One of the most common traps in 11+ verbal reasoning is surprisingly simple.

Children confuse words that are associated with words that actually mean the same thing, and it catches them out constantly.

Most children understand the basic idea of synonyms:

• big = large

• quick = fast

• silent = quiet

But verbal reasoning questions are designed to test precision of thinking, not just general understanding. And that’s where associated words start causing trouble.

They test how well you communicate what you know.

One of the biggest misconceptions about exams is the idea that exams simply test how much a student knows.

They don’t - exams are not mind-reading machines.

A student might understand a text brilliantly. They might have insightful ideas, thoughtful opinions and strong subject knowledge. But if they can’t organise those thoughts clearly and communicate them effectively on paper, the examiner can’t reward what never properly arrives on the page.

If your child is preparing for a reasoning test — verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, critical thinking assessments — it’s very easy to become obsessed with scores, timings and getting the right answer.

But the bigger opportunity is often being missed, because reasoning isn’t about the correct answers.

It’s about how you came to find an answer. It’s about how you think.

And arguably, the reasoning behind an answer is just as important as the answer itself. Maybe even more important if you care about the long-term picture beyond standardised tests.

Verbal and non-verbal reasoning tests were originally designed to measure what psychologists called fluid intelligence. The idea was that these tests assessed something fixed. An innate ability. A kind of built-in mental capacity that couldn’t really be taught.

If that were true, preparation would be pointless.

But it isn’t strictly true.

If two words are going to be synonyms or antonyms, they must be the same word type.

It sounds obvious when you say it out loud. In a timed test, though, it’s one of the easiest traps to fall into.

When it comes to verbal reasoning, there’s one mistake we see again and again.

Children understand what a synonym is. Ask them and they’ll often tell you correctly: two words with the same meaning.

But in the pressure of a reasoning task, something subtle happens. They stop looking for meaning and start looking for connection.

And that’s where they fall into the trap of associated words.

Have you ever said something like, “My child’s creative, so they’re not really into maths!”, or “My child’s got a scientific brain, languages just aren’t their thing…”?

If so, you’re not alone. It’s a narrative I hear all the time and one I think we should start challenging.