PMA Long Course Verbal Intelligence Syllabus

Verbal Intelligence syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Verbal Intelligence in PMA Long Course, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Coding and Decoding

   4 topics

   • Letter Coding
   • Number Coding
   • Substitution Coding
   • Mixed Coding Patterns
2. 2

   Series Completion

   4 topics

   • Number Series
   • Letter Series
   • Alphanumeric Series
   • Find the Missing Term
3. 3

   Analogy

   3 topics

   • Word Analogy
   • Number Analogy
   • Relationship-Based Analogy
4. 4

   Classification (Odd One Out)

   3 topics

   • Word Classification
   • Number Classification
   • Letter Classification
5. 5

   Blood Relations and Directions

   3 topics

   • Family Relationship Problems
   • Coded Relationships
   • Direction Sense
6. 6

   Synonyms and Antonyms

   3 topics

   • Synonyms
   • Antonyms
   • Vocabulary in Context
7. 7

   Logical Reasoning

   4 topics

   • Syllogisms
   • Statement and Conclusion
   • Cause and Effect
   • Seating Arrangement
8. 8

   Ranking and Ordering

   3 topics

   • Ranking Problems
   • Ordering Sequences
   • Comparison Puzzles

Verbal Intelligence flashcards for PMA Long Course

19 of 50 cards from the Verbal Intelligence deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In Letter Coding, what is the standard forward position number of each letter A through E in the English alphabet?

   A=1, B=2, C=3, D=4, E=5. The 26 letters are numbered 1 to 26 from A to Z.

2. In Letter Coding, what is the EJOTY rule used for?

   EJOTY gives the position of every 5th letter for quick recall: E=5, J=10, O=15, T=20, Y=25. You count up or down from these anchors to find any letter's position fast.

3. What is the backward (reverse) position formula for any letter in the alphabet?

   Reverse position = 27 minus forward position. For example, D (forward 4) has reverse position 27 - 4 = 23, so D corresponds to W.

4. In Letter Coding, what does it mean to code a word by 'shifting +3'? Give an example.

   Each letter is replaced by the letter 3 places ahead in the alphabet. Example: CAT becomes FDW (C+3=F, A+3=D, T+3=W).

5. In Letter Coding, if a word is coded by shifting +2, how do you decode the cipher back to the original?

   Reverse the operation: shift each cipher letter BACK by 2 (i.e. -2) to recover the original word.

6. What is the opposite/complementary letter of a given letter (the 'mirror' pair), and how is it found?

   The opposite letter is found by 27 - position. Pairs are A-Z, B-Y, C-X, D-W, etc. They sum to 27 in position value.

7. Define Letter Coding as a verbal-reasoning question type.

   Letter Coding is a coding type where letters of a word are replaced by other letters following a rule (such as a fixed forward/backward shift) to form a code; the task is to find the rule and encode or decode a word.

8. Define Number Coding in verbal intelligence.

   Number Coding is a coding type where letters or words are represented by numbers (e.g. by alphabetical position or by a fixed numeric rule), and the task is to find the rule to convert words to numbers or numbers back to words.

9. In Number Coding, if A=1, B=2, ... and a word is coded as the sum of its letters' positions, what is the code for 'CAB'?

   6. C=3, A=1, B=2, so 3 + 1 + 2 = 6.

10. In Number Coding, if each letter is coded as (position x 2), what is the code for the letter 'D'?

    8. D is at position 4, and 4 x 2 = 8.

11. Define Substitution Coding in verbal reasoning.

    Substitution Coding is a type where given words (often everyday words like 'sky', 'water') are substituted with different code words; you must answer questions using the substituted vocabulary rather than the real meanings.

12. In Substitution Coding, if 'water' is called 'air', 'air' is called 'cloud', and you are asked which of these we breathe, what is the answer?

    'Cloud', because the thing we breathe is air, and air is called 'cloud' in the coded system.

13. What is the key skill tested by Substitution Coding questions?

    Tracking a remapped vocabulary: you must answer based on the substituted (coded) names rather than real-world meanings, holding the swapped labels in mind.

14. What are Mixed Coding Patterns in verbal intelligence?

    Mixed Coding Patterns combine more than one coding rule in a single question, for example mixing letter shifts with number positions, or combining substitution with positional codes, requiring identification of multiple simultaneous rules.

15. When solving a Mixed Coding Pattern, what is the recommended first step?

    Compare the given coded words letter-by-letter and position-by-position to isolate each separate rule (letter shift, reversal, number value, etc.) before applying them to the target word.

16. In coding questions, what is a 'reverse coding' rule? Give an example.

    Reverse coding writes the word backwards (and may then apply a shift). Example: WORD reversed is DROW; the letters are simply read in opposite order.

17. Define a Number Series as a verbal/non-verbal reasoning item.

    A Number Series is a sequence of numbers arranged according to a definite rule (pattern); the task is to find the rule and supply the missing or next number.

18. Identify the rule and next term: 2, 4, 8, 16, ___

    32. Each term is multiplied by 2 (geometric series, common ratio 2).

19. Identify the rule and next term: 3, 6, 11, 18, 27, ___

    38. The differences increase by 2 each time (+3, +5, +7, +9, +11), so 27 + 11 = 38.

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