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COLMIL Examen Intelectual study materials
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COLMIL Examen Intelectual practice questions

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Question 1Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Read the sentence: 'The committee reviewed the proposal carefully before reaching a decision.' Which word functions as an adverb?

  1. decision
  2. carefully Correct answer.
  3. committee
  4. proposal

Explanation

An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, and here 'carefully' describes how the committee reviewed the proposal. The other three words are nouns that name a group, a thing, and a concept.

Question 2Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Which sentence uses the correct form of the verb to complete the conditional statement?

  1. If I were taller, I would join the basketball team. Correct answer.
  2. If I was taller, I would join the basketball team.
  3. If I be taller, I would join the basketball team.
  4. If I am taller, I would join the basketball team.

Explanation

In hypothetical conditions contrary to present fact, English uses the subjunctive 'were' with all subjects, paired with 'would' in the main clause. The combination 'were...would' signals an unreal situation rather than a real possibility.

Question 3Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

A paragraph opens with 'Although the museum had advertised the exhibition for months, attendance remained disappointingly low.' What is the main function of this sentence within the paragraph?

  1. To define a technical term used later in the text
  2. To introduce a contrast between expectation and outcome Correct answer.
  3. To summarize the entire argument in a single claim
  4. To list several unrelated causes of a problem

Explanation

The subordinating conjunction 'although' sets up an expectation (heavy advertising) against a surprising result (low attendance). This contrast structure typically launches a paragraph that will explain the gap.

Question 4Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Choose the word that best completes the sentence: 'The witness gave a ______ account of the events, omitting no relevant detail.'

  1. reluctant
  2. ambiguous
  3. cursory
  4. comprehensive Correct answer.

Explanation

The clause 'omitting no relevant detail' signals completeness, so a word meaning thorough or full is required. 'Comprehensive' matches that meaning directly.

Question 5Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Which pair of words are synonyms?

  1. frugal / wasteful
  2. scarce / abundant
  3. candid / frank Correct answer.
  4. timid / bold

Explanation

Synonyms are words with closely similar meanings, and 'candid' and 'frank' both mean openly honest. Each of the other pairs joins words with opposing senses.

Question 6Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Read the passage: 'The river, once clear enough for children to swim in, now runs brown with sediment from upstream construction. Residents say the change began two summers ago.' Which inference is best supported?

  1. The residents have always avoided the river.
  2. The river was never suitable for swimming.
  3. Construction upstream likely caused the decline in water quality. Correct answer.
  4. Sediment improves the clarity of river water.

Explanation

The passage links brown sediment to upstream construction and dates the change to two summers ago, which together support a causal inference. A valid inference must stay close to the stated evidence rather than invent details.

Question 7Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

  1. My sister who lives in Lima is visiting next week.
  2. My sister who, lives in Lima is visiting next week.
  3. My sister, who lives in Lima, is visiting next week. Correct answer.
  4. My sister, who lives in Lima is visiting, next week.

Explanation

A nonrestrictive relative clause adds extra information about an already identified person and is set off by commas on both sides. Omitting the commas would wrongly imply the speaker has more than one sister.

Question 8Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

In the word 'unhappiness', which element is the root that carries the core meaning?

  1. -ness
  2. -ness and un- together
  3. happy Correct answer.
  4. un-

Explanation

The root is the base morpheme that carries the central lexical meaning, which here is 'happy'. The prefix and suffix only modify that base meaning.

Question 9Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

A report states: 'Sales rose in every region except the north, where a factory closure cut output by half.' Which conclusion is most defensible?

  1. Sales fell in the north while rising elsewhere. Correct answer.
  2. Sales data for the north were unavailable.
  3. Sales rose in the north more than anywhere else.
  4. The factory closure affected all regions equally.

Explanation

The sentence identifies the north as the single exception to a general rise and supplies a reason for its decline. The defensible conclusion simply restates that contrast without adding unsupported claims.

Question 10Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?

  1. The flowers I admired while walking through the park were beautiful.
  2. While I walked through the park, the flowers looked beautiful.
  3. Walking through the park, the flowers looked beautiful to me. Correct answer.
  4. Walking through the park, I admired the flowers.

Explanation

A dangling modifier occurs when the introductory participial phrase has no logical subject in the main clause. Flowers cannot walk through a park, so the modifier is left without a sensible referent.

Question 11Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Read the passage: 'Critics praised the novel's ambition but faulted its pacing. Readers, by contrast, made it a bestseller within a month.' What does the passage suggest about the relationship between critical and popular reception?

  1. Readers dismissed the novel's ambition entirely.
  2. The two groups always reach the same verdict.
  3. The two groups can evaluate the same work very differently. Correct answer.
  4. Critical approval guarantees commercial failure.

Explanation

The phrase 'by contrast' explicitly opposes the critics' mixed verdict to readers' enthusiastic buying. The passage therefore illustrates divergent evaluations of one work rather than a fixed rule.

Question 12Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Choose the option that best restates the sentence: 'Unless the council approves the budget, the library will close.'

  1. The library will close whether or not the budget is approved.
  2. The council will approve the budget because the library may close.
  3. If the council does not approve the budget, the library will close. Correct answer.
  4. The library will close only if the council approves the budget.

Explanation

'Unless P, Q' is logically equivalent to 'If not P, then Q'. The library's closure depends on the absence of council approval.

Question 13Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Which word is the best antonym for 'meticulous'?

  1. careless Correct answer.
  2. cautious
  3. thorough
  4. painstaking

Explanation

'Meticulous' means showing great attention to detail, so its antonym must denote a lack of care. 'Careless' supplies exactly that opposite sense.

Question 14Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

A text argues: 'Every student should learn a second language. After all, bilingual employees earn more on average, and language study improves memory.' Which criticism of the reasoning is strongest?

  1. The argument confuses a second language with a first language.
  2. The argument assumes that memory cannot be improved.
  3. The evidence concerns employee pay and memory, not whether all students should be required to study a language. Correct answer.
  4. The argument relies on statistics that are irrelevant to schooling.

Explanation

The premises establish private benefits of bilingualism, but the conclusion is a universal obligation for students. Bridging that gap requires additional premises about duty or compulsory schooling.

Question 15Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Which sentence correctly uses a semicolon?

  1. The storm ended; because the streets were flooded.
  2. The storm; ended and the streets flooded.
  3. The storm ended; the streets were still flooded. Correct answer.
  4. The storm ended; and the streets flooded.

Explanation

A semicolon joins two independent clauses that are closely related and not already linked by a conjunction. Both halves here can stand alone as complete sentences.

Question 16Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Read the passage: 'The company's profits doubled, yet employee wages stayed flat. The board called the year a success.' The word 'yet' chiefly serves to do what?

  1. Emphasize a contrast between profit growth and stagnant wages Correct answer.
  2. Signal that the following clause is a consequence
  3. Introduce an example that supports the previous claim
  4. Indicate that the two clauses describe the same event

Explanation

'Yet' is a coordinating conjunction signaling contrast, setting rising profits against unchanged wages. Recognizing such connectors helps readers track the writer's implied evaluation.

Question 17Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

A sign reads: 'Members may bring one guest, provided the guest signs in at reception.' A member arrives with two friends who both sign in. What does the sign permit?

  1. Both friends may enter because they signed in.
  2. Neither friend may enter under any circumstance.
  3. The member may bring two guests if they pay a fee.
  4. Only one friend may enter as a guest. Correct answer.

Explanation

The sign sets a numerical limit of one guest and a condition of signing in. Signing in satisfies the condition but does not lift the limit.

Question 18Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Which sentence uses 'affect' and 'effect' correctly?

  1. The new policy will effect the way we work, so its effect is unclear.
  2. The new policy will effect the way we work, so its affect is unclear.
  3. The new policy will affect the way we work, so its affect is unclear.
  4. The new policy will affect the way we work, so its effect is unclear. Correct answer.

Explanation

'Affect' is normally the verb meaning to influence, while 'effect' is normally the noun meaning a result. The correct sentence uses the verb first and the noun second.

Question 19Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

A passage notes: 'The author describes the factory in loving detail but gives the workers only a single sentence.' What is the likely critical point?

  1. The author dislikes factories in general.
  2. The workers are the true focus of the text.
  3. The passage praises the author's balanced treatment.
  4. The author's attention to machinery exceeds attention to people. Correct answer.

Explanation

The contrast between 'loving detail' for the factory and 'a single sentence' for workers implies a skewed emphasis. The critical point rests on the proportion of description allotted to each.

Question 20Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Which option best completes the analogy? 'Miserly is to generous as cautious is to ______.'

  1. prudent
  2. wary
  3. reckless Correct answer.
  4. careful

Explanation

The first pair relates antonyms: miserly means stingy and generous is its opposite. Applying the same relationship, the antonym of cautious is reckless.

Question 21Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

An editorial claims: 'Our town must ban cars from the square because the pedestrian zone in the neighboring city increased foot traffic.' Which hidden assumption does the argument depend on?

  1. Conditions in the neighboring city are similar enough for its results to transfer. Correct answer.
  2. Foot traffic always harms local businesses.
  3. Cars are the only form of transport in the town.
  4. The neighboring city has no pedestrian zone.

Explanation

An argument from another case requires that the cases be relevantly alike. Without that assumption, the neighboring city's outcome says nothing about this town.

Question 22Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Read the passage: 'Some scholars argue the letters were forged; others defend their authenticity. Neither camp has examined the paper itself.' What does the final sentence imply about the debate?

  1. The dispute has proceeded without a key piece of physical evidence. Correct answer.
  2. The letters are certainly authentic.
  3. The debate has reached a definitive resolution.
  4. The scholars agree on the paper's origin.

Explanation

The sentence highlights an omission: both sides argue without examining the material the letters are written on. That implies the dispute lacks evidence that could be decisive.

Question 23Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

A study finds that towns with more bookstores also report higher literacy. Which interpretation is most careful?

  1. Buying books causes people to become literate.
  2. The finding must be an error because correlation cannot be measured.
  3. Literacy causes towns to build bookstores.
  4. The correlation is consistent with several explanations and does not establish causation. Correct answer.

Explanation

A correlation between two variables is compatible with either causing the other or with a third factor driving both. Careful interpretation avoids asserting a causal direction from correlational data alone.

Question 24Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Read the sentence: 'Had the warning been heeded, the accident might never have occurred.' Which statement best captures its meaning?

  1. The warning was ignored but no accident happened.
  2. The accident occurred despite the warning being heeded.
  3. The warning was not heeded, and the accident occurred. Correct answer.
  4. The warning was heeded, so the accident was avoided.

Explanation

The inverted past unreal conditional 'Had the warning been heeded' implies it was not heeded, and the main clause states what might otherwise have happened. Together they indicate the accident did occur.

Question 25Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

A policy memo states: 'We should not adopt the new software merely because competitors have. Their needs differ from ours.' Which fallacy is the memo warning against?

  1. Appeal to authority
  2. Bandwagon reasoning Correct answer.
  3. False dilemma
  4. Circular reasoning

Explanation

Bandwagon reasoning treats popularity or widespread adoption as sufficient justification for a choice. The memo points out that others' adoption does not show the software fits this organization.

Question 26Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Which word is the best synonym for 'candid' in the sentence 'She gave a candid account of the meeting'?

  1. Formal
  2. Lengthy
  3. Frank Correct answer.
  4. Guarded

Explanation

'Candid' means honest and direct, so 'frank' is the closest synonym. The other choices describe tone, length, or caution rather than openness.

Question 27Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Which sentence is written in the active voice?

  1. The committee reviewed the proposal. Correct answer.
  2. The proposal was reviewed by the committee.
  3. The results will be announced tomorrow.
  4. Mistakes were made during the audit.

Explanation

In the active voice the subject performs the action, as in 'The committee reviewed the proposal.' The other sentences place the actor after the verb or omit the actor entirely, which is characteristic of passive constructions.

Question 28Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

In the sentence 'The teacher praised the student because he had improved,' what does the pronoun 'he' refer to?

  1. The teacher
  2. The student Correct answer.
  3. An unnamed third person
  4. The class

Explanation

Pronoun reference is resolved by meaning and proximity: since the student is the one whose improvement is being praised, 'he' points to the student. The teacher is the one doing the praising, so that reading is illogical.

Question 29Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Which sentence contains a subject-verb agreement error?

  1. The list of names was posted.
  2. The number of applicants have risen sharply. Correct answer.
  3. Each of the students has a locker.
  4. Neither the manager nor the clerks were informed.

Explanation

The subject 'number' is singular, so the verb should be 'has risen.' Phrases beginning with 'of' modify the subject but do not change its number.

Question 30Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

A notice states: 'Employees who complete the training by Friday may submit a reimbursement request.' Which conclusion follows?

  1. All employees must complete the training by Friday.
  2. Employees who finish the training by Friday are permitted to request reimbursement. Correct answer.
  3. Reimbursement is guaranteed for everyone who finishes the training.
  4. Employees who finish after Friday can never request reimbursement.

Explanation

The modal 'may' grants permission rather than obligation or certainty, so the notice permits a reimbursement request for those who finish by Friday. It does not guarantee payment or forbid all later requests.

Question 31Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Which option best completes the analogy? 'Seed is to tree as idea is to ______.'

  1. Invention Correct answer.
  2. Thought
  3. Origin
  4. Mind

Explanation

A seed develops into a tree, so the second term should be what an idea develops into. An invention is a realized product of an idea, matching the growth relationship.

Question 32Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Read the passage: 'The museum extended its hours, added a café, and lowered ticket prices. Attendance nonetheless fell for the third straight year.' Which statement best captures the passage's point?

  1. The museum's new measures failed to reverse a decline in attendance. Correct answer.
  2. The café was the most popular of the new features.
  3. Lower ticket prices always reduce attendance at museums.
  4. The museum should close because attendance is falling.

Explanation

The passage contrasts several attractive changes with continued decline, so the point is that the measures did not reverse the trend. It does not claim a general law, rank the features, or recommend closure.

Question 33Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Which sentence uses a colon correctly?

  1. He said: that he would arrive late.
  2. The reason was clear: the train had been cancelled. Correct answer.
  3. Three things mattered: honesty, patience, and: courage.
  4. She brought: bread, cheese, and apples.

Explanation

A colon may follow a complete independent clause to introduce an explanation or a list. 'The reason was clear' is a complete clause, so the colon is properly placed before the explanation.

Question 34Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Read the passage: 'The biographer interviewed forty colleagues but consulted none of the subject's private letters. Her portrait is vivid, yet it rests on public memory alone.' What is the writer's attitude toward the biography?

  1. Wholehearted admiration
  2. Complete indifference
  3. Open hostility
  4. Cautious reservation Correct answer.

Explanation

The writer concedes that the portrait is vivid but notes a significant gap in the evidence, which signals measured doubt rather than praise or attack. 'Cautious reservation' captures that balance.

Question 35Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Choose the option that best restates the sentence: 'Only after the audit did the board discover the shortfall.'

  1. The board discovered the shortfall before the audit.
  2. The audit discovered the shortfall on the board's behalf.
  3. The board did not discover the shortfall until the audit had taken place. Correct answer.
  4. The board discovered the shortfall, and then the audit began.

Explanation

The inverted 'Only after...did' construction means the discovery happened following the audit, not before. The restatement preserves that sequence and the emphasis on delay.

Question 36Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Read the passage: 'The council approved the plan unanimously. The minutes record no debate, and two members later said they had not read the proposal.' Which inference is best supported?

  1. The unanimous vote may not reflect genuine agreement on the plan's merits. Correct answer.
  2. All council members opposed the plan in private.
  3. The minutes were deliberately falsified.
  4. The plan was rejected because members lacked information.

Explanation

Unanimity combined with an absence of debate and unread proposals suggests the vote may not indicate real endorsement. The passage supports doubt, not a claim of fraud or outright opposition.

Question 37Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

A columnist writes: 'Anyone who values clean streets should support the new levy. Opponents clearly do not care about our neighbourhood.' Which reasoning flaw is most evident?

  1. Circular reasoning
  2. False dilemma
  3. Appeal to authority
  4. Straw man Correct answer.

Explanation

The columnist replaces the opponents' actual position with a distorted one, claiming they do not care about the neighbourhood, and then attacks that distortion. This is the straw man fallacy.

Question 38Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Read the sentence: 'The committee's recommendation, which many members had privately opposed, was nevertheless adopted without dissent.' Which statement best captures the sentence's irony?

  1. The recommendation was rejected after a long debate.
  2. The recommendation was adopted despite private opposition. Correct answer.
  3. Every member openly supported the recommendation.
  4. The committee never made a recommendation.

Explanation

The irony lies in the contrast between private opposition and a public adoption with no dissent. The sentence reports exactly that gap between belief and behaviour.

Question 39Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Which word is the best antonym for 'transient'?

  1. Permanent Correct answer.
  2. Fragile
  3. Fleeting
  4. Rapid

Explanation

'Transient' means lasting only a short time, so its antonym describes something enduring. 'Permanent' is the direct opposite.

Question 40Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension

Read the passage: 'Advocates call the reform a success because applications doubled. Critics reply that approvals fell, since half the new applications were incomplete.' Which statement best evaluates the dispute?

  1. The advocates have proven that the reform improved outcomes.
  2. The two sides emphasise different measures, so each highlights evidence that supports its label. Correct answer.
  3. Both sides rely on the same measure and reach identical conclusions.
  4. The critics' claim is invalid because applications doubled.

Explanation

Advocates focus on applications while critics focus on approvals, so each selects a metric favourable to its conclusion. Recognising this shows the dispute is partly about which measure matters.

Question 41Numerical and Quantitative Reasoning

A jacket costs 80 dollars and is discounted by 25%. What is the sale price?

  1. 70 dollars
  2. 65 dollars
  3. 55 dollars
  4. 60 dollars Correct answer.

Explanation

A 25% discount removes one quarter of the original price, so the reduction is 0.25 × 80 = 20 dollars. Subtracting that from the original 80 dollars gives a sale price of 60 dollars. Equivalently, the buyer pays 75% of 80, which is also 60.

Question 42Numerical and Quantitative Reasoning

What is the next number in the sequence 3, 6, 12, 24, ...?

  1. 42
  2. 30
  3. 48 Correct answer.
  4. 36

Explanation

Each term is obtained by doubling the previous term: 3×2=6, 6×2=12, 12×2=24. Continuing the same rule gives 24×2=48. The sequence is geometric with ratio 2.

Question 43Numerical and Quantitative Reasoning

A train travels 240 kilometers in 3 hours. What is its average speed?

  1. 80 km/h Correct answer.
  2. 70 km/h
  3. 60 km/h
  4. 90 km/h

Explanation

Average speed equals total distance divided by total time. Dividing 240 kilometers by 3 hours yields 80 kilometers per hour. Checking: 80 × 3 = 240, confirming the result.

Question 44Numerical and Quantitative Reasoning

Which of the following numbers is a prime number?

  1. 21
  2. 27
  3. 29 Correct answer.
  4. 33

Explanation

A prime number has exactly two positive divisors, 1 and itself. The number 29 is not divisible by 2, 3, or 5, and since 5² = 25 < 29 < 36 = 6², no further divisors need testing, so 29 is prime.

Question 45Numerical and Quantitative Reasoning

Solve for x: 4x + 7 = 31.

  1. 6 Correct answer.
  2. 5
  3. 8
  4. 7

Explanation

Subtract 7 from both sides to get 4x = 24. Dividing both sides by 4 gives x = 6. Substituting back, 4(6) + 7 = 31, which confirms the solution.

Question 46Numerical and Quantitative Reasoning

What is 15% of 200?

  1. 30 Correct answer.
  2. 25
  3. 35
  4. 20

Explanation

To find a percentage of a quantity, convert the percentage to a decimal and multiply. Here 0.15 × 200 = 30. A quick check is that 10% of 200 is 20 and 5% is 10, and 20 + 10 = 30.

Question 47Numerical and Quantitative Reasoning

A rectangle has a length of 12 cm and a width of 5 cm. What is its area?

  1. 60 square cm Correct answer.
  2. 30 square cm
  3. 34 square cm
  4. 17 square cm

Explanation

The area of a rectangle is length multiplied by width. Multiplying 12 cm by 5 cm gives 60 square centimeters. Note that 34 cm would be the perimeter, not the area.

Question 48Numerical and Quantitative Reasoning

What is the value of 2³ + 3²?

  1. 13
  2. 19
  3. 17 Correct answer.
  4. 15

Explanation

Evaluate each power before adding: 2³ = 8 and 3² = 9. Their sum is 8 + 9 = 17. Exponents bind more tightly than addition, so the powers must be computed first.

Question 49Numerical and Quantitative Reasoning

A bag contains 5 red and 15 blue marbles. What is the probability of drawing a red marble at random?

  1. 1/4 Correct answer.
  2. 1/3
  3. 1/5
  4. 3/4

Explanation

There are 5 + 15 = 20 marbles in total, of which 5 are red. The probability is 5/20, which simplifies to 1/4. Probability is favorable outcomes divided by total outcomes.

Question 50Numerical and Quantitative Reasoning

If a car uses 8 liters of fuel per 100 km, how many liters does it need for 350 km?

  1. 24 liters
  2. 32 liters
  3. 30 liters
  4. 28 liters Correct answer.

Explanation

Set up a proportion: 8 liters per 100 km scales to 350 km as 8 × (350/100) = 8 × 3.5 = 28 liters. The consumption rate is constant, so direct proportion applies.