Edutest Year 7 Verbal Reasoning Practice

Try each question first, then open the worked solution to check your answer and see how to reach it.

1. 1.If all bloops are razzies and all razzies are lazzies, are all bloops lazzies?

   • AYes
   • BNo
   • CCannot be determined
   • DSometimes
   Show answer and working

   Answer: A (Yes)

   Picture the groups as circles inside circles. All bloops are inside the razzies circle, and all razzies are inside the lazzies circle. So the bloops circle sits completely inside the lazzies circle, meaning every bloop is a lazzie. The made-up words test logic only, so do not rely on what the words mean.

2. 2.If PALE is coded as 2134 and EARTH is coded as 41590, what is PEARL coded as?

   • A24153
   • B21453
   • C24135
   • D42153
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   Answer: A (24153)

   Build a letter-to-number key from the examples. PALE = 2134 gives P = 2, A = 1, L = 3, E = 4. EARTH = 41590 confirms E = 4 and A = 1, and adds R = 5, T = 9, H = 0. Now code PEARL: P2 E4 A1 R5 L3 = 24153. Check each letter in turn to avoid swapping digits.

3. 3.Which word does not belong?

   • AEagle
   • BOstrich
   • CEmu
   • DPenguin
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   Answer: A (Eagle)

   Ostriches, emus and penguins are all flightless birds. An eagle is a bird that can fly, so it is the odd one out. All four are birds, which is why you need a more specific shared feature, here not being able to fly, to separate them.

4. 4.Architect is to Blueprint as Composer is to...

   • ABuilding
   • BScore
   • CSong
   • DInstrument
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   Answer: B (Score)

   The relationship is 'a creator and the written plan for their work': an architect draws a blueprint, which is the plan for a building. A composer writes a score, which is the written plan for music. A song is the final result, like the building, so it is a trap answer. An instrument is a tool.

5. 5.Which word is an antonym for 'Scarce'?

   • ARare
   • BAbundant
   • CFew
   • DLimited
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   Answer: B (Abundant)

   'Scarce' means in short supply or hard to find. The antonym is 'abundant', meaning plentiful or more than enough. 'Rare', 'few' and 'limited' all mean the same as scarce, so they are synonyms. Watch for questions that include several synonyms to test whether you notice the question asks for an antonym.

6. 6.Telescope is to Stars as Microscope is to...

   • ABacteria
   • BSky
   • CLens
   • DGlass
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   Answer: A (Bacteria)

   The relationship is 'an instrument and what it is used to look at': a telescope is used to see stars, which are very far away. A microscope is used to see very small things, such as bacteria. A lens and glass are parts of a microscope, and the sky is where stars are, not what a microscope views.

7. 7.Which word is a synonym for 'Inevitable'?

   • AUncertain
   • BUnavoidable
   • CLikely
   • DPossible
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   Answer: B (Unavoidable)

   'Inevitable' means certain to happen and impossible to avoid, as in 'Rain was inevitable after the dark clouds rolled in.' So the synonym is 'unavoidable'. 'Likely' and 'possible' mean something might happen, which is weaker than inevitable, and 'uncertain' is close to the opposite.

8. 8.Which letter comes next: Z, X, V, T, __?

   • AR
   • BS
   • CQ
   • DP
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   Answer: A (R)

   The letters go backwards through the alphabet, skipping one each time: Z (skip Y) X (skip W) V (skip U) T. Skipping S, the next letter is R. Writing the alphabet backwards from Z and crossing out every second letter makes the pattern easy to see.

9. 9.Tom is Mary's brother. Jane is Tom's mother. Who is Mary to Jane?

   • ASister
   • BAunt
   • CDaughter
   • DNiece
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   Answer: C (Daughter)

   Tom is Mary's brother, so Tom and Mary are siblings with the same parents. Jane is Tom's mother, so she is Mary's mother too. That makes Mary Jane's daughter. Drawing a quick family tree, with Jane at the top and Tom and Mary below her, is the easiest way to solve these.

10. 10.Circle is to Sphere as Square is to...

    • ATriangle
    • BCube
    • CBox
    • DRectangle
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    Answer: B (Cube)

    A circle is a flat (2D) shape, and a sphere is its solid (3D) version, like a ball. A square is a flat shape, and its 3D version is a cube, like a dice. A box is not always a cube, and triangles and rectangles are other flat shapes, so they do not match.