Difficult Analogies Test

By William F. Bultas

Script and Formatting By Tommy Smith


An analogy is a relationship between words that takes the form of A : B :: C : D, which means the same as A is to B as C is to D. You will find analogies on college entrance tests such as the SAT, GRE, MAT, & on some IQ tests, such as the ones offered by Mensa. However, these analogies are, on average, unusually difficult, even so in comparison to most of those on the tests just mentioned. The good news is that the 30 analogies are multiple choice, & there is no time limit, except that you should try to complete them in one session if possible. Please do not use books or any other reference aids. If more than one answer looks like it could be correct, choose the BEST answer. Guess on any problems for which you are not sure of the answer - do not leave any problems unanswered.

In any case, do your best, & have fun! Click "Score" at the end of the test when you are finished to receive your score & approximated intelligence/knowledge level, see which problems you missed, and to see all of the correct answers with explanations.


1. polyglot : languages :: polyphagous :

destiny food caudal rings

2. confident : sanguine :: dregs :

rags dust dross ewer

3. simile : metaphor :: like :

is was pretend has

4. I'll be back : Arnold :: make my day :

George Clint Mark Tom

5. epitaph : grave :: epilogue :

beginning middle end top

6. child : human :: poult :

horse bird canine snail

7. Thursday : Thor :: Friday :

Freya Frigga Frida Friday

8. Baluchi : Pakistan :: Flemish :

Kashmir Balkans Belgium Cornwall

9. gallon : 4 quarts :: parasang :

about 2 inches about 11 meters about 2 miles about 6 kilometers

10. dorsal : back :: volar :

top bottom mouth palm

11. Molly Brown : sink :: Bill Clinton :

inhale elected campaign sing

12. riparian : bank :: empirical :

river mountain experience adventure

13. misnomer : wrong :: pseudonym :

wrong middle family false

14. erstwhile : former :: mithridate :

latter current antidote toxin

15. escutcheon : scutcheon :: fabulist :

abulist reporter violinist liar

16. muddled : confused :: addled :

confused beaten awake laughing

17. effete : fructuous :: chapfallen :

crestfallen effervescent barren precipitous

18. 3 : 11 :: 3 :

Mark Erik Jack Link

19. selenology : moon :: epistemology :

flowers books libraries knowledge

20. commence : end :: born :

birth adulthood die end

21. sufi : mystic :: eider :

swan duck tree swamp

22. inter : exhume :: piebald :

homogeneous heterogeneous detour spurn

23. apothecary : drugs :: cruciverbalist :

magic articles crosswords candles

24. Narcissus : flower :: Io :

mare heifer crow dung

25. complete : compleat :: surgeon :

surgone surgoen surgeon chirurgeon

26. voluble : loquacious :: puma :

cougar leopard lion wolf

27. murrey : black :: magenta :

green blue yellow red

28. nim : counters :: craps :

cards coins jacks dice

29. faithfulness : infidelity :: Penelope :

Clytemnestra Dadava Leonias Tevarinus

30. scurvy : vitamin C :: kwashiorkor :

calcium water kelp protein


Answers to Difficult Analogies Test