The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is inexperience.
This analogy establishes a relationship between a type of person and their defining characteristic. To solve it, we must first understand the connection in the initial pair, “sage is to wisdom,” and then apply that same logic to the second pair, “novice is to…”
The relationship between a sage and wisdom is one of possession and definition. A sage is a person who is profoundly revered for their great wisdom. Wisdom is the essential quality that makes someone a sage. It is not merely something they do, but something they fundamentally have. The analogy, therefore, links a noun describing a person with an abstract noun representing their core attribute.
Following this pattern, we must find the word that represents the core attribute of a novice. A novice is, by definition, a beginner, someone new to a particular field, activity, or situation. The most fundamental characteristic of a beginner is their lack of experience. Therefore, a novice is defined by their inexperience. This perfectly mirrors the first half of the analogy: just as a sage is characterized by having wisdom, a novice is characterized by having inexperience.
Let’s examine why the other options are incorrect. “Dexterity” refers to skill, particularly with the hands. While a novice may lack dexterity in a specific task, it is not their universal defining trait. For instance, a novice philosopher or a novice historian is not defined by a lack of manual skill. “Incompleteness” is too general. While a novice’s knowledge or training is incomplete, the root cause of this incompleteness is their inexperience. “Inexperience” is the more precise and fundamental term. Finally, “failure” is an outcome, not an inherent quality. A novice might fail frequently, but they can also succeed. Similarly, an expert can fail. Failure is a potential result of inexperience, but it is not the defining characteristic itself. Thus, inexperience is the most accurate and logical completion of the analogy.
