Verbal reasoning tests with a practice method and worked examples
For a passage-based verbal reasoning test, judge each statement using only the information in the passage. Decide whether the text supports it, contradicts it or leaves the answer unresolved. The distinction between “false” and “cannot say” is often the most useful place to focus your practice.Verbal tests have different formats. This article uses true, false and cannot say, a format described in SHL’s published Verify Verbal Reasoning fact sheet. Check your own invitation for the current assessment, instructions and timing; the examples here are original learning exercises, not SHL questions or a validated test. SHL assessment fact sheet.Use these rules for the true, false and cannot say format. Follow the instructions for your actual assessment.
Use three clear decision rules
Choose true when the statement follows from the passage. Choose false when the passage gives information that contradicts it. Choose cannot say when the passage does not establish either conclusion.Do not use outside knowledge to fill a gap. A passage may describe an invented organisation or an unusual policy. For this exercise, the supplied information is the evidence you must use.Watch words such as “all”, “some”, “only”, “before” and “because”. They change what a statement claims. “Some students attended” does not tell you whether all students attended. “Visits increased after an extension of opening hours” does not, by itself, establish what caused the increase.
Follow the same reading method each time
First identify the subject, the rule or event being described and any exceptions. Read the statement carefully, then find the exact sentence or combination of sentences needed to assess it.Ask whether you can explain your answer without adding an assumption. For a false answer, identify the contradiction. For cannot say, name the missing information. This gives your review something more useful than “the answer felt right”.Begin without a timer until you understand your errors. Then practise under the conditions given for your actual assessment. Whether you can skip, return to questions or use notes depends on the provider’s instructions.
Exercise one on internship induction
Read this original fictional passage:Statement 1: Every intern must complete an induction before entering a laboratory.Answer: True. This is the rule stated in the passage. It concerns what must happen, not whether each person has already completed it.Statement 2: All twelve applicants who received offers accepted them.Answer: False. The passage says that eight accepted. That directly contradicts the claim that all twelve accepted.Statement 3: The four applicants who requested accommodation information accepted their offers.Answer: Cannot say. We know they received offers and asked about accommodation. The passage does not identify which applicants accepted. Asking about accommodation does not establish acceptance.Notice the separate missing fact about induction attendance. A requirement to attend does not tell you who has already attended. This is a common kind of distinction to practise.
Exercise two on library opening hours
Read this original fictional passage:Statement 4: The library closed at 8 pm on Fridays in July.Answer: False. Friday remained a 6 pm closing day. The extension applied to Monday through Thursday.Statement 5: The library recorded more visits in July than in June.Answer: True. July’s 360 visits exceed June’s 300. No additional assumption is needed.Statement 6: The extended opening hours caused the increase in visits.Answer: Cannot say. The two changes occurred in the same month, but the report did not investigate the cause. The claim goes beyond the evidence supplied.You do not need to invent another possible cause to justify cannot say. You only need to recognise that the stated cause has not been established.
Exercise three on project approval
Read this original fictional passage:Statement 7: Project Orchid required approval before its fieldwork could begin.Answer: True. Orchid is a fieldwork project, so the rule applying to all fieldwork projects applies to it.Statement 8: Project Orchid was allowed to begin fieldwork before receiving approval.Answer: False. That would conflict with the stated rule requiring approval first. The passage does not tell us when Orchid actually began its work.Statement 9: Every approved project at the college is a fieldwork project.Answer: Cannot say. Knowing that fieldwork projects require approval does not tell us that approval is exclusive to them. Reversing a rule changes its meaning.The statement about interviews is also limited: “some” does not establish whether Orchid uses them. Treat each claim separately rather than carrying an answer from one question into the next.
Keep an error log that explains the mistake
After practice, record the question, your answer, the decisive evidence and the reason for the error. Useful categories include overlooking a word, importing outside knowledge, reversing a rule or assuming a cause.If the same error repeats, write a new short example that isolates it. For instance, compare “all fieldwork projects need approval” with “all approved projects involve fieldwork”. Explaining why those statements differ can be more useful than immediately attempting another long set.Track time separately from accuracy. When you introduce a timer, check whether errors change. Use authorised practice resources for the actual format, and follow the assessment rules on outside assistance.These nine exercises are too small and unvalidated to estimate your percentile, ability level or likelihood of passing an employer’s assessment. Use the explanations to improve your reasoning process.For the broader preparation process, read our online psychometric practice guide. If an assessment result has raised a wider question about your study or career direction, our career guidance service offers a starting point for discussing it.
