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Analogies
 Analogy Questions
People don’t realize that analogy questions were
never eliminated entirely.

Vocabulary-based analogy questions are no longer in use,

whereas passage based analogy questions still appear.
Students find analogy questions more challenging to score
Good news - Analogy questions appears rarely appears, it shows
up once if it appears
Bad news - Analogy questions are sometimes cropped up
 Analogy Questions
1 2
Identify the scenario from
the answer choices which Identify the answer
is most analogous to the choices that is most
scenario described in the similar to the scenario
passage described in the passage

Answer choice describes a series of situation and people who

are completely unconnected from the passage
Responsibility – Draw connections and recognize the answer
 Analogy Questions

Do not have short cuts, but they require multiple steps of logic

No general key words to indicate if the answer choices are

correct or incorrect responses

Correct answer contains a synonym or synonyms for words in

the passage
 Analogy Questions

Follow the step-by-step approach:

• Go back to the passage and read the exact lines provided in
the question
• Quickly rephrase the scenario presented
• Sum up the scenario in general terms by writing it down
• Check the answers one by one, in order
Example
A science
. fiction aficionados, Isaac Asimov introduced the idea of
using massive data sets to predict human behaviour known as
"psychohistory" in his 1951 Foundation trilogy. He said, it is more
easier to predict the future, the bigger the data set is. With big-data
analytics, one can finally see the forest, instead of just the
capillaries in the tree leaves. Or one can see beyond the limit of
random motion of a few thousand molecules of air inside a balloon
where others can see only the balloon itself on a birthday party.
Similarly, the data/software world is all about looking at the
molecules inside one balloon.
Which of the following is most analogous to the situation
described in lines ("With . . . balloon")?
A. A scientist makes a ground breaking discovery and
receives an award.
B. A classical musician successfully releases an album of
contemporary songs.
C. A tourist is able to observe an entire city and the
surrounding region from a skyscraper.
D. A private company partners with a local government
to build a new shopping district.
Which of the following is most analogous to the situation
Try to answer the questions from
described in lines ("With . . . balloon")? the lines given
1. Reread the lines in the question
A science fiction aficionados, Isaac Asimov introduced the idea of
using massive data sets to predict human behaviour known as
"psychohistory" in his 1951 Foundation trilogy. He said, it is more
easier to predict the future, the bigger the data set is. With big-data
analytics, one can finally see the forest, instead of just the
capillaries in the tree leaves. Or one can see beyond the limit of
random motion of a few thousand molecules of air inside a balloon
where others can see only the balloon itself on a birthday party.
Similarly, the data/software world is all about looking at the
molecules inside one balloon.
2. Rephrase in a more general way
Goal – Capture the general idea
A science fiction aficionados, Isaac Asimov introduced the idea of
using massive data sets to predict human behaviour known as
"psychohistory" in his 1951 Foundation trilogy. He said, it is more
easier to predict the future, the bigger the data set is. With big-data
analytics, one can finally see the forest, instead of just the
capillaries in the tree leaves. Or one can see beyond the limit of
random motion of a few thousand molecules of air inside a balloon
where others can see only the balloon itself on a birthday party.
Similarly, the data/software world is all about looking at the
molecules inside one balloon.
3. Find the answer that matches the summary
With big-data analytics, one can finally see the forest, instead of
just the capillaries in the tree leaves. Or one can see beyond the
limit of random motion of a few thousand molecules of air inside
a balloon where others can see only the balloon itself on a
birthday party. Similarly, the data/software world is all about
looking at the molecules inside one balloon.
A. A scientist makes a ground breaking discovery and
receives an award.
No. This passage talks about science, but it does not
relate to this answer choice
3. Find the answer that matches the summary
With big-data analytics, one can finally see the forest, instead of
just the capillaries in the tree leaves. Or one can see beyond the
limit of random motion of a few thousand molecules of air inside
a balloon where others can see only the balloon itself on a
birthday party. Similarly, the data/software world is all about
looking at the molecules inside one balloon.
B. A classical musician successfully releases an album of
contemporary songs.
No. Successfully releases an album is not about
moving from small to big picture
3. Find the answer that matches the summary
With big-data analytics, one can finally see the forest, instead of
just the capillaries in the tree leaves. Or one can see beyond the
limit of random motion of a few thousand molecules of air inside
a balloon where others can see only the balloon itself on a
birthday party. Similarly, the data/software world is all about
looking at the molecules inside one balloon.
C. A tourist is able to observe an entire city and the
surrounding region from a skyscraper.

Yes. It’s similar to “One can see beyond the limit of random motion
of a few thousand molecules of air inside a balloon and one can see
only balloon itself, and beyond that, that it is inflating.”
3. Find the answer that matches the summary
With big-data analytics, one can finally see the forest, instead of
just the capillaries in the tree leaves. Or one can see beyond the
limit of random motion of a few thousand molecules of air inside
a balloon where others can see only the balloon itself on a
birthday party. Similarly, the data/software world is all about
looking at the molecules inside one balloon.
D. A private company partners with a local government
to build a new shopping district.

No. This answer choice is completely off topic.