“My child is good at English, so why are they stuck on verbal reasoning?” Because verbal reasoning is not really English. It is a set of puzzles made out of letters, words and numbers, and most children have never seen one before Year 5.
That is good news. Each question type has a method, and a method can be taught. Below are the types children meet most often, each with a worked example and the way I teach it.
“Write the alphabet out before you start. Every time.”
It takes twenty seconds and saves far more. Counting letters in your head is where most code and series mistakes come from.
BD, DF, FH, ?
Track each position on its own. First letters: B, D, F, H (jumps of 2). Second letters: D, F, H, J. The answer is HJ.
If CAT is written DBU, how is DOG written?
Compare letter by letter: C to D, A to B, T to U. Every letter moves on 1. So DOG becomes EPH.
If HAT is written SZG, what is the rule?
Mirror pairs add up to 27. H is letter 8, and 27 − 8 = 19, which is S. A pairs with Z, T with G. Once a child knows A–Z, B–Y, C–X, these take seconds.
Find the four-letter word hidden across two words: “My tea mug is chipped.”
Slide along every join between two words. The end of “tea” and the start of “mug” give TEAM.
Kitten is to cat as puppy is to (bark, dog, kennel, bone).
Say the link as a sentence: “A kitten is a baby cat.” Then use exactly the same sentence: a puppy is a baby dog. “Bark” is there to tempt a child who only half-reads the link.
Find one word that finishes FOOT( ) and starts ( )ROOM.
List words that follow FOOT: ball, step, print. Test each in front of ROOM. Only one makes a real word: BALL (football, ballroom).
Move one letter from SPIN to TEAM so that both make new words.
Try each letter of SPIN in turn. Take the S: SPIN becomes PIN and TEAM becomes STEAM. Both words must be real, not just one.
apple, carrot, pear, potato, plum
Give each word a two-word label. Apple, pear and plum are fruit. The odd two out are carrot and potato, both vegetables.
3, 5, 9, 15, 23, ?
Find the gaps first: 2, 4, 6, 8. The next gap is 10, so the answer is 33. No pattern in the gaps? Look at every other number: there may be two series woven together.
Ravi is taller than Sam. Tom is shorter than Sam. Uma is taller than Ravi. Who is shortest?
Never do this in your head. Write a list, tallest at the top: Uma, Ravi, Sam, Tom. The answer is Tom.
Another number type gives sets like 3 [12] 4 and 5 [30] 6, then asks for 7 [?] 2. The middle number is made from the outer two. Here it is the two numbers multiplied, so the answer is 14. The step children skip is testing the rule on every complete set before using it.
Children who think verbal reasoning is about being clever give up on a question. Children who know it is about method keep working through it.
That is why I teach one type at a time, slowly, before any timed paper.
These are the two I see most often:
A child spends three minutes on a hard code and runs out of time for five easy synonyms at the end. Bank the easy marks first, then go back to the hard code.
In analogies and synonyms, two options often look close. The fix is to say the link or the meaning out loud first, then pick the option that matches it exactly.
This is how I would prepare a child:
Know that E is 5, M is 13 and T is 20 without counting. Then learn the mirror pairs: A–Z, B–Y, C–X, and so on to M–N.
Ten questions of one type, untimed, with every mistake talked through. Only mix the types once each one feels easy.
Print GL Assessment’s free familiarisation papers, so the multiple-choice layout is never a surprise on the day.
Synonym and odd-one-out questions depend on knowing words. Daily reading, and talking about the new words in it, does more than any list.
Mark it, move on, come back. Practise that habit on short timed sets before trying a full paper.
Don’t start with timed papers. Start with one question type and a pencil.
Speed comes from knowing the method well, not from rushing.
The mix changes from test to test, and each school or area decides which subjects and question types it uses. The ISEB Pre-Test has a 25-minute adaptive verbal reasoning test, and the London 11+ Consortium guide explains what those schools set. Check how entry works at each school in the school finder, and the free 11+ guide covers the other skills behind these tests.
GL Assessment describes it as the ability to think logically about written information and then use that skill to solve problems. It uses words, letters and numbers rather than school subjects.
No. GL Assessment says 11+ tests vary from area to area, and that local authorities or individual schools decide which subjects to test and the balance of question types. Check the admissions page for each school or area you apply to.
25 minutes, or just over 31 minutes for a child with 25% extra time. It is one of four ISEB Pre-Tests, which take 2 hours 15 minutes in all.
Yes. GL Assessment offers free familiarisation papers for its 11+ tests, including verbal reasoning, as PDFs to print at home. They show the question styles and the multiple-choice layout.
Yes. CAT4 has a verbal reasoning battery alongside its non-verbal, quantitative and spatial batteries. GL Assessment describes it as testing the ability to express ideas and reason through words.
I prepare children 1:1 online for 11+, 13+ and 16+ entry to the UK’s leading independent and grammar schools. Tell me about your child and the schools you are considering, and I will tell you honestly what the preparation should look like.
Enquire About LessonsSources: GL Assessment: 11+ familiarisation and practice · GL Assessment: free 11+ familiarisation materials · GL Assessment: 11+ FAQs · GL Assessment: CAT4 · ISEB: how long are the tests?. Details change from year to year, so always check the official websites before you apply.