1. Introduction

Not sure if you should practice for your verbal reasoning test? According to research, 60-80% of candidates are rejected based on their aptitude test results. It is proven that practice increases your chances of getting hired.

Without further ado, let’s dive in! 

What is a Verbal Reasoning Test?

A verbal reasoning test assesses your capacity to reason with and understand the information provided in the text. These assessments gauge your verbal comprehension, reasoning, and logical thinking through language knowledge. 

Depending on the position you are applying for, your verbal reasoning questions may range from simple reading comprehension to more complex reasoning tasks.

Discover more in our short YouTube video that gives a lowdown on what to expect in a verbal test: 

Verbal Reasoning Test – Key Facts

• Verbal reasoning tests focus on your ability to understand, analyse, and interpret written information, comprehension, and draw conclusions.
• Verbal reasoning aptitude tests typically consist of multiple-choice questions based on short passages of text. Candidates must identify the truthfulness of statements, find synonyms or antonyms, complete sentences, or determine logical sequences.
• The verbal thinking test does not evaluate your language abilities. However, the test implicitly expects good language skills as an underlying skill.
• Almost 60% of companies use verbal ability tests in their recruitment process. The widespread use shows how important verbal reasoning skills are for judging if a candidate can do well in jobs that need clear understanding and communication of complex information.
• Verbal reasoning aptitude tests normally require a pass rate of around the 50^th percentile though this can vary amongst employers. The top companies look for a score of 70^th percentile or higher. 
• Since there is often no negative marking on verbal tests, it is in your favour to take an educated guess for any verbal reasoning questions you cannot answer before the time runs out.
• Common providers of verbal reasoning tests include SHL, IBM Kenexa, Korn Ferry Talent Q, and Cubiks. Each has its own format and style and thus you must see which providers your future employers use when you practise verbal reasoning tests.

Next, let’s see how these verbal assessments work. 

2. How do Verbal Reasoning Tests work?

The most frequent type of test is the true/false/cannot say verbal reasoning exercises, which asks you to read a passage and then decide whether the statement that follows is true, false, or impossible to say based on the information provided.

If you want to get excellent marks, it’s critical that you understand and evaluate each response:

Check out this example practice verbal reasoning question and answer in our short video below:

So what do these verbal reasoning tests measure? Keep reading to find out!

What does the verbal reasoning test assess? 

There are various qualities which are often assessed by verbal reasoning assessments. Check out some of these commonly tested verbal reasoning skills below: 

As well as testing these skills through True, False and Cannot Say, your verbal reasoning test may measure these skills through slightly different formats.

3.  Other Types of Verbal Reasoning Tests

What are the different types of verbal reasoning tests?

The most commonly used format of verbal aptitude test is True/False/Cannot Say as we have just covered. However, there are 3 additional verbal reasoning psychometric test types developed by test publishers that differ slightly from this style: 

• Verbal Critical Reasoning Tests
• Reading Comprehension Tests
• Language and Literacy Tests

Let’s unpack each of these in more detail, firstly starting with verbal critical reasoning.

Verbal Critical Reasoning Tests

What are verbal critical reasoning tests? 

Verbal critical reasoning tests have 4 sections to assess a person’s capacity for logical and analytical reasoning with text. These sections include:

Another alternative verbal assessment is the reading comprehension test. Let’s check this test out in more detail below.

Reading Comprehension Tests 

What are reading comprehension tests? 

Reading comprehension tests evaluate your capacity to read, understand, and respond to questions related to written information in a timely and accurate manner. It involves interpreting sentences and finding out the answers to questions using the passages of text.

Here are some examples of reading comprehension questions:

• What is the main idea of the passage?
• What is the purpose of the passage?
• What is the tone of the passage?
• What is the meaning of a particular word or phrase in the passage?

To answer these verbal test questions, it is important to read the passage carefully first, pay attention to the language used, and understand the context behind how the test displays the information.

As well as reading comprehension tests, another key verbal test are the language and literacy tests. Read on for the details.

Language and Literacy Tests

What are the language literacy tests? 

Language and literacy tests are standardized assessments that measure your proficiency in reading, writing, and oral language skills. These tests evaluate language and literacy development, as well as identify language and literacy deficits. 

The three most used categories of language and literacy tests are listed below:

1. Spelling and Grammar Tests
2. Vocabulary Tests
3. Word Analogy Tests 

Let’s discuss each of these in detail below starting with the spelling and grammar tests. 

Spelling and Grammar Tests

What are spelling and grammar tests? 

A spelling and grammar test is a common type of verbal reasoning assessment tests. It measures a person’s ability to use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling in written communication.

What types of spelling and grammar questions can I expect?

Often, these verbal reasoning exercises require candidates to do the following:

• Pick out the missing word in a sentence. The words could have different spellings or be written in different tenses.
• Choose one out of four or more options that has the correct spelling.
• Choose a grammatically correct sentence.
• Look out for grammar or spelling errors in a sentence.
• Add the appropriate punctuation to the provided sentence.

Another language and literacy test are the vocabulary tests. Find out more below.

Vocabulary Tests

What are vocabulary tests? 

Vocabulary tests measure the scope of your vocabulary. Verbal aptitude and ability tests frequently include vocabulary questions. These vocabulary tests may include different kinds of questions to assess your vocabulary. Check out some examples below. 

What types of vocabulary test questions are there?

There are various techniques for this verbal reasoning psychometric test. You can anticipate the following formats, for example:

• A word’s definition is provided. You must choose the word that most closely matches the definition from a list of options.
• A word is presented. You must select the definition that best fits the word from a variety of options.
• For a given word, find either a synonym or an antonym from the list of options.
• A sentence with a missing a word, where you must choose the word that best completes this sentence from a list of options.

Where are spelling, grammar, and vocabulary tests commonly used?

These psychometric assessment tests are frequently used when applying for positions that require a strong command of the English language, like those of a clerical worker, customer service agent, receptionist, or marketer.

Another type of language and literacy test you may take is the word analogy. test Check out the details in the next section.

Word Analogy Tests

What are word analogy tests?

Word analogy tests are commonly used in standardized tests to measure verbal reasoning and cognitive abilities. In this test, a pair of words is given, and the test-taker must identify a similar relationship among another pair of words. Common formats include:

Don’t miss our quick video below for some simple-to-follow verbal reasoning tips to prepare!

Now that we’ve started our preparations, let’s uncover exactly why employers use these tests to hire.

4. Why do Employers Use Verbal Reasoning Tests?

Verbal reasoning tests tell an employer if you possess the verbal thinking abilities required to fulfil the demands of a job role. Employers can rapidly identify the top performers using comparative data obtained from verbal reasoning exercises scores to hire better and significantly reduce bias.

The main reasons why many employers use online verbal reasoning tests to hire are given below. 

Top 5 Reasons Why Employers Use Verbal Tests to Hire  

1. Assess Communication Skills: Verbal tests evaluate a candidate’s ability to understand and use language effectively, which is crucial for roles requiring clear and concise communication.
2. Gauge Reading Comprehension: These tests help employers determine if candidates can read and comprehend written information accurately, an essential skill for many jobs.
3. Measure Critical Thinking: Verbal tests often include questions that assess logical reasoning and the ability to draw conclusions from written material, indicating a candidate’s problem-solving capabilities.
4. Ensure Job Fit: For positions that involve significant written or verbal interaction, such as customer service, sales, or management, verbal tests ensure candidates have the necessary language proficiency.
5. Evaluate Attention to Detail: Verbal tests can reveal a candidate’s attention to detail and accuracy in understanding and processing written information.

There are a lot of industries that use verbal reasoning tests to assess their applicants. Check out some of these key industries in the following section. 

Which Industries Use Verbal Reasoning Tests?

Verbal reasoning assessments are often used within a wide range of industries, including:

Now that we’ve covered some of the key industries, check out the top employers that often use verbal assessments to hire.

Which Employers Use Verbal Reasoning Tests to Hire?

Careers in several business sectors of organisations give high priority to verbal reasoning abilities. Here are 12 well-known employers that commonly use verbal reasoning tests in their hiring process:

The employers listed above typically will use a specialised verbal test publishers for these assessments in their hiring processes. Knowing these key providers can provide essential insights into acing your next verbal assessment test.

So, you may be wondering…

5. Who are the Common Verbal Reasoning Test Providers?

Check out some of the top test publishers for verbal reasoning tests below:

1. SHL Verify Ability Test
2. Cubiks Logiks Verbal Reasoning Test
3. Cut-e Scales Verbal Reasoning Test
4. Kenexa Verbal Reasoning Tests 
5. Cappfinity Verbal Reasoning Test
6. Talent Q Elements Verbal Ability Test
7. Sova Cognitive Verbal Reasoning Test
8. Saville Verbal Analysis Test

Cubiks Verbal Reasoning Test Example

Source: Cubiks

Amongst all the above verbal reasoning test providers, SHL is the leader in the design and development of psychometric assessments worldwide and has set the benchmark for recruitment tests used by 8,000+ companies worldwide to assess candidates in hiring. 

But what do online verbal reasoning tests with answers look like? Keep reading – we’ve got you covered!

Free Verbal Reasoning Question and Answer

In this verbal aptitude question below, read through the passage and a following statement. Using the passage, interpret the language to determine whether the statement is true, false, or impossible to determine (cannot say). 

Check out the following verbal reasoning test example to understand these assessments better. 

Let’s analyse this verbal reasoning test question and provide an answer: 

Explanation: The passage states that regular downloaders of unlicensed music spend more on legal music than other music fans (£5.52 compared with £1.27). Therefore, the statement is false.

Answer: False

Explanation: The passage refers only to music fans that break piracy laws. There is no information given regarding lawbreakers in general, therefore you cannot say whether the statement is true or false, based upon the information contained in the passage.

Answer: Cannot Say

Looking to find more examples of verbal reasoning questions and answers?

Now that you’ve started practising for the verbal assessment test, let’s see some verbal reasoning test tips that you can utilise to prepare for and ace your upcoming test.

6. How to prepare for a Verbal reasoning test?

It is essential to give your online verbal reasoning assessments careful attention and preparation as doing well on your psychometric tests is key to advance in the hiring process.

Top 9 Tips to Pass a Verbal Reasoning Test

Here are the top 9 verbal reasoning test tips to prepare and pass your upcoming assessment:

1. Read a wide variety of articles including academic publications, newspapers, and magazines to help you improve your vocabulary. If you don’t understand a word, find the meaning immediately and note it down for future reference.

2. Practice reading and understanding the paragraph at the same time. Use speed-reading techniques to increase reading speed without sacrificing comprehension and look for verbal reasoning examples with answers to use this skill. 

3. Start with your verbal reasoning test practice with sample tests to become familiar with the test and help you with the verbal reasoning questions and answers.

4. Use practice websites that offer timed tests. Practice free verbal reasoning tests with the clock in hand is essential because the challenge is working under pressure. One of the most important aspects of practice is managing your stress.

5. Focus on quality practice. You do not need to take a large number of tests to improve. Practice with a handful of free verbal reasoning tests with answers repeatedly to develop a deeper understanding than to spread your verbal assessment practice across many tests.

6. Carefully read the instructions. Ensure you are familiar with what is expected from the assessment. Instructions can be different depending on the provider, so it can be crucial to read every sentence to make sure you understand the structure of the test.

7. Manage time effectively during the test by keeping track of how much time is available for each question and not spending too much time on any one question. For example, you would average 1 minute a question for a 20-minute test containing 20 questions.

8. Do not get stuck on one question. If some verbal reasoning questions are more difficult do not stress and simply move on to the following questions without sacrificing time.

9. Remember to base your answer only on the information contained in the passage. Even if you know for a fact to be false, but according to the passage the fact is correct, you must take it into consideration to find the answer. 

Check out our video below as we discuss 5 most critical verbal reasoning questions using the above tips: 

We’ve now covered all the information you need to know about your upcoming verbal reasoning test and how to successfully prepare for the test.

Yet, there’s still more!

Don’t miss even more answers to more of the most frequently asked questions regarding online verbal reasoning assessment tests in our quick FAQs below.

7. Verbal Reasoning Test FAQs