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Analogy

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high importance~3 Q in Tier 112 formulas⚡ 11 shortcuts6 subtopics
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Letter / letter-cluster analogy

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⏱ 5 min read🧩 6 question types🎯 15 practice Q
The idea in one minute

In a letter analogy the terms are letters or groups of letters, like CAT : FDW. There is no meaning to find. The link is always a rule about alphabet positions. Turn letters into numbers (A = 1 ... Z = 26), subtract, and copy the change to the next group.

01

Letters are numbers

Give each letter its place in the alphabet: A = 1, B = 2 ... Z = 26. Counting from A every time is slow. Learn five anchors instead.

LetterEJOTY
Position510152025

Every other letter is a short hop from an anchor. R = T − 2 = 18. L = J + 2 = 12. W = Y − 2 = 23.

Tip: Say "EJOTY" as one word. It gives you 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 in two seconds.

02

Opposite letters

Fold the alphabet in the middle. Each letter faces its opposite letter. The two positions always add up to 27.

A-Z, B-Y, C-X, D-W, E-V, F-U, G-T, H-S, I-R, J-Q, K-P, L-O, M-N

So the opposite of a letter at position p is at 27 − p. G is 7, and 27 − 7 = 20 = T.

03

Subtract slot by slot

Write the positions of the first group. Write the positions of the second group below. Subtract each pair. The list of changes is the shift pattern. It is the whole rule.

CAT → FDW: C(3) → F(6) is +3. A(1) → D(4) is +3. T(20) → W(23) is +3. The shift pattern is (+3, +3, +3).

Apply it to PIN: P + 3 = S, I + 3 = L, N + 3 = Q. The answer is SLQ.

04

Going past Z

After Z the alphabet starts again at A. Going back from A, you land on Z.

  • Y + 3: 25 + 3 = 28. Take away 26 to get 2 = B.
  • B − 3: 2 − 3 = −1. Add 26 to get 25 = Y.

Rule: Above 26, subtract 26. Below 1, add 26.

05

When the gap is on the left

Sometimes the first group is missing: ? : GJMP :: RTVX : TVXZ. The full pair is on the right. Find its shift pattern. Then apply the pattern backwards: +2 becomes −2.

RTVX → TVXZ is +2 on every letter. So the gap + 2 = GJMP. Go back 2: G − 2 = E, J − 2 = H, M − 2 = K, P − 2 = N. The answer is EHKN.

Tip: Undo one letter at a time. Then check your answer by shifting it forwards again.

06

The five rules setters use

  1. Same shift for every letter. EHKN → GJMP is +2 on each letter.
  2. A different shift for each slot. The changes form a pattern, like (+1, +2, +3, +4). Copy the whole pattern.
  3. Opposite letters. GOLD → TLOW. Each letter becomes its opposite.
  4. Reversal. The group is written backwards. It may also be shifted: RING → GNIR → +1 → HOJS.
  5. Rearrangement. The same letters in a new order. PLAY → LPYA swaps each pair of letters.
07

Which rule? Check in this order

  1. Does the second group use the same letters? Then it is a rearrangement.
  2. Read the second group backwards. Do you see the first group, or the first group shifted? Then it is reversal.
  3. Do the first two letters add up to 27? Then test opposite letters.
  4. Otherwise, subtract slot by slot and read the shift pattern.

Example: DRIVE : FUMAK :: PLANT : ? The shifts are +2, +3, +4, +5, +6 (V + 5 = 27, which wraps to A). Apply them to PLANT: R, O, E, S, Z. The answer is ROESZ.

08

Question types you will see

Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.

Type 1very common2 practice Q

Same shift for every letter

How to spot it:

Every letter of the second group is the same number of places ahead of (or behind) the matching letter of the first group.

new=old+k\text{new} = \text{old} + k
Method

  1. Subtract positions slot by slot (use EJOTY).

  2. Confirm every change is the same number k.

  3. Add k to every letter of the third group.

  4. Wrap past Z if needed.

Why it works:

The whole group moves as one block, so one number describes the rule.

Try this

Select the letter-cluster that can replace the question mark. EHKN : GJMP :: RUXA : ? (a) TWZB (b) TWZC (c) SVYB (d) TVZC

Show solution

  1. E → G, H → J, K → M, N → P: each is +2.

  2. R → T, U → W, X → Z, A → C.

Answer

(b) TWZC

Type 2common2 practice Q

A different shift for each slot

How to spot it:

The changes are not equal but form a pattern: +1, +2, +3, +4 or +2, −1, +2, −1.

Method

  1. Write the full shift pattern from the model pair.

  2. Do not round or average it.

  3. Give slot 1 its shift, slot 2 its shift, and so on.

Why it works:

The rule belongs to the slot in the group, not to the letter in it.

Try this

CFIL : DHLP :: GJMP : ? (a) HLPT (b) HKOS (c) ILPT (d) HLOT

Show solution

  1. C → D is +1, F → H is +2, I → L is +3, L → P is +4.

  2. G + 1 = H, J + 2 = L, M + 3 = P, P + 4 = T.

Answer

(a) HLPT

Type 3common2 practice Q

Opposite-letter analogy

How to spot it:

Matching letters of the model pair add up to 27 (G + T, O + L). Sometimes the result is also written backwards.

opposite=27−p\text{opposite} = 27 - p
Method

  1. Add the positions of one matching pair. A total of 27 means opposite letters.

  2. Replace each letter of the third group by its opposite.

  3. If the model was also reversed, reverse your answer too.

Why it works:

Opposite letters are a fixed swap table, so no counting is needed once you spot it.

Try this

GOLD : TLOW :: IRON : ? (a) RILN (b) RJLM (c) RILM (d) SILM

Show solution

  1. G(7) + T(20) = 27, so the rule is opposite letters.

  2. I ↔ R, R ↔ I, O ↔ L, N ↔ M.

Answer

(c) RILM

Type 4common2 practice Q

Reversal and reverse-plus-shift

How to spot it:

Reading the second group backwards gives the first group, or gives it with every letter moved by the same step.

Method

  1. Reverse the second group and compare it with the first.

  2. Same letters means plain reversal. All letters off by k means reverse, then shift by k.

  3. Do the same two steps, in the same order, on the third group.

Why it works:

Reversal changes the order and the shift changes the letters, so the two steps can be checked one at a time.

Try this

RING : HOJS :: BELL : ? (a) MMFC (b) LLEB (c) CFMM (d) MMFD

Show solution

  1. RING backwards is GNIR. Each letter + 1 gives HOJS.

  2. BELL backwards is LLEB. Each letter + 1 gives MMFC.

Answer

(a) MMFC

Type 5occasional2 practice Q

Rearrangement (same letters, new order)

How to spot it:

The second group has exactly the same letters as the first, only in a new order.

Method

  1. Number the letters of the first group 1, 2, 3 ...

  2. Write the order they appear in the second group (e.g. 2-1-4-3).

  3. Rearrange the third group in the same order.

Why it works:

The rule is a fixed map of places, so the letters themselves do not matter.

Try this

PLAY : LPYA :: GIFT : ? (a) IGFT (b) GITF (c) IGTF (d) TFIG

Show solution

  1. PLAY is 1-2-3-4. LPYA is the order 2-1-4-3: each pair is swapped.

  2. GIFT in the order 2-1-4-3 is I, G, T, F.

Answer

(c) IGTF

Type 6common

Missing first group: run the rule backwards

How to spot it:

The gap is on the left, e.g. "? : GJMP :: RTVX : TVXZ". The full pair is on the other side.

Method

  1. Find the shift pattern from the full pair.

  2. Reverse every sign: +2 becomes −2.

  3. Apply the reversed pattern to the known partner of the gap.

  4. Check by shifting your answer forwards.

Why it works:

Moving forwards and moving backwards are the same rule, so undoing it finds the start.

Try this

Select the letter-cluster that can replace the question mark. ? : GJMP :: RTVX : TVXZ (a) EHKN (b) FIKO (c) EHLN (d) IKOR

Show solution

  1. R → T, T → V, V → X, X → Z: each is +2.

  2. So the gap + 2 = GJMP. Go back 2 from each letter.

  3. G − 2 = E, J − 2 = H, M − 2 = K, P − 2 = N.

Answer

(a) EHKN

09

Formula sheet

Shift rule
new position=old position+k\text{new position} = \text{old position} + k

k is the shift. Above 26, subtract 26; below 1, add 26.

Opposite letter
opposite=27−p\text{opposite} = 27 - p

p is the position. A and Z, or M and N, always add to 27.

Rising shift
shift of slot i=i\text{shift of slot } i = i

Slot 1 moves +1, slot 2 moves +2 and so on, e.g. ABCD → BDFH.

10

Shortcuts that save time

⚡ Subtract once, then copy the pattern

Write one row of subtractions for the model pair. The pattern you get is the rule. Apply the same pattern to the third group and read the letters with EJOTY.

Example

GKM : IQN :: SUX : ?

Show solution

  1. G(7) → I(9) is +2, K(11) → Q(17) is +6, M(13) → N(14) is +1.

  2. Pattern (+2, +6, +1). S + 2 = U, U + 6 = 27 → A, X + 1 = Y.

Answer

UAY

⚡ Spot opposite letters by the 27 total

If matching letters of the model pair add up to 27, the rule is opposite letters. Then write the opposite of each letter. No counting is needed.

Example

HE : SV :: GO : ?

Show solution

  1. H(8) + S(19) = 27 and E(5) + V(22) = 27, so the rule is opposite letters.

  2. Opposite of G is T. Opposite of O is L.

Answer

TL

⚡ Read the second group backwards

Before any counting, read the second group from right to left. If it gives the first group, the rule is plain reversal.

Example

DEB : BED :: LAP : ?

Show solution

  1. BED read backwards is DEB, so the rule is reversal with no shift.

  2. LAP read backwards is PAL.

Answer

PAL

11

Mistakes to avoid

Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.

Mistake 01

Writing position 29 as a letter after adding 3 to Z's 26.

Subtract 26 above 26: 29 − 26 = 3 = C.

Mistake 02

Treating (+1, +2, +3) as "about +2" and shifting every letter by 2.

Check every slot and copy the full shift pattern slot by slot.

Mistake 03

Confusing opposite letters with a shift of 13.

Opposite letters add to 27 (A-Z). A shift of 13 sends A to N. Test the 27 total first.

Mistake 04

Counting from A for every letter and losing time.

Use EJOTY anchors: E5, J10, O15, T20, Y25, then hop one or two places.

Mistake 05

For a reverse-plus-shift rule, shifting first and reversing second in a different order than the model.

Keep the same two steps in the same order on the new group.

12

Quick revision

Read this the night before the exam.

  • EJOTY: E5, J10, O15, T20, Y25.

  • Opposite letters add to 27: A-Z, B-Y ... M-N.

  • Subtract slot by slot; the shift pattern is the rule.

  • Above 26 subtract 26; below 1 add 26.

  • Same letters in a new order: rearrangement. Backwards: reversal (maybe plus a shift).

  • Blank on the left: apply the shift pattern backwards.

13

Practice: 15 questions

Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.

Topic test · 10 questions

Suggested time 7 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.

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