Verbal Reasoning
What the verbal section asks
Verbal Reasoning measures how precisely you read a short passage and test each option against it. Items commonly ask whether a statement is True (supported), False (contradicted), or Cannot say (not enough information), and may also ask for a conclusion, an assumption, or a word's meaning in context. The passage is the only evidence; outside knowledge is a distractor.
Core rules
- Separate what is stated from what is merely suggested. A plausible inference is not True unless the text supports it.
- Watch quantifiers: all, some, none, only, always, never. "Some staff are on leave" does not prove "the counter is closed".
- For Cannot say, check both directions: the passage neither confirms nor contradicts the statement.
- For vocabulary, replace the word with each option and test the sentence's logic, not a dictionary's first sense.
- In arguments, identify the conclusion and the evidence; reject options that attack a different claim or assume the conclusion.
Worked example
Passage: "From 1 March the stores counter will close at 16:00 instead of 18:00 because two civilian staff are on leave. Recruit training parades remain unchanged." Statement: "Recruit training will be shorter from 1 March." Answer: Cannot say. The passage mentions parade timing only; it does not state when training finishes or how long the training day lasts. "Unchanged parades" neither confirms nor contradicts a shorter day.
Traps
Using real-world assumptions; treating "two staff" as "all staff"; choosing an extreme option; confusing "not stated" with "false"; and over-reading causal words such as because, which may signal only the author's explanation.