SSAT Upper Level Verbal : SSAT Upper Level Verbal

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

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

Example Question #23 : Example And Category

Complete this analogy.

Elegy is to poem as __________ is to song.

Possible Answers:

courier

biped

epoch

pinnacle

ditty

Correct answer:

ditty

Explanation:

An "elegy" is a type of poem, usually in memory of someone. So, to solve this analogy you have to determine which of these answer choices is a type of song. The correct answer is "ditty" which is a lighthearted song, a well-known song. Additionally, "courier" means messenger; the "pinnacle" is the height of achievement, the peak; a "biped" is a two-legged creature; an "epoch" is an era of history, a period of time.

Example Question #44 : Part/Whole, Part/Part, Example/Category, And Cause/Effect

Complete this analogy.

Fallacious is to argument as __________ is to story.

Possible Answers:

munificent

tangential

apocryphal

inexorable

supercilious

Correct answer:

apocryphal

Explanation:

The adjective "fallacious" means (of an argument) false and misleading. So, a "fallacious argument" is a false argument, a deceptive argument. Which of these answer choices means a false story, a misleading story? The correct answer is "apocryphal" which means (of a story) most likely untrue and misleading. Additionally, "munificent" means generous; "supercilious" means arrogant, haughty; "tangential" means unrelated or only loosely related; "inexorable" means unstoppable, relentless.

Example Question #171 : Ssat Upper Level Verbal

Complete this analogy.

Typhoon is to __________ as typhoid is to disease.

Possible Answers:

occupation

storm

government

medicine

ethnicity

Correct answer:

storm

Explanation:

"Typhoid" is an example of a "disease," so to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these a "typhoon" is an example of. Well, a "typhoon" is a hurricane or a violent "storm."

Example Question #172 : Ssat Upper Level Verbal

Complete this analogy.

Biped is to __________ as quadruped is to cow.

Possible Answers:

human

ant

shark

elephant

spider

Correct answer:

human

Explanation:

It would be easiest to solve this problem if you knew that "quadruped" means animal with four legs and that "biped" means animal with two legs. If you did not know this you would have to consider the meaning of their prefixes. So, the prefix quad- means four and the prefix bi- means two. A "cow" is a "quadruped" because it has four legs, which of these animals is a "biped" because it has two legs? A "human."

Example Question #173 : Ssat Upper Level Verbal

Complete this analogy.

Androgynous is to gender as __________ is to ethnicity. 

Possible Answers:

foreign

diverse

familiar

banal

biracial

Correct answer:

biracial

Explanation:

To solve this analogy you first need to know that "androgynous" means having both male and female anatomy, being both male and female. So, if "androgynous" relates to something or someone being both "genders" then you are looking for a word that relates to someone having two "ethnicities." The correct answer is therefore "biracial" which means belonging to two races, belonging to two ethnicities. Additionally, "diverse" means varied; "banal" means monotone, boring.

Example Question #174 : Ssat Upper Level Verbal

Complete this analogy.

Proton is to molecule as __________ is to element.

Possible Answers:

vermilion

sodium

mercantilism

milliner

sophism

Correct answer:

sodium

Explanation:

A "proton" is a type of elemental matter (like an electron or a neutron), a "molecule." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these is an example of an "element." The correct answer is "sodium." Additionally, "vermilion" is a color; a "milliner" is an occupation; "mercantilism" is a system of economics; "sophism" is a philosophy.

Example Question #175 : Ssat Upper Level Verbal

Complete this analogy.

Color is to __________ as vocation is to nurse.

Possible Answers:

hovercraft

paint

doctor

teal

moose

Correct answer:

teal

Explanation:

To begin with a "vocation" is a job, an occupation. So, a "nurse" is an example of a "vocation." Which of these is an example of a "color?" The correct answer is "teal," which means a dark blue color.

Example Question #176 : Ssat Upper Level Verbal

Complete this analogy.

Baron is to aristocracy as bishop is to __________.

Possible Answers:

affluent

deity

clergy

nobility

oligarchy

Correct answer:

clergy

Explanation:

A "baron" is a member of the "aristocracy" (also known as the "nobility"). To solve this analogy you therefore need to determine which of these groups a "bishop" belongs to. A "bishop" is a high ranking figure in certain Christian faiths. And "bishops" belong to the "clergy" which is the entire body of religious leaders in the Catholic faith (and other Christian denominations). Additionally, an "oligarchy" is a system of government where a few wealthy businessmen and landowners have absolute power; a "deity" is a God; "affluent" means wealthy, prosperous, rich.

Example Question #177 : Ssat Upper Level Verbal

Complete this analogy.

Falcon is to bird as whale is to __________.

Possible Answers:

ocean

krill

mammal

water

fish

Correct answer:

mammal

Explanation:

A "falcon" is a type of "bird," so to solve this analogy you merely need to determine to which of these groups "whales" belong. The correct answer is "mammals." Additionally, "krill" are little pieces of plankton, and other small, floating creatures, which many whales consume in immense quantities.

Example Question #178 : Ssat Upper Level Verbal

Complete this analogy.

Property is to __________ as gluttony is to sin.

Possible Answers:

adage

commode

aspersion

asset

sinecure

Correct answer:

asset

Explanation:

"Gluttony" is excessive greed, particularly concerning the excessive intake of food. "Gluttony" is an example of a "sin." So, to solve this analogy you need to determine which of these answer choices "property" is an example of. The correct answer is "asset" which means object of value, something owned and worth money to someone. Additionally, an "adage" is an old-saying meant to impart some lesson; "aspersion" is defamation, an attack on the reputation or morality of someone; a "sinecure" is an easy job; a "commode" is a room, usually a bathroom.

Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors