Analogy – MBA CET questions with solutions

Approach: Collective-noun analogy (animal : name of its group).

Solution:
A group of fish is called a 'school'.
Applying the same relation, a group of birds is called a 'flock'.
So Fish : School :: Bird : Flock.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: Nest is a bird's home, not its group.
C, D: Water and Sky are the habitats/mediums of fish and birds.
E: Feather is a body part.

Answer: B

Approach: Alphanumeric analogy — letter rank shift and number shift.

Solution:
P21 → J28: P (16) → J (10) is −6; 21 → 28 is +7.
Apply to G19: G (7) − 6 = 1 → A.
19 + 7 = 26.
So G19 : A26.

Why the other options are wrong:
A: T17 — T is +13 and 17 is −2.
B: C16 — C is −4 and 16 is −3.
D: O19 — number unchanged.
E: K11 — K is +4 and 11 is −8.

Cetking shortcut: Fix the number part first: only A26 has 19 + 7 = 26.

Answer: C

Approach: Word analogy: opposites.

Solution:
Giant (very big) is the opposite of Dwarf (very small).
Genius (very intelligent) is opposite to Idiot (very unintelligent).

Why the other options are wrong:
A (Wicked): opposite of good, not of genius.
B (Gentle): unrelated to intelligence.
D (Tiny), E (Huge): sizes, linked to the first pair, not to Genius.

Cetking shortcut: Name the relation in one word ('opposite') before reading options; ignore size words that just echo the first pair.

Answer: C

Approach: Word analogy: plant part classification.

Solution:
A mango is the fruit of the mango plant.
A potato is a stem tuber — a modified underground stem (it has eyes/buds), not a root.
So Potato : Stem.

Why the other options are wrong:
A (Root): common trap; carrot/sweet potato are roots, potato is a stem.
B (Fruit): potato is not a fruit.
D (Flower), E (Bush): wrong plant parts.

Cetking shortcut: Potato, ginger, onion (bulb) = modified stems; carrot, radish, sweet potato = roots.

Answer: C

Approach: n : n × (n + 1).

Solution:
5 × 6 = 30.
7 × 8 = 56.

Why the other options are wrong:
D 42: 7 × 6 copies the multiplier, not the rule.
A 70, C 72, E 37: fit no rule linking 5 and 30.

Cetking shortcut: 30 = 5² + 5, so the answer is 7² + 7 = 56.

Answer: B

Approach: Number analogy — product of the digits.

Solution:
432 → 4 × 3 × 2 = 24 ✓
735 → 7 × 3 × 5 = 105

Answer: A

Approach: Each number is of the form n³ + n.

Solution:
520 = 8³ + 8 = 512 + 8
738 = 9³ + 9 = 729 + 9
350 = 7³ + 7 = 343 + 7
The first pair uses n = 8, 9; the second pair has 7 on the right, so the left number uses n = 6: 6³ + 6 = 216 + 6 = 222

Why the other options are wrong:
248, 232, 230, 220 are not of the form n³ + n (n = 6 gives 222, n = 5 gives 130).

Cetking shortcut: Spot the nearby cubes (512, 729, 343) — the remainders 8, 9, 7 equal the cube roots.

Answer: A

Approach: Number analogy — constant difference.

Solution:
6524 − 6465 = 59
Apply the same: 9638 − 59 = 9579

Why the other options are wrong:
A) 9832, C) 9825 — larger than 9638, but the rule decreases the number.
B) 9692 — larger than 9638.
E) 9673 — larger than 9638.

Cetking shortcut: The second number is smaller, so only D (the one option below 9638) can fit.

Answer: D

Approach: Find the common property of the given set.

Solution:
2846, 8462, 2864 are all arrangements of the same four digits 2, 4, 6, 8 (each used once).
Option E: 8246, 6824, 2468 — each is again an arrangement of 2, 4, 6, 8 ✓

Why the other options are wrong:
A) 2046 has 0, 6468 repeats 6.
B) 2476 has 7, 8084 has 0.
C) odd digits 1, 3, 7, 9 appear.
D) 8260 has 0, 2862 repeats 2.

Answer: E

Approach: Part-to-whole analogy: the formal opening section of a text.

Solution:
A prologue is the introductory section of a novel/play.
A preamble is the introductory statement of a law, statute or constitution (e.g. the Preamble to the Constitution).

Why the other options are wrong:
A Speech – has an opening, not formally a preamble.
C Poem – an introduction to a poem is a proem/prelude.
D Drama – the introduction to a drama is itself a prologue.
E Action – not a text at all.

Answer: B

Approach: Antonym analogy.

Solution:
Obstinate (stubborn, unyielding) ↔ Yielding — opposites.
Optimistic (expecting the best) ↔ Pessimistic — opposites.

Why the other options are wrong:
A Cheerful, B Hopeful, D Confident, E Positive – all synonyms or near-synonyms of optimistic.

Answer: C

Approach: Field of work : its product.

Solution:
Cartography → makes maps.
Lexicography → compiles dictionaries.

Why the other options are wrong:
A Book – too general.
B Language – subject of linguistics.
D Grammar – studied by grammarians.
E Alphabet – not the output of lexicography.

Answer: C

Approach: Object : defining scope.

Solution:
Panacea = a remedy for all ills → its defining quality is universal.
Antidote = a remedy against a particular poison → its defining quality is specific.

Why the other options are wrong:
A Rare – not a defining feature.
C Curative / D Medicinal – true of both, so not the parallel quality.
E Preventive – an antidote counteracts after exposure; it does not prevent.

Answer: B

Approach: Antonym analogy.

Solution:
Opaque (cannot be seen through) ↔ Transparent.
Cryptic (mysterious, hard to understand) ↔ Obvious.

Why the other options are wrong:
B Hidden, C Confusing, D Secret, E Vague – all synonyms of cryptic.

Answer: A

Approach: Analogy — person : quality essential to that person's work.

Solution:
A spy must work in a clandestine (secret) way — secrecy is the defining trait of the job.
An accountant must be meticulous (careful, precise) — precision is the defining trait of that job.

Why the other options are wrong:
B: a furrier need not be rambunctious (noisy, unruly).
C: a lawyer is not defined by being ironic.
D: a shepherd need not be garrulous (talkative).
E: an astronaut is not defined by being opulent (rich).

Answer: A

Approach: Analogy — a type of song : the feeling it expresses.

Solution:
A hymn is a song of praise.
A dirge is a song of grief (a lament for the dead).

Why the other options are wrong:
A: a congregation sings a prayer — performer, not emotion.
B: mammoth is a degree of large.
C: a lullaby is sung to a child — audience, not emotion.
E: a liturgy is a form of rite — type, not emotion.

Answer: D

Approach: Analogy — beginning : end.

Solution:
Prologue opens a book; epilogue closes it.
Dawn opens the day; dusk closes it.

Why the other options are wrong: Afternoon and morning are mid-day parts; evening is a period, not the exact closing point; night is the following phase — dusk is the true counterpart of dawn.

Answer: E

Approach: Word analogy — DEPENDABLE and CAPRICIOUS are antonyms.

Solution:
Dependable = reliable, consistent. Capricious = unpredictable, changing on a whim. So the pair is opposites.
capable (able, competent) : inept (incompetent) — also opposites.

Why the other options are wrong:
fallible : cantankerous — unrelated (liable to err / bad-tempered). incorrigible : guilty — not opposites. malleable : limpid — unrelated (pliable / clear). erasable : obtuse — unrelated.

Answer: C

Approach: Cause–effect analogy: the second word is the process that erodes / devalues the first.

Solution:
Inflation erodes the value of currency over time.
Rust (corrosion) erodes metal over time.
So Currency : Inflation :: Metal : Rust.

Why the other options are wrong:

• A Hunger – affects living beings, not metal.
• B Disease – affects organisms, not metal.
• D Fuel – no deterioration relation with metal.
• E Recycling – a reuse process, not deterioration.

Cetking shortcut: Ask 'what slowly eats away X?' – inflation eats currency, rust eats metal.

Answer: C

Approach: Maker–product analogy.

Solution:
A potter makes a vase (finished product made by the craftsman).
A carpenter makes a chair – same maker → product relation.

Why the other options are wrong:

• A Author : Idea – an author produces a book; an idea is not a crafted object.
• C Painter : Brush – worker : tool, not product.
• D Chef : Recipe – a chef makes a dish; a recipe is the instruction.
• E Sculptor : Marble – worker : raw material, not product.

Cetking shortcut: Frame a sentence: 'A potter MAKES a vase' – only 'a carpenter MAKES a chair' fits the same sentence.

Answer: B

Approach: Number analogy: second term = (first term + 3)².

Solution:
18 → (18 + 3)² = 21² = 441 ✓
21 → (21 + 3)² = 24² = 576 ✓
24 → (24 + 3)² = 27² = 729

Cetking shortcut: 441 and 576 are perfect squares (21², 24²) – the chain 18, 21, 24 itself tells you the next square is 27².

Answer: C

Approach: Number-triad relation: first + 9 = second; second − 27 = third (equivalently, all three numbers have the same digit sum root).

Solution:
Given: 40 + 9 = 49; 49 − 27 = 22 ✓ (digit roots 4, 4, 4).
E: 42 + 9 = 51; 51 − 27 = 24 ✓ (digit roots 6, 6, 6).

Why the other options are wrong:

• A 31 : 41 : 21 – 31 + 9 = 40 ≠ 41.
• B 35 : 47 : 28 – 35 + 9 = 44 ≠ 47.
• C 45 : 56 : 22 – 45 + 9 = 54 ≠ 56.
• D 27 : 37 : 12 – 27 + 9 = 36 ≠ 37.

Cetking shortcut: Check only 'first + 9 = second': it alone eliminates A–D in seconds.

Answer: E

Approach: System : its defining instrument/symbol of power.

Solution:
In a democracy, power is conferred through the ballot.
In a monarchy, power is held through the crown.
So Democracy : Ballot :: Monarchy : Crown.

Why the other options are wrong:

• A Justice, B Charity, C Help, E Borrow – none is the instrument or symbol of a system of rule.

Answer: D

Approach: Identify the relation in the first pair: antonyms.

Solution:
Ally (friend) is the opposite of foe (enemy).
Admit (accept as true) — its opposite is repudiate (deny, reject).

Why the other options are wrong:
B Plaint = complaint.
C Humorous, D Indiscreet, E Tedious have no opposite relation to 'admit'.

Answer: A

Approach: First pair are synonyms; find a synonym of 'subservient'.

Solution:
Particular = fussy (hard to please, exacting).
Subservient = overly obedient, submissive → meek.

Why the other options are wrong:
B Above, E Clever: unrelated.
C Cranky, D Uptight: closer to 'fussy', the opposite of submissive.

Answer: A

Approach: Essential-part question — pick what the thing cannot exist without.

Solution: A vibration is a rapid back-and-forth movement. Without motion there is no vibration, so motion is a necessary part of it.

Why the other options are wrong: Electricity, science and electron are not needed for a vibration; sound is often caused by vibration but is not a required part of it.

Cetking shortcut: Ask: 'Can the word exist without this?' Only the 'no' answer is correct.

Answer: A

Approach: Unit analogy — bigger unit : smaller unit of the same quantity.

Solution: A yard is a unit of length made of smaller units, inches (1 yard = 36 inches).
A quart is a unit of volume made of smaller units, fluid ounces (1 quart = 32 fl oz).
So quart : ounce.

Why the other options are wrong: Gallon is bigger than a quart (reverses the order); milk, liquid and solid are not units.

Answer: B

Approach: Degree-progression analogy — each row increases in intensity.

Solution: Rule → command → dictate: increasing force of control.
Doze → sleep → ?: increasing depth/length of sleep. Hibernate (a long, deep sleep) is the next step.

Why the other options are wrong: Snore is a sound made while sleeping, not a deeper sleep; govern belongs to the first row; awaken is the opposite; stringent is unrelated.

Answer: D

Approach: Organ : disease of that organ.

Solution: Myopia (short-sightedness) is a disorder of the eye.
So we need a disease of the teeth.
Pyorrhoea is an infection of the gums and tooth sockets that loosens teeth — a dental disease.

Why the other options are wrong:
B Cataract — eye disease (clouding of the lens).
C Trachoma — eye disease (bacterial infection).
D Eczema — skin disease.
E Psoriasis — skin disease.

Cetking shortcut: Group the options by organ: two eye, two skin, one teeth — the odd organ group of one is the answer.

Answer: A

Approach: Trophy : sport in which it is awarded.

Solution: The Wimbledon trophy is awarded in tennis.
The Walker Cup is the amateur golf team competition between the USA and Great Britain & Ireland.

Why the other options are wrong:
A Hockey — e.g. Beighton Cup, Rangaswami Cup.
C Cricket — e.g. Ashes, Ranji Trophy.
D Polo — e.g. Cowdray Park Gold Cup.
E Wrestling — no link with the Walker Cup.

Cetking shortcut: Walker Cup and Ryder Cup are both golf — remember the pair.

Answer: B

Approach: Branch of science : what it studies.

Solution: Virology is the study of viruses.
Entomology is the study of insects (Greek entomon = insect).

Why the other options are wrong:
B Bacteria — bacteriology.
C Fungi — mycology.
D Animals — zoology.
E Fishes — ichthyology.

Answer: A

Approach: Instrument : quantity it measures.

Solution: A scale measures length.
An odometer is the dashboard instrument that records how far a vehicle has travelled, so it belongs to the vehicle-motion family. Of the quantities given, only speed is a vehicle-motion quantity (distance itself is not offered).

Why the other options are wrong:
A Smell — no instrument link with an odometer.
B Temperature — thermometer.
D Rain — rain gauge.
E Current — ammeter.

Cetking shortcut: Eliminate every option that has its own well-known instrument (thermometer, rain gauge, ammeter); only Speed is left in the vehicle family.

Answer: C

Approach: Effect : cause (the second word is what brings about the first).

Solution: Annihilation (total destruction) can be brought about by fire.
A cataclysm (a sudden violent upheaval) is brought about by an earthquake — a natural force that causes it, just as fire causes annihilation.

Why the other options are wrong:
A Steam — not a cause of large-scale upheaval.
C Emergency — a situation, not a cause.
D Disaster — a synonym of cataclysm, not its cause.
E Radiation — not the typical cause of a cataclysm.

Cetking shortcut: When the option list has a synonym of the third word (Disaster), it is usually a trap — the pair is cause–effect, not synonyms.

Answer: B

Approach: Letter analogy: find the shift applied to each letter of the first pair.

Solution:
B→E, F→I, N→Q, M→P: every letter moves +3.
Apply +3 to RBGJ: R→U, B→E, G→J, J→M.
So RBGJ : UEJM.

Why the other options are wrong:
A, B, D, E: none of these is a +3 shift of R, B, G, J (e.g. they do not start with U).

Cetking shortcut: Check only the first letter: R+3 = U — only option C starts with U.

Answer: C

Approach: Letter analogy by positional shifts.

Solution:
CRED → PSQR: C(3)→P(16) = +13, R(18)→S(19) = +1, E(5)→Q(17) = +12, D(4)→R(18) = +14.
Apply to JMKL: J(10)+13 = W(23), K(11)+12 = W(23), L(12)+14 = Z(26).
So the answer has the form W _ W Z (the same rule would give N as the 2nd letter, M+1, which no option shows).
Only option D (WZWZ) has W in the 1st and 3rd places and Z in the 4th.

Why the other options are wrong:
A YXZW, B YVZX: start with Y, not W.
C UVXZ: starts with U.
E RQSP: starts with R.

Cetking shortcut: Check just the first letter: J + 13 = W. Only option D starts with W.

Answer: D

Approach: Letter analogy: each pair of positions adds up to 28.

Solution:
EGIK → WUSQ: E(5)+W(23) = 28, G(7)+U(21) = 28, I(9)+S(19) = 28, K(11)+Q(17) = 28.
So each letter → (28 − position).
DFHJ: D(4) → 24 = X, F(6) → 22 = V, H(8) → 20 = T, J(10) → 18 = R.
Answer = XVTR.

Why the other options are wrong:
A BDFH, B ECGI: move backward by small steps, not the 28-sum rule.
D SQOM: sums are 23, not 28.
E QSUV: wrong direction and spacing.

Cetking shortcut: Both words are alternate-letter runs (gap 2), so the answer must be a reverse alternate run starting one step after W: X, V, T, R.

Answer: C

Approach: Letter analogy: every letter moves +1, case preserved.

Solution:
acE → bdF: a→b, c→d, E→F (each +1).
fhJ → f+1 = g, h+1 = i, J+1 = K → giK.

Why the other options are wrong:
A jbf: not a +1 shift.
B ghK: second letter should be i (h + 1), not h.
D dfH: shifts backward.
E fhL: first two letters unchanged.

Cetking shortcut: The given terms are alternate letters (a, c, E / f, h, J); after +1 they stay alternate — only giK keeps the g_i spacing.

Answer: C

Approach: Number analogy: square the number and add 2.

Solution:
3 → 3² + 2 = 9 + 2 = 11 ✓
7 → 7² + 2 = 49 + 2 = 51

Why the other options are wrong:
A 22, B 29, C 18, E 13: none equals 7² + 2; linear rules (×3+2 = 23, ×4−1 = 27) do not match any option either.

Cetking shortcut: 11 is just above 9 = 3² — check n² + k first; 49 + 2 = 51 is in the options.

Answer: D

Approach: Number analogy: square root plus 1.

Solution:
121 → √121 = 11 → 11 + 1 = 12 ✓
25 → √25 = 5 → 5 + 1 = 6

Why the other options are wrong:
A 1, B 2: no root-based rule gives these.
D 7: √25 + 2.
E 5: just the square root, missing the +1.

Answer: C

Approach: Find one rule that turns 6 into 43, then apply it to 4.

Solution:
6 → 6 × 7 + 1 = 43, i.e. n × (n + 1) + 1 (same as n² + n + 1).
4 → 4 × 5 + 1 = 21.

Why the other options are wrong: 44 and 45 are near-miss values; 29 = 4 × 7 + 1 reuses the multiplier 7 instead of n + 1; 88 has no link to 4 under this rule.

Cetking shortcut: 43 is one more than 42 = 6 × 7, a product of consecutive numbers; for 4 that is 4 × 5 = 20, plus 1.

Answer: E

Approach: Number analogy: n → n³ + n.

Solution:
6³ + 6 = 216 + 6 = 222 ✓.
7³ + 7 = 343 + 7 = 350.

Why the other options are wrong:
E 343 = 7³ only.
C 349 = 7³ + 6 (added the wrong n).
B 225, D 210 — no consistent rule.

Answer: A