Practice Your Step-by-Step Plan for Solving MAT Analogies

To conquer the analogies on the Miller Analogies Test, you should have a plan. Step one to solving an MAT analogy is to identify its structure. Step two for solving a test analogy is to create a sentence that expresses the relationship between the terms in the analogy. For example, you might create the sentence, “A mitten warms a hand,” in order to express the relationship in the following analogy:

MITTEN : HAND :: _________________ : HEAD

This example, by the way, is of a 1:2,3:4 analogy.

Here are five example MAT analogies on which you can practice the step-by-step method. Each is from one of the five major MAT analogy relationship categories. The difficulty level for each question is pretty low so you can focus on your step-by-step technique. Be sure to identify each analogy’s type, write a relationship sentence, and then check the choices.

1. JET : AIR :: SUBMARINE : _________________

   1. (A)metal

   2. (B)pressure

   3. (C)ocean

   4. (D)sandwich

2. OSTRICH : BOTTLENOSE :: _________________: DOLPHIN

   1. (A)sand

   2. (B)bird

   3. (C)tall

   4. (D)feathered

3. _________________ : BOTTLE :: LID : CHEST

   1. (A)cap

   2. (B)cylinder

   3. (C)liquid

   4. (D)neck

4. 3 : _________________ :: 27 : 64

   1. (A)2

   2. (B)4

   3. (C)8

   4. (D)16

5. USE : ABUSE :: _________________ : ACCLAIM

   1. (A)claim

   2. (B)clam

   3. (C)recognition

   4. (D)mail

Here are the answers:

1. Choice (C) is correct.

   (1:2,3:4) A jet travels through the air, as a submarine travels through the ocean. This fits the description relationship category.

2. Choice (B) is correct.

   (1:3,2:4) An ostrich is a type of bird, as a bottlenose is a type of dolphin. This fits the type of relationship category.

3. Choice (A) is correct.

   (1:2,3:4) A cap is the part of a bottle that covers it, as a lid is the part of the chest that covers it. This fits the parts relationship category.

4. Choice (B) is correct.

   (1:3,2:4) 3 cubed is 27, as 4 cubed is 64. This fits the similar/different relationship category.

5. Choice (A) is correct.

   (1:2,3:4) Abuse is use with two letters added to its beginning, as acclaim is claim with two letters similarly added. This fits the wordplay relationship category.