Harver Verbal Reasoning Practice: 20 Timed Word Analogies

What the Harver Verbal Reasoning (Word Analogies) test looks at

Harver’s cognitive ability test has five subtests, and the employer picks which ones you take. One of them is Verbal Reasoning, which Harver also calls Word Analogies. Each item gives you two words that are related in some way, then a third word, and you choose the word that completes the second pair in the same way: “A is to B as C is to ?”.

The words are everyday words. Harver says it keeps its cognitive tests light on language, to reduce unfair differences between groups of candidates, so the challenge is spotting the relationship, not knowing rare words. Typical relationships are opposites, words with the same meaning, a part and its whole, a tool and what you do with it, or a cause and its effect.

The subtest is timed. Harver’s pages give about 5 to 15 minutes, or 6 to 24 minutes, per subtest, and you get practice questions first. Your result is compared with other candidates on a 0 to 100% scale where 50% is average, so a score of 50% is a typical result, not a fail.

How the Verbal Reasoning (Word Analogies) practice works

1. Start with two untimed practice items. After each one you see whether you were right and why.
2. Then the timed block starts: 20 items and a 6-minute countdown.
3. Each item reads “A is to B as C is to …”. Choose one of five words by clicking it or pressing keys 1–5, then press Next.
4. You cannot go back to an item. If the time runs out, the rest count as unanswered.
5. At the end you see your correct answers, your accuracy, your time per item, your results by relationship type, and every item with its relationship explained.

Verbal Reasoning (Word Analogies) tips

• Turn the first pair into a short sentence, such as “a baker makes bread”, then use the same sentence for the second pair: “an author makes …”.
• Keep the direction. If the first word is part of the second, the answer must be the whole, not a smaller part.
• If two options seem to fit, make your sentence more exact: “is a stronger form of” rather than “is like”.
• Watch for options from the right topic but the wrong relationship: for “pen”, “ink” and “paper” are linked to pens, but only “write” is what you do with one.
• Do not spend too long on one item. Harver bases its score on the number of correct answers, so an item you never reach earns nothing.

Common Verbal Reasoning (Word Analogies) mistakes

• Choosing a word that is simply linked to the third word, instead of one with the same relationship.
• Reversing the relationship, for example picking a part when the pair needs the whole.
• Mixing up similar relationships, such as “same meaning” and “stronger form”.
• Reading the options before working out the relationship in the first pair.
• Running out of time on a few hard items while easier ones wait.

A short Verbal Reasoning (Word Analogies) practice routine

1. Do one run and check which relationship types cost you the most marks.
2. Read the explanation for each wrong answer and say the relationship sentence out loud.
3. Make your own pairs for your weakest types, for example five tool-and-use pairs.
4. Do another run and aim to answer every item before the 6 minutes are up.
5. Before the real test, read your invitation to see which subtests your employer chose.

Verbal Reasoning (Word Analogies) FAQ

Practise other Harver modules

• Logical Reasoning practice
• Number Sequences practice
• Perceptual Speed and Accuracy practice
• Spatial Reasoning practice
• Language Proficiency practice

Sources

• Harver: Cognitive ability testing
• Harver: Cognitive assessments
• Harver help centre: cognitive ability test