The Verbal Reasoning Test Workbook
question (see Chapter 5) are likely to prove the most challenging. You
might actually find yourself at an advantage in tests of English usage (see
Chapter 4) as many native speakers of English have forgotten or never
formally learnt the rules of English grammar.
To meet the challenge of a verbal reasoning test and in particular
the reading comprehension and critical reading style of question, at an
early stage – if possible daily – spend time reading quality newspapers and
journals. This will help build your vocabulary and improve your profi-
ciency at assimilating the meanings of the complex sentences and
sentence structures that occur in these tests. Look up unfamiliar words.
Practise writing 70-word reviews of articles found in these publications.
Be prepared to undertake a sizeable amount of practice prior to
the real test. Practice will help you achieve a considerably better score so
start early and make a significant commitment in terms of the time spent
practising on realistic material. For many non-native speakers of English,
practice will mean the difference between success and disappointment.
Remember to be really disciplined at looking up the meaning of
words with which you are unfamiliar.
If you left school or college many years ago
If it is quite some time since you studied, and in particular since you
studied English grammar, then a verbal reasoning test may well present a
number of specific hurdles.
The first thing to do is to review examples of each type of question
you face in the real test and make an honest assessment of which of these
components represent the greatest challenge for you. Well before sitting
the test you will need to begin a programme of revision. Start with the
aspects of the test that you feel you are least good at. If your test is online
or taken on a computer at a centre you only need minimal knowledge of
IT, but make sure that you are confident about your keyboard skills.
You can practise taking a computer-administered test using the
Kogan Page CD-ROM, How to Pass Psychometric Tests Volume 1. Ideally,
revise over a number of months, aiming at 10 hours a week of practice.
Without undertaking such a programme you could risk not achieving a
6
Adopt the Winning Approach
good score. Making the necessary commitment will demand a high degree
of motivation. The time spent practising will occasionally seem tedious and
frustrating. For many people revising grammar or verbal reasoning is not
what they dream of doing in their spare time, but push ahead with it
because it really will make a difference to your score in an actual test.
Work to redevelop a good exam technique. This demands a balance
between speed and accuracy. Some very good candidates will need to
unlearn a thoughtful, considered approach. You can actually think too
deeply or take too few risks in a verbal test. Practise under the pressure of
time at realistic questions; where appropriate look at the suggested answers
for clues; and practise informed guessing (where you can eliminate some of
the suggested answers and then guess from those that remain).
On a positive note, practice should afford you a marked
improvement in your performance. Your work history may also have
prepared you well for any reading comprehension and critical reading
style of questions.
What to expect on the day
You may well be invited to attend a training or recruitment centre to take the
test, but it could just as likely be online at a computer away from a centre. If
taken at a centre the test may either be administered with paper and pen or
at a computer screen. However the test is administered, it will be a multiple-
choice or short answer test. You will either be presented with a selection of
suggested answers from which you are expected to select the correct one, or
you will be asked to record your answer in the space provided.
If the test is at a centre, don’t be late! And dress smartly. You are
likely to be one of many candidates attending that day. You may be expected
to attend for some hours and it is possible that you will be required to
complete a whole series of exercises. All this detail will be included in your
letter of invitation, so read it carefully.
Remember that doing well in any test requires hard work and
determination. If at the end of the day you do not feel completely
exhausted then you may not have done yourself justice. So go for it.