Verbal reasoning for the 11+.
Puzzles with words: finding a word that means the same or the opposite, working out how two words are linked, or spotting a word hidden inside others. A guide to every kind of question in the 11+, CAT4 and the ISEB Pre-Test.
- 19 topics, each with a guide
- 17 Rush games
Two of the 17 verbal games are free.Every verbal reasoning topic.
How well a child knows words, and how quickly they can use them. The questions are short, but there are lots of them against the clock, so a wide vocabulary does much of the work.
- Synonyms and antonymsPick the word that means nearly the same as another, or the opposite. Some papers give two groups of words to choose from; Rush gives one word and four choices.In Rush: Synonyms, Antonyms
- Odd one outFind the word in a set that doesn't share the link the others have. Some papers ask for two; Rush asks for one.In Rush: Odd One Out
- AnalogiesHot is to cold as up is to what? Find the word that completes the second pair the same way.In Rush: Analogies
- Words with two meaningsFind one word that goes with two pairs of words, each pair using a different meaning of it.In Rush: Two Meanings
- Compound wordsJoin two words to make a longer one. Papers often give two groups to pick from; Rush gives one word and four to join it to.In Rush: Compounds
- Hidden wordsA four-letter word runs across the end of one word and the start of the next in a sentence.In Rush: Hidden Word
- Missing lettersThree letters have been taken out of a capitalised word, and those three letters spell a word themselves.In Rush: Missing Letters, Linking Letter
- Move a letterTake one letter out of the first word and put it into the second, so that both make new words.
- Anagrams and word makingRearrange a set of letters to make a word, or find the word that can't be made from them.
- Complete the word pairWork out how a middle word is built from letters of the two words beside it, then build one the same way.
- Word laddersGet from one word to another by changing one letter at a time, with a real word at every step.
- Letter sequencesFind the next letter, or pair of letters, in a series that moves along the alphabet.
- Letter codesA word is put into code by moving its letters along the alphabet. Crack the moves, then code or decode another word.
- Number codesWords are written as numbers. Match each word to its code, then use the codes to decode another.
- Letters for numbersEach letter stands for a number. Work out a sum written in letters and give the answer as a letter.
- Number series, related numbers and complete the sumFind the next number in a series, the middle number in a group, or the number that makes a sum balance.
- LogicRead a few facts about people, days or places, and work out what must be true.In Rush: Deductions
- ClozeChoose the word, or the missing letters, that fill a gap in a sentence or a passage.In Rush: Missing Word
- Jumbled sentencesThe words of a sentence are mixed up, with one extra word or two words swapped. Find the extra word or the swapped pair.
Types Rush practises show the games that practise them. The others take several steps each, more than Rush’s ten seconds a question allows, so practise them on paper. Spelling, grammar and vocabulary have pages of their own in 11+ English.
How each exam tests verbal reasoning
- 11+
- A verbal reasoning paper of short word puzzles, codes and sequences, usually with five options.
- CAT4
- The verbal part: sorting words into groups and finishing word analogies.
- ISEB Pre-Test
- Verbal reasoning on screen, and the questions get harder or easier as your child answers.
- Common Entrance
- No verbal reasoning paper. It sets English instead.
Good places to start
Word meanings and spellings, then how two words link: the skills most other question types build on.
- Synonyms and antonymsPick the word that means nearly the same as another, or the opposite. Some papers give two groups of words to choose from; Rush gives one word and four choices.
- Missing lettersThree letters have been taken out of a capitalised word, and those three letters spell a word themselves.
- AnalogiesHot is to cold as up is to what? Find the word that completes the second pair the same way.
Questions.
How is verbal reasoning different from English?
English papers test reading, spelling and punctuation, usually with a passage to read. Verbal reasoning uses short puzzles about words and letters, with no long reading. Some 11+ tests put the two together in one paper.
Is verbal reasoning taught at school?
Not as a subject. The vocabulary and spelling come from school and reading, but the question types are new to most children, so it helps to meet them before the test.
What are the 21 types of verbal reasoning questions?
Twenty-one is the count from a long-standing list of verbal reasoning question types. We count 25: those 21, plus cloze, anagrams, word ladders and jumbled sentences, which other papers set. The 19 guides above teach all 25, as some guides cover two or three types. The three number types share one: number series, related numbers and complete the sum. Most papers use a selection, so the mix a child meets depends on the test.
How can my child build their vocabulary?
Reading widely, and talking about new words when they come up. Rush’s Synonyms and Antonyms games, both free, ask for meanings against the clock, and a word they miss comes back in Review until they get it right.
When do children start practising?
The 11+ is usually taken at the start of Year 6, and most children build the basics first: reading, word meanings and number facts, a few minutes a day in Year 3 and Year 4. The question types themselves usually start at the beginning of Year 5. See when to start 11+ preparation. Rush is for ages 7 and up, so younger children can play too.
Does Rush cover every verbal reasoning question?
No. Its verbal games practise 11 of the 25 types we count, most of them built on knowing words: meanings, links and hidden words. Two number types get related practice in Rush’s maths games: Sequences asks for the next number in a series, and Order & Algebra for a missing number in a sum. The rest, from codes to word ladders and related numbers, take several steps each, so they’re best worked through on paper, and so is comprehension.
Rush: 11+ Practice & KS2 SATsPractise verbal reasoning in Rush.
- 17 verbal games, 100 seconds each, easy at first and harder as your child improves
- Every miss kept with the right answer and why
- Free to start, with a new family game every day
On the App Store for iPhone and iPad
Synonyms and Antonyms are free, and four more games too, plus a new family game every day. All 41 games are £24.99 a year after a free week1, or £3.99 a month.