Verbal reasoning tests are\u00a0psychometric tests\u00a0that assess your ability to make deductions from passages of text. They evaluate your understanding of language and level of verbal comprehension and logic, as well as your dexterity when it comes to filtering out key information from a bulk of text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Candidates are usually presented with a written passage followed by a series of statements. Typically you must decide whether, based purely on what\u2019s in the text, the statement is true, false or that you cannot say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Depending on the role you are applying for, questions may range from\u00a0basic reading comprehension\u00a0to more advanced reasoning. There are also a number of different test providers used by recruiters, offering a range of verbal reasoning assessments for different industries and job levels. We will look at these in more detail later in this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Verbal reasoning tests are an effective way to reveal a candidate\u2019s language and comprehension skills, and their ability to apply reasoning and logic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are key in any working environment, which is why verbal reasoning tests are so popular with employers in a wide range of industries \u2013 even those you might not think require strong verbal skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many employers also regard verbal reasoning tests as more fair than other types of assessment, such as an unstructured interview. This is because all candidates face questions of a similar level of difficulty and their tests are scored objectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So verbal reasoning tests may help to provide a more level playing field for applicants from all backgrounds. However, a verbal reasoning test is likely only to form one part of a wider selection process, and your performance in all areas will be taken into consideration by the employer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are two main formats of verbal reasoning tests:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Verbal critical reasoning<\/strong> \u2013 these test your ability to apply logic by confirming whether a given statement is verified by the text provided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Reading comprehension<\/strong> \u2013 these assess your ability to digest written information and then use the information provided to answer questions quickly and accurately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most common form is the\u00a0true\/false\/cannot say test, where you are required to read some text and then determine whether the statement that follows is true, false or impossible to say based on the information provided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other forms of verbal reasoning tests you may encounter are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Explicit multiple choice<\/strong> \u2013 here the answer to questions will be explicitly stated in the text. For example \u2018Who said..?\u2019 or \u2018How many..?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Implicit multiple choice<\/strong> \u2013 here the answer will not be explicitly stated but can be inferred from details provided in the text. For example \u2018What made the employee decide to\u2026?\u2019; or \u2018What caused\u2026?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Meta multiple choice<\/strong> \u2013 here the answer does not refer to details specifically given in the text but requires the candidate to answer broader questions such as \u2018What can we conclude from\u2026?\u2019 or \u2018Which statement would weaken the argument..?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regardless of the format of the test, you will need to read text, interpret information and decide on the most logical conclusion. It is important to remember that no previous knowledge of the passage topic is required<\/em>, so make your decisions based solely on the information you\u2019re given.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As well as or instead of verbal reasoning tests, you may also be asked to take a verbal test assessing your language and literacy skills. This could include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grammar and spelling<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 checking your knowledge of correct spelling and\u00a0grammar. These might include questions such as\u00a0find the new word\u00a0and\u00a0word swap\u00a0(for more on those, check out the videos at the bottom of this article).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vocabulary<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 testing the range of your vocabulary and your ability to identify correctly how ideas are related. This is usually in the form of\u00a0synonyms or antonyms\u00a0(words which have the same or opposite meaning to another).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Word analogy<\/strong>\u00a0– testing your ability to find the relationship between a pair of words. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What is a verbal reasoning test? Verbal reasoning tests are\u00a0psychometric tests\u00a0that assess your ability to make deductions from passages of text. They evaluate your understanding of language and level of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4487","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n