HSPT analogies: the sentence method, with practice questions
An HSPT analogy gives a pair of words ("A is to B") and a third word; you pick the word that relates to the third the way B relates to A. On the sample form in STS's manual, 10 of the 60 Verbal Skills questions are analogies, and the whole section has 16 minutes, so each one gets about 16 seconds.
Updated October 25, 2026 · by AdmitTest
The count and the 16 minutes come from STS's HSPT Interpretive Manual (sample form) and diocese pages. The three questions below are practice questions written by us, not questions from the real test. This page goes deeper on one question type; for the other four types in Verbal Skills, see the Verbal Skills guide.
The sentence method, in three steps
- Say the first pair as a sentence. "A thermometer measures temperature."
- Put the third word into the same sentence and say what is missing. "A scale measures ___."
- Check the order. Wrong choices are often the right idea backwards ("a part of a sentence" instead of "a group of sentences"). Read the filled-in sentence aloud in your head before you choose.
If two choices seem to fit, your sentence is too loose. Make it more exact: not "a tool is used for something" but "a tool measures the thing next to it".
Relationships that come up
STS publishes no list of relationships, so this is our own grouping from the practice questions in our bank. Knowing the names helps you say the sentence faster.
| Relationship | Sentence to say | Example pair |
|---|---|---|
| Part and whole | "A is a part of B" or "A make up B" | words : sentence |
| Degree | "A is a much bigger (or stronger) B" | boulder : pebble |
| Cause and effect | "A makes you B" | cold : shiver |
| Tool and use | "A is used to do B" | refrigerator : chill |
| Worker and product | "A makes B" | author : novel |
| Kind and category | "A is a kind of B" | dog : mammal |
| Characteristic | "A is known for being B" | cheetah : fast |
| Location | "A lives (or is kept) in B" | bear : den |
| Synonym or antonym | "A means the same as (or the opposite of) B" | tiny : minute |
Three practice questions
Degree
Ask "how much bigger?" and keep the size in the sentence.
Sample · Analogies · written by AdmitTest
Jog is to sprint as simmer is to
- stew
- pot
- cook
- boil
Answer: D. To sprint is to run much harder than a jog, and to boil is to bubble much harder than a simmer. A stew is something you might simmer.
Cause and effect
Say the sentence in the direction of cause to effect; a choice that is a source or a place (not a result) is a trap.
Sample · Analogies · written by AdmitTest
Cold is to shiver as heat is to
- sweat
- oven
- summer
- freeze
Answer: A. Cold makes a person shiver, and heat makes a person sweat. Summer and an oven are sources of heat, not effects of it.
Part and whole
Check the direction: is the third word the part or the whole?
Sample · Analogies · written by AdmitTest
Word is to sentence as sentence is to
- period
- paragraph
- punctuation
- phrase
Answer: B. Words make up a sentence, and sentences make up a paragraph. A phrase is a part of a sentence, so it goes the wrong direction.
Three traps
- Right idea, wrong direction. Part and whole, cause and effect and worker and product can all be turned around.
- Related but not the relationship. A choice that sounds like it belongs with the third word (a place, a neighbor) is not an answer unless it completes your sentence.
- An unfamiliar word. Think where you have seen it. Words you do not know are the reason to read widely; the HSPT vocabulary list has 500 words to start with.
Where to go next
Analogies are one of five Verbal Skills question types, together with synonyms, antonyms, which word does not belong and logic. All of them are in the Verbal Skills guide, and the sample questions page has two questions from each section. To practice on the clock, take the full test.
Free full-length HSPT practice test. 298 questions in five timed sections, no sign-up. Your child's score by section and by skill when it ends.
Start the free testCommon questions
How many analogy questions are on the HSPT?
On the one sample form in STS's HSPT manual, 10 of the 60 Verbal Skills questions are analogies. STS does not promise this count for every year's form.
What is the best way to solve an HSPT analogy?
Turn the first pair into a short sentence that says how the words are connected, such as "a pilot flies a plane", then put the third word into the same sentence. The choice that completes it the same way is the answer. If two choices fit, make the sentence more exact.
What kinds of relationships do HSPT analogies use?
STS does not publish a list. In our own practice questions we use these: part and whole, degree (how big or how strong), cause and effect, tool and use, worker and product, kind and category, characteristic, location, and synonym or antonym pairs. Treat the list as a study aid, not as STS's.
How fast do you need to answer HSPT analogies?
Verbal Skills has 60 questions in 16 minutes, about 16 seconds each. Most analogies should take a few seconds once the sentence is clear; if one does not come, make your best guess (there is no penalty for wrong answers) and move on.