Want to Know How to Pass a Verbal Reasoning Test?

What is a verbal reasoning test?

Verbal reasoning tests reveal how well you can understand written information. Usually, you read a short passage of text followed by true, false and cannot say questions, invariably multiple choice. These tests are designed to assess your ability to understand what you’ve read, think constructively and reach accurate conclusions.

What Kind of Questions Will There Be?

Typical verbal reasoning questions include:

• Follow written instructions
• Spot letter sequences
• Crack codes based on numbers and letters
• Find a letter to complete two other words
• Spot words within words

Top Tips for Passing or Improving Your Verbal Reasoning

Read and Re-read

Verbal reasoning texts are more often than not written in complex and sometimes convoluted language. NEVER make assumptions or rely on skim reading, this can catch you out. Make sure you read each passage two or three times to make sure you thoroughly understand what’s being said. It’s also very important to read the instructions carefully so you don’t miss vital information like ‘You cannot go back to previous questions’ or ‘Please select two answers’.

Often students misinterpret the question or don’t understand the question because they don’t read the question properly. Making this mistake can mean you miss out on easy marks. 

Time Management

On the day, and when you practice note how long each assessment lasts and how many questions you need to answer. Work out how long you should spend on each question. On average most verbal reasoning tests last approximately 20 minutes. If you get really stuck on a question don’t waste time trying to work it out. During the five minutes, you think about that one tricky question, you could correctly answer another five. Remember accuracy is more important than speed!

Improve Your English

Improve your understanding, vocabulary and general English skills by reading…LOTS! When you have read a passage ask an adult to quiz you on it, check you understood the context and finer details

Play games

Word games such as Scrabble and Boggle can help children develop their verbal reasoning skills. Other games that are beneficial include word searches, Hangman and Crosswords. You can play many Word Games online on tablets and mobile devices.

Boost general knowledge

This can happen either by keeping up with the news, teaching about different countries, cultures and religions. You can also do this by taking your little one to museums and exhibitions. 

Practise and more practise

Preparation and practise is what makes the difference between being successful or unsuccessful. Getting to grips with the variety of question you’ll see and the different styles will take time. Practising increases your confidence, lowers your stress, helps you learn from your mistakes and enables you answer each question faster.

We highly recommend that you check out our sample papers.