As the old saying goes, nothing great comes easy, and that couldn’t be truer of the verbal reasoning test! Passing the verbal reasoning test and being offered the job of your dreams because of it will feel great, so it’s worth putting the hard work in to ensure that happens.
What Is a Verbal Reasoning Test?
You may or may not have taken a verbal reasoning test during your time in education, but if you have, you might remember being tested on your ability to read and understand the passage in front of you. Very similarly, a verbal reasoning test as part of a recruitment process is about assessing your ability to read long passages of text, extract important information, and communicate clearly and accurately. These skills are vital in nearly every industry so it’s no surprise it’s one of the more common aptitude tests you can take.
What Is the Format of a Verbal Reasoning Test?
Most verbal reasoning tests will require you to read through passages of dense and often quite complex text (thankfully, no prior knowledge of the subject is needed!). The questions you’ll be asked will require you to answer by selecting either “true,” “false,” or “cannot say.” The most important thing here is to focus on what you’re being told as fact through the passage, and what’s merely being inferred. This distinction is important in order to answer as many questions correctly as possible. A lack of familiarity with the question format is one of the things most likely to trip you up, so practicing aptitude tests as often as you can is the best way to set yourself up for success.
Why Do Employers Use Verbal Reasoning Tests?
Employers use verbal reasoning tests to find the best person for a certain job, and because the verbal reasoning test specifically examines your communication, comprehension, and ability to imbibe large amounts of information, employers have an accurate understanding of how you will perform in a business setting. The test will form part of the recruitment process and your results will be looked at alongside your evaluations from other parts of the recruitment process.
How Can I Prepare?
In general, the best way you can prepare for any aptitude test is to practice. Not once, not twice but as many times as possible until you feel totally comfortable with the question style, the exam format, and the kind of topics you’ll be examined on.
It can be hard to motivate yourself, but it’ll be easier to give the test your full attention if you practice in a quiet room and ensure you have everything you need before you start the timer (yes, we do recommend you always time yourself!). When the test is over, making time to go over your answers and see where you went wrong (and right!) is also suggested.
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