere as semicolon is to __________.
circle
hemisphere
arc
semicircle
period
hemisphere
A semicolon is "half" of a colon, and a hemisphere is half of a sphere.
Example Question #2 : Measurement
Complete this analogy.
Rivulet is to river as hamlet is to __________.
ocean
forest
mountain
town
wall
town
A rivulet is a small river, so to solve this analogy you have to determine which of the answer choices is a larger version of a hamlet. A hamlet is a small town so the correct answer is “town.”
Example Question #18 : Measurement, Storage, Location, And Material Composition
Complete this analogy.
Pittance is to money as tidbit is to __________.
effort
information
computing power
material possessions
intellectual capability
information
A pittance is a very small amount of money, so to solve this analogy you have to determine what a tidbit is a small amount of. A tidbit is used to describe a small piece of gossip or information.
Example Question #6 : Measurement
Complete this analogy.
Radius is to diameter as quadrant is to __________.
four
area
circumference
perimeter
half
half
The diameter of a circle is twice the size of the radius. A quadrant refers to a one-fourth section of something, so twice one-fourth is a half.
Example Question #7 : Measurement
Stopwatch is to time as yardstick is to __________.
construction
inches
yards
border
distance
distance
A "stopwatch" is the device that is used to measure the time that is taken for a given event. For example, a coach or physical education instructor will use a stopwatch to clock the time taken to run a race. Thus, the analogy could be represented as, “Just as a stopwatch measures time, so a yardstick measures X.” Note that the options “yards” and “inches” are not as appropriate as “distance.” If the first half of the analogy had used (e.g.) “seconds” instead of “time,” those other options would be more acceptable. However, as things stand, the analogy indicates the general type of measure done by the device (time and distance respectively).
Example Question #4 : Measurement
Complete this analogy.
Viscosity is to __________ as luminosity is to brightness.
loudness
heaviness
thickness
saltiness
toughness
thickness
"Luminosity" is how bright something is, a measure of "brightness." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine what it is that "viscosity" measures. Well, "viscosity" is a measure of how thick something is, a measure of "thickness."