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CogAT (Grades K-2) • Verbal Battery

Select a picture that completes an analogous relationship

Learn how things go together by finding the missing picture that matches a pattern.

Explore the lesson 8 min read
Inside this lesson 10 sections 5 questions 4 figures

SECTION 1

Why Do We Look for Patterns?

People have always loved finding patterns. A pattern is when things go together in a way that makes sense. Even long ago, kids and grown-ups would sort things and match things to understand the world around them.

When we see how two things are connected, we can guess what comes next. This is called analogical thinking (say it: uh-NAL-uh-juh-kul). It means finding how things are alike.

Long Ago • Sorting and Grouping

People sorted rocks, plants, and animals into groups. They noticed which things were alike.

In School • Matching Games

Teachers started using picture matching games to help kids learn how things go together.

Today • CogAT Picture Analogies

Now we use picture puzzles on tests like the CogAT. You look at pictures and find the one that completes the pattern!

On the CogAT test, you will see pictures that go together. Your job is to figure out how they are connected and pick the picture that finishes the pattern. Let's learn how!

SECTION 2

What Is a Picture Analogy?

A picture analogy is like a matching puzzle. You see two pictures that go together. Then you see a third picture and must find the fourth picture that goes with it in the same way.

1

Look at the First Pair

The first two pictures are connected. Ask yourself: How do they go together?
2

Find the Rule

There is a rule or reason they match. Maybe one is big and one is small. Maybe one is a part of the other.
3

Use the Rule

Look at the third picture. Use the same rule to pick the answer picture that goes with it.
4

Check Your Answer

Make sure your answer matches the same way the first two pictures matched. Does it feel right?
✦

KEY TAKEAWAY

Think of it like shoes and socks. Shoes go on your feet. A hat goes on your head! If you see a picture of shoes with feet, and then a picture of a hat, you would pick a picture of a head. The rule is: "what part of the body does this go on?"

SECTION 3

See How It Works!

Look at the picture below. It shows how a picture analogy works. The first two pictures are a pair. They go together because of a rule. Then we use that same rule to find the missing picture.

How a Picture Analogy Works☀️Sun→🌙MoonPAIR 1: Day ↔ Nightis like🔥Hot→❄️Cold✓ ANSWER!The rule is: OPPOSITESSun is the opposite of Moon.Hot is the opposite of Cold.Same rule = same answer!
The Sun and Moon are opposites (day and night). Hot and Cold are opposites too. The rule is "opposites," so the snowflake (cold) completes the pattern.

See how the dashed green box is the answer? The Sun and Moon are opposites. So Hot and Cold are opposites too. When you find the rule in the first pair, you can use it to find the missing picture!

SECTION 4

Types of Rules You Might See

There are many ways that pictures can go together. Let's learn some of the most common rules you will see on the test. Knowing these rules will help you solve the puzzles faster!

Common Analogy Rules

  • Opposites — Things that are very different from each other. Big goes with small. Up goes with down.
  • Part to Whole — One thing is a piece of the other thing. A wheel is part of a car. A petal is part of a flower.
  • Goes Together — Things you use together or find together. A pencil goes with paper. A fork goes with a plate.
  • Size Change — One thing is bigger or smaller than the other. A kitten grows into a cat. A seed grows into a tree.
  • What It Does — One thing is what the other thing does. A bird flies. A fish swims.
💡

Helpful Tip!

When you see the first two pictures, say a sentence in your head like: "A bird lives in a nest." Then use the same sentence with the third picture: "A dog lives in a _____." The answer is a doghouse!

SECTION 5

A Closer Look at Different Rules

Let's look at a picture that shows many different kinds of rules side by side. This will help you see how each rule works.

Five Kinds of Picture Analogy Rules1. OPPOSITES😊 → 😢Happy → Sad2. PART TO WHOLE🍰 → 🎂Slice → Cake3. GOES TOGETHER🖊️ → 📄Pen → Paper4. SIZE CHANGE🐛 → 🦋Caterpillar → Butterfly5. WHAT IT DOES✂️ → 📰Scissors cut paperTry This Pattern!🐶Dog→🐾Paw printis like🐱Cat→❓Paw print!Rule: An animal → its footprint. Dog → paw print, so Cat → paw print too!
This diagram shows five common rules and a practice puzzle at the bottom. A dog leaves a paw print, so a cat also leaves a paw print!

When you take the test, look at the first pair carefully. Think about which rule fits best. Then use that rule with the third picture to pick your answer.

SECTION 6

Let's Solve One Together!

Let's walk through a picture analogy step by step. Imagine you see these pictures on the test:

ℹ

The Puzzle

Picture 1: A bird. Picture 2: A nest. Picture 3: A bear. Picture 4: ??? Your answer choices are: A) a cave, B) a tree, C) a fish, D) a ball.

Solving the Puzzle Step by Step

  1. 1

    Step 1 — Look at the First Pair

    The first picture is a bird. The second picture is a nest. How do they go together? A bird lives in a nest!
    Rule: An animal and its home
  2. 2

    Step 2 — Look at the Third Picture

    The third picture is a bear. Now I need to think: Where does a bear live? A bear lives in a cave!
  3. 3

    Step 3 — Check the Answer Choices

    Let's look at each choice. A) A cave — yes, a bear lives in a cave! B) A tree — bears climb trees, but they don't live in them. C) A fish — bears eat fish, but a fish is not a home. D) A ball — that doesn't match at all.
  4. 4

    Step 4 — Pick the Best Answer

    The answer is A) a cave! A bird lives in a nest, and a bear lives in a cave. Both pairs follow the same rule: an animal and where it lives.
    Answer: A cave ✓

SECTION 7

Tips and Tricky Parts

Some puzzles are easy. Some are harder! Let's look at what makes a puzzle easy or tricky, so you know what to watch out for.

Easy PuzzlesTricky Puzzles
The pictures are things you see every day, like animals, food, or toys.The pictures might be shapes or patterns that you need to think harder about.
Only one answer choice makes sense.Two answer choices might look good, but only one follows the exact same rule.
The rule is simple, like "big and small" or "an animal and its baby."The rule might be less obvious, like "what this thing is used for."

Easy puzzles vs. tricky puzzles

✦

KEY TAKEAWAY

If you feel stuck, don't give up! Cross out the answers that definitely don't match. Then look more carefully at the ones that are left. It's like choosing between two crayons — hold them both up to the paper and see which one looks right!

SECTION 8

How This Skill Grows with You

Picture analogies are fun puzzles you can do now. As you get older, you will use this same skill with words instead of pictures! Let's see how this changes.

Now (K–2)Later (Grades 3+)
You look at pictures to find the pattern.You read words and find the pattern.
Example: 🐶 is to 🏠 as 🐦 is to ?Example: Dog is to house as bird is to ?
You pick from picture answer choices.You pick from word answer choices.

How analogies change as you grow

The great news is that the skill is the same! If you practice finding the rule now with pictures, you will be great at word analogies when you are bigger. You are building your thinking muscles right now!

SECTION 9

Practice Problems

Try these five puzzles! Think about the rule for each one. Remember: look at the first pair, find the rule, and then use the rule to pick the answer.

Question 1: CONCEPTUAL

A shoe goes with a foot. A glove goes with a ___. Choices: A) hand, B) hat, C) sock, D) coat. Which picture completes the pattern?
Show answer
The answer is A) hand. A shoe is something you wear on your foot. A glove is something you wear on your hand. The rule is: something you wear goes with the body part it covers. Both pairs match this rule perfectly.

Question 2: BASIC

A key goes with a lock. A bat goes with a ___. Choices: A) cave, B) ball, C) bird, D) net. Which picture completes the pattern?
Show answer
The answer is B) ball. A key is used with a lock — they go together. A bat is used with a ball — they go together too. The rule is: things that are used together. A cave might seem right because bats (the animal) live in caves, but this bat is a baseball bat, not an animal!

Question 3: INTERMEDIATE

A caterpillar goes with a butterfly. A tadpole goes with a ___. Choices: A) fish, B) water, C) frog, D) egg. Which picture completes the pattern?
Show answer
The answer is C) frog. A caterpillar grows up to become a butterfly. A tadpole grows up to become a frog. The rule is: a baby animal and what it becomes when it grows up. Water and fish might seem related to tadpoles, but they don't follow the same growing-up rule.

Question 4: APPLIED

An eye goes with glasses. An ear goes with a ___. Choices: A) nose, B) hearing aid, C) hand, D) ring. Which picture completes the pattern?
Show answer
The answer is B) hearing aid. Glasses help your eyes see better. A hearing aid helps your ears hear better. The rule is: a body part and a tool that helps it work better. A ring might go near an ear (earring), but a hearing aid matches the same helping rule as glasses.

Question 5: CRITICAL THINKING

A clock goes with time. A thermometer goes with a ___. Choices: A) doctor, B) temperature, C) medicine, D) red. Which picture completes the pattern?
Show answer
The answer is B) temperature. A clock is a tool that measures time. A thermometer is a tool that measures temperature. The rule is: a tool and what it measures. A doctor uses a thermometer, and medicine goes with being sick, but those don't follow the exact same measuring rule. Always pick the answer that matches the rule the best!

SUMMARY

Let's Remember What We Learned!

Summary

A picture analogy is a puzzle where two pictures go together and you find the missing picture that completes the pattern. The first step is always to find the rule that connects the first pair. Common rules include opposites, part to whole, goes together, size change, and what it does.

To solve a picture analogy, follow these steps: look at the first pair, find the rule, use the rule with the third picture, and check your answer. If two answers look good, pick the one that follows the exact same rule as the first pair. You are doing great!

Varsity Tutors • CogAT (Grades K-2) • Select a picture that completes an analogous relationship