RRB Technician General Intelligence & Reasoning: Analogies — Concept Guide + MCQs

What are Analogies?

An analogy expresses a relationship between two pairs of words/numbers/letters. The key is identifying the type of relationship in the given pair and applying the same relationship to find the missing term.

Types of Analogies Commonly Asked

  • Object : Use — Pen : Write :: Knife : Cut
  • Animal : Young One — Cow : Calf :: Horse : Foal
  • Animal : Home — Lion : Den :: Bee : Hive
  • Worker : Tool — Carpenter : Saw :: Surgeon : Scalpel
  • Country : Capital — India : New Delhi :: France : Paris
  • Part : Whole — Chapter : Book :: Scene : Play
  • Cause : Effect — Exercise : Fitness :: Study : Knowledge
  • Word : Antonym — Hot : Cold :: Day : Night
  • Number Analogy — 4:16 :: 5:25 (squares)
  • Letter Analogy — AB:CD :: EF:GH (consecutive pairs)

Shortcut Tricks

Step 1: Identify the first pair's relationship precisely (not vaguely).
Step 2: Apply exactly the same relationship to the second pair.
Step 3: If multiple options look similar, check for specificity — the most precise answer wins.
Tip: In number analogies, first check: squares, cubes, multiplication, addition of digits, prime numbers.
Tip: Beware of "near-miss" options — examiners often include a related but wrong answer (e.g., Doctor:Hospital vs Doctor:Medicine).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Reversing the relationship direction (Puppy:Dog vs Dog:Puppy)
  • Choosing a superficially related answer instead of the exact relationship
  • Confusing antonym analogies with synonym analogies

Practice MCQs

Q1. Doctor : Hospital :: Teacher : ?

  • A) School
  • B) Patient
  • C) Lesson
  • D) Medicine

Answer: A — A Doctor works in a Hospital; similarly a Teacher works in a School.

Q2. Pen : Write :: Knife : ?

  • A) Cut
  • B) Draw
  • C) Paint
  • D) Dig

Answer: A — A Pen is used to Write; a Knife is used to Cut.

Q3. Bird : Nest :: Bee : ?

  • A) Hive
  • B) Pond
  • C) Cave
  • D) Den

Answer: A — A Bird lives in a Nest; a Bee lives in a Hive.

Q4. Chapter : Book :: Scene : ?

  • A) Play
  • B) Poem
  • C) Novel
  • D) Article

Answer: A — A Chapter is part of a Book; a Scene is part of a Play.

Q5. Mango : Fruit :: Rose : ?

  • A) Flower
  • B) Thorn
  • C) Leaf
  • D) Petal

Answer: A — Mango is a type of Fruit; Rose is a type of Flower.

Q6. Hammer : Carpenter :: Scalpel : ?

  • A) Surgeon
  • B) Nurse
  • C) Doctor
  • D) Dentist

Answer: A — A Hammer is the tool of a Carpenter; a Scalpel is the tool of a Surgeon.

Q7. Cow : Calf :: Horse : ?

  • A) Foal
  • B) Cub
  • C) Kitten
  • D) Pup

Answer: A — The young one of a Cow is a Calf; the young one of a Horse is a Foal.

Q8. River : Ocean :: Tributary : ?

  • A) River
  • B) Lake
  • C) Sea
  • D) Stream

Answer: A — A River flows into an Ocean; a Tributary flows into a River.

Q9. Micrometer : Length :: Barometer : ?

  • A) Pressure
  • B) Temperature
  • C) Weight
  • D) Speed

Answer: A — A Micrometer measures Length; a Barometer measures atmospheric Pressure.

Q10. Saturn : Rings :: Earth : ?

  • A) Moon
  • B) Sun
  • C) Stars
  • D) Clouds

Answer: A — Saturn is known for its Rings; Earth is known for its Moon.