Verbal Analogies 75 Traps
PrepMaster Verbal · Analogy Traps
PM-V-A · 75 COGNITIVE TRAPS · v1.0
Verbal Section · Analogy Sub-taxonomy · Trap Reference
The 75 Cognitive Traps of SSAT Analogies
Every way a student can select the wrong analogy pair — classified by cognitive mechanism, not by question type. 15 categories. 75 distinct error patterns. Each trap is detectable from ThinkTrace behavioral data.
01 Direction & Order
Direction & Order
T01 – T05
T01
Reverse Direction
관계의 선후가 뒤바뀜 (A:B를 B:A로 판단)
Student identifies the correct relationship but places it in the wrong direction — treating A:B as B:A. Common when both words seem equally plausible as the "starting point."
Detection signal
Fast response + correct word pair but wrong order. Often follows Pattern: student knows the words but not which drives which.
T02
Vertical vs. Horizontal
세로 관계(단어 연상)와 가로 관계(논리 유추) 혼동
Student reads across word pairs (left-to-right within each pair) instead of reading the logical relationship between pairs. Confuses free association with structural analogy.
Detection signal
Student selects a pair where A2 and B2 are individually associated with A1 and B1, but the A:B relationship doesn't match.
T03
Cause-Effect Flip
결과가 원인보다 앞에 오는 오류
Student correctly identifies that the two items are causally related but reverses which causes which. Especially common when both items could plausibly cause each other.
Detection signal
Medium response time (2–5s). Student pauses, selects, but has the direction of causation reversed.
T04
Member-Group Inversion
구성원과 집단의 순서 배치 오류
Student knows that one is the group and one is the member, but places them in the opposite order (GROUP:MEMBER when the question asks MEMBER:GROUP or vice versa).
Detection signal
Correct content identification, wrong direction. Often triggered when the group name sounds more "important" than the member.
T05
Sequential vs. Parallel
선후 관계가 있는 일과 동시 발생 사건의 혼동
Student selects a pair where A and B happen simultaneously or are co-equal, when the question requires a sequential (first→then) relationship, or vice versa.
Detection signal
Distractor pair uses temporally adjacent events; student doesn't check whether the relationship is ordered or parallel.
02 Degree & Intensity
Degree & Intensity
T06 – T10
T06
Extreme vs. Moderate
일반적인 상태와 극단적 상태의 구분 실패
Student selects a pair where the degree gap between A and B doesn't match the original pair. The original might be mild→extreme; student selects mild→moderate or moderate→extreme.
Detection signal
Distractor uses same semantic field but wrong intensity ratio. Common in CH03 (Degree) and CH20 (Noun:Adjective).
T07
Understatement Trap
실제보다 너무 약한 표현을 선택
The correct answer requires a strong or extreme form; student selects a pair where the degree is too mild. The relationship structure is correct but the intensity doesn't scale.
Detection signal
Student selects "DISLIKE" where the pattern requires "LOATHE," or "COLD" where it requires "FRIGID."
T08
Overstatement Trap
논리적 범위를 넘어선 과한 표현 선택
Student selects a pair where the degree is too intense for the relationship to hold logically. The distractor overshoots the scale established by the original pair.
Detection signal
Student pushes the scale too far — selects "FURIOUS" for a pattern that only goes to "ANNOYED."
T09
Positive-Negative Intensity
긍정적 강도와 부정적 강도의 대응 불일치
The original pair moves from mild positive to intense positive (or mild negative to intense negative). Student selects a pair that crosses the positive/negative boundary, creating a mismatch in emotional direction.
Detection signal
Original: PLEASED→ELATED (positive→positive). Student selects: PLEASED→BITTER (positive→negative).
T10
Magnitude Trap
크기나 규모의 논리적 비례 대응 실패
For noun-degree pairs (DROP:FLOOD), student selects a pair where the size ratio doesn't match. The magnitudes may both increase but not proportionally.
Detection signal
Original pair has dramatic scale jump; distractor pair has only slight increase. Or vice versa.
03 Categorical & Attribute
Categorical & Attribute
T11 – T16
T11
Part vs. Characteristic
물리적 부품과 추상적 성질의 혼동
Student confuses a physical part of something with a quality or characteristic of it. "SPINE : BOOK" (physical part) vs. "SUSPENSE : THRILLER" (defining quality).
Detection signal
Student selects a pair where one item is a property/trait when the pattern requires a structural component, or vice versa.
T12
Member vs. Part
집단의 구성원(인격체)과 전체의 부품(무생물) 혼동
Group membership (JUROR : JURY) is different from component relationship (GEAR : CLOCK). Student treats one as the other, selecting a living-member pair when a part-whole pair is needed.
Detection signal
Distractor uses a human collective when the pattern is mechanical part-whole, or vice versa.
T13
Species vs. Genus
하위 종과 상위 분류군의 위계 오류
The correct answer requires a specific-to-general (or general-to-specific) relationship at a particular taxonomic level. Student selects a pair that moves at the wrong level of abstraction.
Detection signal
Original: SONNET:POEM (specific type → art form). Distractor: NOVEL:LITERATURE (type → broader category — wrong level).
T14
Accidental vs. Essential
우연한 속성을 본질적 속성으로 착각
SSAT analogies require essential, defining relationships — not accidental or typical associations. Student selects a pair that is often true but not necessarily or definitionally true.
Detection signal
"DOCTOR : WHITE COAT" — white coats are typical, not essential. Student selects this type when the pattern requires an essential relationship.
T15
Negative Attribute
부정적 성질 자체를 '부재'로 오해
Student treats a negative quality (CRUEL, RECKLESS) as if it means the absence of something (kindness, caution), confusing Chapter 12 (Without) with Chapter 20 (Noun:Adjective).
Detection signal
Student maps "MISER : GENEROUS" as a Without pattern instead of recognizing it as an antonym or characteristic pattern.
T16
Subjective vs. Objective Trait
주관적 판단과 객관적 사실의 혼용
SSAT analogies rely on objectively verifiable relationships. Student selects a pair based on culturally variable or personally subjective association rather than a universally true attribute.
Detection signal
"FOX : CLEVER" is culturally embedded (Western fable tradition). Student may incorrectly apply this type to factual attribute questions.
04 Tools, Actions & Agents
Tools, Actions & Agents
T17 – T23
T17
Tool vs. User
도구와 그 도구를 사용하는 사람의 관계 오해
Student confuses which element is the tool and which is the user/agent. Selects a pair where the user:tool direction is reversed, or where a tool is matched with the wrong user category.
Detection signal
Pattern: SURGEON:SCALPEL. Trap: SCALPEL:SURGEON (reversed), or SURGEON:HOSPITAL (wrong target).
T18
Tool vs. Target
도구와 그 작용 대상(Object)의 혼동
The tool has a specific target it acts upon. Student confuses the user of the tool with the target of the tool, or selects a pair where the tool acts on the wrong type of object.
Detection signal
SIEVE:LIQUID (correct — sieve acts on liquid). Trap: SIEVE:COOK (who uses it, not what it acts on).
T19
Action vs. Result
행위 자체와 그로 인한 결과(상태)의 구분 실패
Student selects a pair where A is an action but B is another action (parallel actions), when the pattern requires A=action and B=the resulting state. Or vice versa.
Detection signal
HEAT:MELT — MELT is the result/process, not an independent action. Student selects pairs where both elements are processes.
T20
Worker vs. Workplace
종사자와 근무 장소의 관계 설정 오류
Student confuses the worker-workplace relationship (TYPE 01-8) with the place-activity relationship (TYPE 05-2). Both involve a person and a location, but the defining element differs.
Detection signal
JUDGE:COURTROOM (worker:workplace) vs. COURTROOM:JUDGE (place:inhabitant — direction reversed).
T21
Action vs. Object/Subject
행위의 대상(수동)과 주체(능동)의 혼동
Student misidentifies whether the action applies to A (A receives the action) or B (B receives the action). Confuses grammatical agent with grammatical patient in the analogy structure.
Detection signal
SCULPT:STATUE — sculptor sculpts, statue is sculpted. Student selects pairs where the direction of action is ambiguous.
T22
Tool vs. Specialization
특정 도구가 범용이 아닌 특정 전용임을 간과
The original pair uses a specialized tool unique to one profession. Student selects a pair where the tool is general-purpose (used by many), making the relationship structurally weaker.
Detection signal
SCALPEL:SURGEON (specialized). Trap: KNIFE:CHEF (less specialized — a knife is used everywhere).
T23
Passive vs. Active
수동적 관계와 능동적 관계의 뒤바뀜
The original relationship is active (A does something to B). Student selects a pair where A passively receives or is affected by B — inverting the direction of agency.
Detection signal
TEACHER:STUDENT — teacher acts, student receives. Trap: STUDENT:TEACHER (student leads) — reversal of agency.
05 Lack & Absence
Lack & Absence
T24 – T29
T24
Without vs. Opposite
'없는 상태'를 단순 '반대말'로 치부
PENNILESS means "without money" — not the opposite of money. Student treats the Without relationship as an antonym pair and selects distractor pairs that are merely opposites.
Detection signal
Student selects POOR:RICH (antonym) instead of PENNILESS:MONEY (without). Structural confusion between CH12 and CH22.
T25
Partial vs. Total Lack
일부 부족과 완전 결핍의 강도 차이 무시
PENNILESS = total lack of money. POOR = partial lack. Student selects a pair where the degree of absence doesn't match — choosing a "somewhat lacking" pair for a "completely without" pattern.
Detection signal
Scale of absence is critical. MUTE:SPEECH (total) vs. HOARSE:VOICE (partial) — student confuses these.
T26
Temporary vs. Permanent Lack
일시적 부재와 선천적/영구적 결여의 혼동
BALD is typically permanent (or long-term). SPEECHLESS is temporary. Student doesn't distinguish whether the absence is a permanent condition or a momentary state.
Detection signal
Permanent: BLIND:SIGHT. Temporary: STUNNED:SPEECH. Student matches wrong duration type.
T27
Physical vs. Abstract Lack
눈에 보이는 결핍과 보이지 않는 결핍의 혼동
PENNILESS lacks a physical/concrete thing (money). IGNORANT lacks an abstract thing (knowledge). Student doesn't match the type of absence — physical vs. conceptual.
Detection signal
Pattern requires physical lack; student selects pair with abstract absence (or vice versa).
T28
Removal vs. Absence
제거하는 '행위'와 이미 없는 '상태'의 혼동
Without patterns describe a static state of absence. Restriction patterns (CH19) describe active removal. Student confuses ERASER:MARKS (removes) with BALD:HAIR (is without).
Detection signal
Student mixes CH12 (Without) and CH19 (Restriction) — the question specifies a state but student selects an action pair.
T29
Negative Constraint
금지(~하지 마라)와 부정(~이 아니다)의 혼동
A prohibition (EMBARGO prevents TRADE) is different from a state of being without (MUTE is without SPEECH). Student confuses imposed restriction with natural absence.
Detection signal
Student selects a rule/law-based restriction pair when pattern asks for inherent lack, or vice versa.
06 Grammar & Form
Grammar & Form
T30 – T34
T30
Part of Speech Mismatch
명사:명사 관계인데 형용사:명사 등을 선택
SSAT analogies require consistent grammatical structure across both pairs. If the original is NOUN:NOUN, the answer must also be NOUN:NOUN. Student selects ADJ:NOUN or VERB:NOUN instead.
Detection signal
Fast response with no POS check. Student focuses on meaning without confirming grammatical category match.
T31
Tense Inconsistency
현재형과 과거/완료형의 대응 불일치
Original pair uses base forms; student selects pair with past tense or gerund forms. While less common in SSAT than in GRE, verb form consistency matters when the question is verb-based.
Detection signal
Student reads content only, ignores morphological form of the verbs in the pair.
T32
Plurality Error
단수와 복수의 개념이 맞지 않는 쌍 선택
WOLF:PACK — wolf is singular, pack is collective. Student selects WOLVES:PACK or WOLF:PACKS, mismatching the singular/plural logic established by the original pair.
Detection signal
Particularly relevant for Group/Member pairs and Animal:Group pairs where collective nouns are involved.
T33
Tone Mismatch
격식어와 비속어/구어체의 관계 설정 불일치
Both words in an analogy pair should be at the same register level. If the original uses formal vocabulary, the answer pair should also use formal vocabulary — not casual synonyms.
Detection signal
Original: PHYSICIAN:SURGEON (both formal). Trap: DOCTOR:SURGEON (mixed register — less formal vs. formal).
T34
Part of Speech Consistency
선택지 전체 품사 구조가 문제와 다른 함정
A distractor pair uses the correct words but in the wrong grammatical form — e.g., NOMINATE instead of NOMINATION, switching from verb to noun. The relationship content is right but the form is wrong.
Detection signal
Student recognizes the semantic relationship but doesn't check whether A and B are in the same grammatical form as the original pair.
07 Semantic Distractors
Semantic Distractors
T35 – T40
T35
Pseudo-Synonym
비슷해 보이나 논리적 관계가 없는 단어들
Two words look like they should be related (they're in the same semantic neighborhood) but have no specific logical relationship. Student selects them because they "feel connected."
Detection signal
Student cannot articulate the exact relationship — selects based on vague association rather than a precise logical structure.
T36
Common Association
관용적으로 쓰여 관계가 있다고 착각
Words that commonly appear together in everyday language (BREAD:BUTTER, SALT:PEPPER) have cultural association but not necessarily a logical analogy relationship. Student confuses familiarity with logical structure.
Detection signal
The student knows both words well and they "go together" — but there's no precise relationship structure (not tool:function, not part:whole, etc.).
T37
Literal vs. Figurative
사전적 의미와 비유적 의미의 혼동
MURDER:CROWS — "murder" here is the literal collective noun for crows, not the figurative/violent meaning. Student applies the wrong sense of a word, misreading the relationship entirely.
Detection signal
Fast incorrect response when a common word appears in an unexpected usage. Student doesn't consider secondary or technical meanings.
T38
Homonym Distractor
발음은 같으나 뜻이 전혀 다른 단어의 유혹
A word in the original pair has a homonym (same spelling/pronunciation, different meaning). Student applies the wrong meaning and selects a pair that matches the wrong sense.
Detection signal
BANK (financial institution vs. riverbank), BEAR (animal vs. to endure). Student applies one meaning; the question uses the other.
T39
Contextual Shift
문맥에 따라 변하는 단어 뜻을 고정 관념으로 판단
A word's meaning shifts depending on context, but student applies only one fixed meaning. COOL can mean temperature, trendiness, or calmness — student locks into one reading.
Detection signal
Medium response time. Student recognizes the word but applies the most common meaning, ignoring contextual signals that point to another sense.
T40
Secondary Meaning Trap
1번 뜻이 아닌 2, 3번 뜻으로만 성립하는 관계
The analogy only works using a word's secondary or tertiary meaning. College Board deliberately uses this to trap students who know only the primary definition. The relationship is valid — but only in the non-obvious sense.
Detection signal
Student knows the word's primary meaning and selects a distractor that matches it. The correct answer only works under meaning #2 or #3.
08 Professional & Academic
Professional & Academic
T41 – T44
T41
Field vs. Practitioner
학문 분야와 실무 전문가의 혼동
ORNITHOLOGY (field) studies BIRDS. An ORNITHOLOGIST (practitioner) studies BIRDS. Student confuses which element is the field and which is the person, or treats them as interchangeable.
Detection signal
Student selects BIOLOGY:DOCTOR — confusing a field with a practitioner who works in a related but different area.
T42
Study vs. Object
연구 주체와 연구 대상의 뒤섞임
SEISMOLOGY studies EARTHQUAKES. Student reverses this — treating the subject as the object or the object as the subject of study. Or selects a pair where the study-object link is indirect.
Detection signal
Student selects EARTHQUAKE:SEISMOLOGY (reversed) or GEOLOGY:EARTHQUAKES (wrong field — geology studies rocks, not earthquakes).
T43
Theory vs. Application
이론적 정의와 실제 적용 사례의 불일치
The original pair is theoretical/definitional (LABORATORY:EXPERIMENT). Student selects a pair that describes a real-world application of the concept rather than the core structural relationship.
Detection signal
Student selects an example of the concept rather than an analogous structure: "HOSPITAL:SURGERY" when pattern requires "LABORATORY:EXPERIMENT."
T44
Medium vs. Message
전달 수단(매체)과 전달 내용의 관계 오류
DICTIONARY contains DEFINITIONS — the book is the medium, the definitions are the message/content. Student confuses this with a container:content relationship or a genre relationship.
Detection signal
Student selects BOOK:LIBRARY (wrong — library contains books, not the reverse) or DICTIONARY:WORDS (too broad — words are not definitions).
09 Spatial & Physical
Spatial & Physical
T45 – T48
T45
Container vs. Content
그릇과 내용물을 '부분:전체'로 오해
A container holds its content — this is not a part:whole relationship. The jar is not a part of the jam. Student incorrectly applies part:whole logic to container:content pairs.
Detection signal
Student selects CHAPTER:BOOK (part:whole — correct for CH06) when the pattern requires GRANARY:GRAIN (container:content — CH05-1).
T46
Shelter vs. Inhabitant
서식지와 거주자를 단순 위치 관계로만 파악
DEN:FOX is not just "fox is near den." The den is specifically built for or defined by the fox. Student treats habitat relationships as mere physical proximity rather than definitional association.
Detection signal
Student selects TREE:BIRD (birds sit in trees — accidental proximity) instead of NEST:BIRD (bird's specific dwelling).
T47
Adjacency Trap
단순히 인접해 있는 것을 논리적 관계로 착각
Things that are physically near each other are not necessarily logically related. Student selects a pair based on spatial proximity in the real world, not on a structural logical relationship.
Detection signal
Common Association (T36) overlap. Both involve familiarity — but T47 is specifically about physical/spatial co-location rather than cultural pairing.
T48
Boundary vs. Region
경계선과 내부 영역의 관계 설정 오류
A fence defines a boundary; a field is the region. Student confuses the boundary marker with the region it encloses, treating one as equivalent to or a part of the other.
Detection signal
Rare but high-difficulty trap. Appears in CH06 (Part:Whole) questions involving spatial structures with both a border and an interior.
10 Material & Transformation
Material & Transformation
T49 – T52
T49
Raw Material vs. Final Product
원재료와 완제품 사이 가공 단계 무시
GLASS:SAND — glass is made from sand (with transformation). Student selects a pair where A and B are related but without the transformation step — treating direct derivation as equivalent to manufactured production.
Detection signal
Student selects pairs where the material is merely associated with the product, not transformed into it (e.g., CHAIR:WOOD — wood makes a chair, but wood isn't transformed in the same irreversible way).
T50
Ingredient vs. Component
요리 재료와 기계 부품 개념의 혼동
An ingredient is mixed/transformed into a product (MILK→CHEESE). A component is assembled into a whole (GEAR→CLOCK). Student confuses the nature of the combination — chemical transformation vs. mechanical assembly.
Detection signal
Student selects a mechanical assembly pair when the pattern requires a chemical/biological transformation, or vice versa.
T51
Irreversible Change
가역적 변화와 비가역적 변화의 차이 오해
SAND becomes GLASS — irreversible. ICE becomes WATER — reversible. Student selects a reversible transformation pair when the pattern uses an irreversible production relationship, changing the logical weight of the analogy.
Detection signal
Student treats all transformation pairs as equivalent regardless of whether the change is permanent or temporary.
T52
Source vs. Result
출처(발생지)와 결과(파생물)의 미세 차이
DROUGHT→FAMINE: drought is the source, famine is the result (causal). MILK→CHEESE: milk is the material, cheese is the product (transformational). These are distinct — student conflates causal source with material source.
Detection signal
Overlap between CH15 (Product & Material) and CH23 (Cause & Effect). Student doesn't distinguish causal origin from material origin.
11 Functional & Operational
Functional & Operational
T53 – T57
T53
Preventive vs. Curative
예방 도구와 치료 도구의 구분 실패
VACCINE prevents disease. ANTIBIOTIC treats existing bacterial infection. Student treats these as equivalent "medical tools" and selects a pair that matches the wrong functional category.
Detection signal
Key question: does the tool stop something before it happens (preventive) or address something already occurring (curative)? Student doesn't apply this distinction.
T54
Facilitator vs. Primary Agent
조력 수단과 주 행위자의 혼동
A crutch facilitates walking but isn't the primary agent of movement — the person is. Student selects a pair where the facilitator (the assisting tool/person) is treated as the primary agent, blurring the distinction.
Detection signal
Student confuses CONDUCTOR:ORCHESTRA (conductor enables music; orchestra makes it) with a simple tool:function pair.
T55
Accessory vs. Essential
부가적 장식과 필수 구성 요소를 착각
A WHEEL needs SPOKES — spokes are essential to its structure. A car has decorative trim — trim is accessory. Student selects a pair where B is merely decorative or optional rather than structurally necessary to A.
Detection signal
T14 (Accidental vs. Essential) overlap. T55 is specifically about functional necessity vs. decorative addition.
T56
Input vs. Output
투입 에너지와 산출 결과물의 관계 오해
ELECTRICITY is input; LIGHT is output (for a bulb). Student confuses what goes in with what comes out, or selects a pair where both elements are inputs or both are outputs.
Detection signal
Student reverses the energy flow — selects LIGHT:ELECTRICITY (output→input) when pattern requires ELECTRICITY:LIGHT (input→output).
T57
Final Purpose vs. Side Effect
최종 목적과 부수적 효과의 혼동
EXERCISE:HEALTH — health is the intended purpose. EXERCISE:SWEATING — sweating is a side effect. Student selects a pair where the relationship is a byproduct/side effect rather than the primary intended purpose.
Detection signal
Student selects the most obvious or visible outcome (often a side effect) rather than the essential purpose the tool or action was designed for.
12 Nature & Biology
Nature & Biology
T58 – T61
T58
Gender Mismatch
암수 관계와 부모-자식 관계의 혼동
HEN:ROOSTER is a female:male gender pair. HEN:CHICK is a parent:offspring pair. Student confuses these two distinct relationship types within the animal kingdom chapter, selecting the wrong pair type.
Detection signal
Student knows the animals but doesn't distinguish whether the pair is gender-based (TYPE 11-2) or offspring-based (TYPE 11-4).
T59
Young vs. Group
새끼 명칭과 무리 명칭의 혼동
GOSLING is the young of a GOOSE (TYPE 11-4). A GAGGLE is the group of geese (TYPE 11-5). Student confuses offspring names with collective nouns, both of which are animal-specific terminology.
Detection signal
Student selects GOOSE:GAGGLE when pattern requires GOOSE:GOSLING, or vice versa — both are obscure animal terms so the student guesses.
T60
Sound vs. Action
울음소리와 일반적 움직임의 혼용
LION:ROAR — ROAR is the specific sound a lion makes. Student confuses this with action-based pairs (LION:HUNT) or characteristic pairs (LION:MAJESTIC), missing that the pattern specifically requires the animal's vocalizing term.
Detection signal
Student selects LION:PROWL (action) or LION:FIERCE (characteristic) when the pattern requires LION:ROAR (sound).
T61
Habitat vs. Characteristic
서식지의 특성을 동물의 본질로 착각
A polar bear lives in cold environments — that doesn't make COLD its essential characteristic (TYPE 11-1). Student confuses where an animal lives with what the animal essentially is, conflating TYPE 11-1 with TYPE 11-3.
Detection signal
Student selects POLAR BEAR:COLD (where it lives → habitat characteristic) when the pattern needs an essential trait like POLAR BEAR:POWERFUL.
13 Human Emotion & Action
Human Emotion & Action
T62 – T65
T62
Emotion vs. Manifestation
감정과 그 외적 표출(미소, 눈물 등)의 불일치
GRIEF:WEEP — grief (internal) causes weeping (external expression). Student selects a pair where the causal link between internal state and external expression doesn't hold — e.g., SADNESS:FROWN (too generic, not the specific expression pattern).
Detection signal
Student confuses generic emotional descriptions with specific physiological/behavioral manifestations tested in CH14.
T63
Intent vs. Action
내적 의도와 외적 행위 사이의 인과 비약
RESOLVE:ACT — having resolve doesn't guarantee action; having an intention doesn't mean the action occurs. Student selects a pair where the internal intent is treated as directly equivalent to the external outcome, skipping the logical gap.
Detection signal
Student treats psychological motivation as mechanically causing behavior, selecting pairs where this causal chain is too loose or speculative.
T64
Virtue vs. Person
덕목(명사)과 소유자(형용사/인물)의 품사 혼동
COURAGE is a virtue (noun). COURAGEOUS is the adjective form. A HERO is a person who embodies courage. Student confuses the virtue itself, its adjectival form, and the person who possesses it — selecting the wrong grammatical or conceptual category.
Detection signal
Student selects COURAGE:HERO (virtue:person) when pattern requires COWARD:TIMID (person:characteristic adjective), mixing structural types.
T65
Extreme Emotion Trap
일반적 감정과 통제 불능의 격정 상태 구분 실패
ANGER is a normal emotion. RAGE is loss-of-control fury. The degree gap matters. Student selects a pair where both words describe the same broad emotion without the critical escalation to an extreme, uncontrolled state.
Detection signal
Connects to T06 (Extreme vs. Moderate). T65 is specifically about emotional escalation beyond normal range into extreme/uncontrolled territory.
14 Symbol & Representation
Symbol & Representation
T66 – T68
T66
Symbol vs. Object
상징물과 실제 대상을 유의어로 착각
DOVE symbolizes PEACE — the dove doesn't equal peace; it represents it. Student treats the symbol as a synonym or functional equivalent of what it represents, missing the representational nature of the relationship.
Detection signal
Student selects a pair where A and B are merely similar or associated (T35 overlap) rather than one being a symbolic representation of the other.
T67
Color/Icon Mismatch
특정 색/아이콘의 보편적 가치 오해
RED symbolizes danger or love in some cultures — but not universally. Student applies Western cultural symbolic associations (red=danger) to pairs where the convention is different or the association is culturally specific rather than universal.
Detection signal
T71 (Cultural vs. Universal) overlap. T67 specifically addresses color and iconic symbol conventions that vary by culture.
T68
Punctuation/Writing Trap
기호와 그 용도 사이의 논리 비약
COMMA:PAUSE — a comma signals a pause. Student confuses the symbol's usage rule with its name, its visual shape, or a related but different grammatical function. The relationship must be symbol:specific grammatical function.
Detection signal
Student selects PERIOD:SENTENCE (end of sentence — too broad) instead of PERIOD:STOP (specific functional meaning).
15 Advanced Logic
Advanced Logic
T69 – T75
T69
Definition vs. Example
보편적 정의와 단순 예시의 혼동
SONNET:POEM — a sonnet is by definition a type of poem (structural). SHAKESPEARE:POET — Shakespeare is an example of a poet (instantiation). These are different relationship types. Student selects an example pair when a definitional pair is required.
Detection signal
Student selects proper noun pairs (names as examples) when the pattern requires common-noun definitional pairs.
T70
Frequency Mismatch
상시 발생하는 일과 일시적 사건의 대응 오류
HUNGER:EAT — whenever you're hungry, you eat (frequent, reliable). LIGHTNING:STORM — lightning occurs in storms but not always (conditional). Student confuses a reliable-frequency relationship with a merely possible co-occurrence.
Detection signal
T74 (Necessity vs. Possibility) overlap. T70 is specifically about temporal frequency — always vs. sometimes vs. occasionally.
T71
Cultural vs. Universal
특정 문화적 연상과 보편적 논리의 혼동
SSAT analogies require universal logical relationships, not culturally specific associations. Student selects a pair that only works within one cultural context (Western, American, etc.) but doesn't hold universally.
Detection signal
High-risk trap for Korean learners. Cultural assumptions about animals (FOX=cunning), colors (WHITE=purity), and symbols may not transfer to the SSAT's expected universal logic.
T72
False Cause
우연한 연속 사건을 인과관계로 착각
Two events that frequently occur together are not necessarily causally linked. Student selects a pair where A and B co-occur (correlation) rather than where A definitionally causes B (causation).
Detection signal
Student confuses CH23 (Cause & Effect) with CH17-1 (Likely co-occurrence). The difference: does A necessarily produce B, or do A and B merely tend to appear together?
T73
Over/Under-Generalization
범위를 너무 넓히거나 좁혀서 해석
The original pair operates at a specific level of abstraction. Student selects a pair that generalizes the concept too broadly (over) or applies it too narrowly to a specific subcase (under), breaking the structural parallel.
Detection signal
Original: SONNET:POEM (specific type → broad form). Over-generalization trap: POEM:LITERATURE (too many levels up). Under-generalization: PETRACHAN SONNET:SONNET (too specific).
T74
Necessity vs. Possibility
필연성과 개연성(가능성)의 구분 실패
DROUGHT necessarily causes FAMINE (given enough time) — the relationship is deterministic. RAIN possibly causes FLOODING — the relationship is conditional. Student selects a possible relationship when the pattern requires a necessary one.
Detection signal
The test word: "always" vs. "sometimes." SSAT analogies require necessary (always-true) relationships. Student selects pairs that are only sometimes true.
T75
Redundancy Trap
불필요한 의미 반복을 논리적 관계로 오해
WIDOW:WOMAN — a widow IS a woman (the second word is simply part of the definition of the first). This apparent relationship contains no additional logical structure beyond class membership. Student selects such tautological pairs thinking they represent a meaningful analogy.
Detection signal
The pair is logically "A is a type of B" at the most basic level, with no further structural relationship to match against the original pair's more specific logic.