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Practice Verbal Classification questions for the Cognitive Abilities Test — Grade 4 (Level 10). Every question includes a full explanation of why the correct answer is right and why the tempting distractors are wrong.
25 questions available · medium difficulty · CogAT Grade 4 · Free, no registration required
Three words are given that belong together and the child picks a fourth that belongs with them. As with the figure version nothing states what the three have in common, and working out the category at the right level of generality is the task.
The same layout with categories defined by a shared property rather than a subject: words that all describe size, all name something temporary, all refer to a way of moving. Several choices are typically associated with the three words without belonging to the same class.
At level 10 — grade 4
Level 10 starts using categories defined by a property rather than a kind - words that all describe size, or all name something temporary. Fourth graders often need this pointed out explicitly, since searching for a subject-matter category simply fails on these items.
At this level the shared feature may be that all three words describe a degree of something, or all name actions done deliberately. Children searching for a subject-matter category will not find one and often settle for association instead.
A category that is nearly right admits two choices, and picking the first that fits means never noticing. Checking all the options is what reveals that the category needs narrowing.
An unknown option cannot be eliminated on meaning, and children either avoid it entirely or gravitate to it. Neither is reasoning - if the other choices are clearly excluded, the unfamiliar one is the answer.
Do it aloud in the car: name three things and ask what they are all examples of, then offer a fourth and ask whether it belongs. Push for the narrowest description covering all three - if your child says 'things in a house', ask whether they can be more exact. That single push is most of the skill, and it transfers directly to the figure classification items too.
As specific as it can be while still covering all three words. A category that also admits one of the other choices is too broad, and narrowing it is usually what finds the answer.
Because association is the more natural way to connect words, and this subtest asks for membership instead. The distinction is learnable, and stating the category aloud is what teaches it.
The reasoning is the same - find what unites three things, then find the fourth that shares it. One works in words and one in shapes, which is why a child can be strong at one and weak at the other.
10 example questions with full explanations. Use the interactive practice above to work through the complete set.
Correct answer: A
Copper, iron and silver are all metals, so the answer must also be a metal. Gold is a metal, making A correct. 'Wood', 'plastic' and 'glass' are all materials too, which is the trap if you decide the group is simply 'materials', but none of them is a metal.
Correct answer: B
A lake, a pond and an ocean are all bodies of water, so the answer must be one too. A sea is a body of water, making B correct. A 'mountain' and a 'desert' are land features with no water in them. An 'island' is the closest wrong answer because it is surrounded by water, but the island itself is land.
Correct answer: C
An hour, a minute and a week are all lengths of time, so the answer must be another one. A month is a length of time, making C correct. A 'clock' is the tempting wrong answer because it shows time, but it is the tool rather than an amount of time. A 'ruler' measures length, and 'hot' describes temperature.
Correct answer: D
A violin, a guitar and a harp all make sound from strings, so the answer must also have strings. A cello has strings, making D correct. The trap is deciding the group is just 'musical instruments', which would let in the drum and the flute — but a drum is struck and a flute is blown, and neither has strings. A 'song' is not an instrument at all.
Correct answer: A
A triangle, a square and a hexagon are all flat shapes made of straight sides, so the answer must be one too. A pentagon has five straight sides, making A correct. A 'circle' is flat but has no straight sides, which makes it the closest wrong answer. A 'sphere' is a solid ball rather than a flat shape, and a 'line' does not enclose a shape at all.
Correct answer: B
Cotton, wool and silk are all soft materials that cloth is made from, so the answer must be another one. Linen is a cloth material, making B correct. 'Paper' is the closest wrong answer because it is soft and thin, but clothes are not woven from it. 'Metal' and 'stone' are both hard and are not used to make cloth.
Correct answer: C
Whispering, shouting and mumbling are all ways of using your voice, so the answer must be another one. Shrieking uses the voice, making C correct. 'Listen' is the trap: it belongs to conversation but is something you do with your ears, not your voice. 'Write' communicates without sound, and 'think' happens silently inside your head.
Correct answer: D
An oak, a whale and a mushroom are all living things that grow, so the answer must also be alive. A fern is a living plant, making D correct. The trap is deciding the group is 'things found in nature', which would admit granite, clouds and rivers — but none of those is alive, even though a river moves and a cloud changes shape.
Correct answer: A
The sun, lightning and a flashlight all make their own light, so the answer must be another source of light. A lamp makes light, making A correct. A 'mirror' is the tempting wrong answer because it looks bright, but it only bounces back light that already exists. A 'shadow' is where light is blocked and 'night' is when light is absent.
Correct answer: B
A trumpet, a trombone and a tuba are all played by blowing into a metal tube, so the answer must be another brass instrument. A horn is played that way, making B correct. A 'violin' is played with strings and a bow, a 'drum' is struck, and a 'piano' is played with keys, so none of them is blown.