How do verbal reasoning aptitude tests work?

What is a Verbal reasoning aptitude test?

A verbal aptitude test is designed to assess the ability of a candidate to understand, analyze and interpret necessary and related information, from a range of written text material. These are some of the most widely used tests, among the diversified options available for testing purpose.

The verbal reasoning aptitude tests are designed to find out how proficient a candidate is in verbal logic and the extent of his ability to extract necessary information from a complicated and complex written passage. There is a wide range of test available and it is dependent on the job description, organization, demand for the jobs, and what difficulty level is to be employed for assessment.

What do Verbal reasoning aptitude tests measure?

Simply put, verbal reasoning aptitude tests let a recruiter assess a range of English language skills and his logical capabilities. They are designed to assess a candidate based on their ability to make decisions using their vocabulary, grammar insights, comprehensions and critical reasoning.

Vocabulary refers to the range of words a candidate has access to, during his communication. A candidate should expect to be judged based on the vocabulary used in the respective field. E.g. if you are taking the test for an engineering position, you should know about the terms used in say, project management, marketing, designing or product development. Vocabulary test can be administered as;

1. Spelling tests
2. Word pairs
3. Mixed Sentences
4. Completion of a sentence
5. Or a simple statement that is loaded with terms related to the respective field and so on

Grammar is another area for which a candidate is assessed. The tests are designed so, that a candidate is asked to recognize the use of grammar, whether it’s sound or the rules have not been understood completely. A grammar test may require:

1. Complete a sentence
2. Identify the error in a sentence
3. Identify the correct missing element
4. Identify the sentence essence or correct the next sentence for a paragraph.

Comprehension is another very common criterion for measurement, where a passage is provided for consideration. After the passage, the candidate is presented with a couple of question, whose difficulty level varies concerning the position that the test has been conducted for.  The candidate is expected to understand the passage and use his analysis and interpretation skills to answer as accurately as possible. The comprehension question needed to be answered within some constraints and the answer is based on the information extracted from the passage. 

Critical reasoning is referred to as a measurement based on accuracy and precision in recognizing and interpretation of logical statements, from a range of written text. Critical reasoning may have a question like;

1. Is the statement true or false?
2. Is information provided in a statement, sufficient to conclude?
3. Is there any logical precedent for the statement?

What is expected of a candidate?

The verbal reasoning aptitude test is conducted to assist an organization, to identify potential candidates that have the ability to;

1. Draw a work-related conclusion and use such information, in favour of the organization.
2. Produce concise written material, reports, and documents for internal and external communication.
3. Efficiently communicate with peers and personnel, without any sort of difficulty.

What are the test levels for Verbal reasoning aptitude tests?

It is extremely difficult to come up with a sound category such as low, medium and high-level test categories in the case of numerical reasoning aptitude tests because verbal reasoning tests are closely knitted. They, however, can be categorized more along the lines of basic, more complex and most complex owing to how they are designed.

The basic (or a rather easier) verbal aptitude test assesses a candidate based on word identification, analogies, sentence completion, rhyming words, or identification of synonyms and antonyms. The basic verbal reasoning aptitude tests are designed to measure the capability of a candidate to communicate and understand the information in a workplace.

The more complex version of the tests uses an approach where a candidate is asked to make logical conclusions and decisions off a passage or a well-versed statement. These tests measure the capability to process information swiftly and draw an accurate work-related conclusion that is well within the logical realm.

The most complex verbal reasoning aptitude tests strive to challenge a candidate’s understanding. These tests measure the ability to understand the most complex statement, sometimes laden with rich vocabulary and logical statements. The candidate is asked to state the information in a simple, clear and concise manner. The most complex verbal reasoning aptitude tests are also subject to a very strict time constraint that allows management to select a candidate that can work better within a specific time frame.

Who employs Verbal reasoning aptitude tests?

Verbal reasoning aptitude tests are employed by almost every organization of the world,  ranging from small-time startups to giant multinational companies. Organizations like consulting firms, engineering consultants, banks, investment and hedge funds, export and import personnel, etcetera.  

Verbal reasoning aptitude tests are highly recommended for almost all the major positions in organizations. Recruiters believe that it is an invaluable tool, that provides them with a wide range of options for testing. It is employed to select capable candidates for interpretation, analysis and concluding a better view of extensive material.

Organizations expect a clear set of communication from their employees. If a technically sound and capable employee, cannot clearly communicate his ideas and working theories, he may as well have no worth to the employer.

What to keep in mind;

If you are appearing in a Verbal reasoning aptitude test, you should know that these tests are timed. You will be given approximately 30-35 second per question, and the number of question varies for different organizations and levels.

These types of tests are designed so that about 1-2 per cent of the population can do it, within the allocated time

Remember that whatever you know, may be an accurate answer, but if it is not said so in the question, then you have to amend your opinion according to the information given in the passage or statement.

Some of the most generic topics that verbal reasoning tests can be developed around are related to sciences (social, physical, biological), technology (information technology, engineering), business (marketing, economics, etc.) and service-related. But it should be kept in mind, for verbal reasoning aptitude tests, there is no precedence required for a specific field.

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