Civil Service and Municipal Service Computer Testing key terms

A conclusion drawn from stated evidence rather than stated outright. In verbal reasoning, the correct inference must follow necessarily from the passage, not merely be plausible or consistent with outside knowledge.

The central point a passage is written to convey, usually supported by every other sentence. Distinguish it from a supporting detail or an example, which serves the main idea rather than replacing it.

An unstated premise the argument depends on for its conclusion to hold. Negating a true assumption weakens the argument; recognising it is essential for evaluating reasoning quality.

The writer's attitude toward the subject, revealed through word choice and emphasis, such as critical, neutral, cautious, or approving. Tone questions ask you to justify the attitude with textual evidence.

A flaw in reasoning that makes an argument invalid, such as attacking the person instead of the claim, or treating a correlation as proof of cause. Naming the flaw helps you reject the weakest option quickly.

A deductive argument with two premises and a conclusion, such as all clerks are staff and all staff are employees, so all clerks are employees. Only conclusions that must be true count as valid.

The logically equivalent restatement of a conditional: from 'if P then Q' you may conclude 'if not Q then not P'. Confusing it with the converse, 'if Q then P', is a frequent source of error.

A comparison of two quantities by division, and the equation stating two ratios are equal. Used to scale recipes, split budgets, or convert map distances without computing each unit separately.

The difference between an old and new value expressed as a percentage of the original value, computed as (new minus old) divided by old, times one hundred. Note that a rise then an equal fall does not return to the start.

The sum of a set of values divided by how many values there are, also called the arithmetic mean. Weighted averages combine groups of different sizes and must weight each group by its size.

The middle value when data are arranged in order, or the mean of the two middle values when the count is even. Unlike the mean, it is barely affected by a few extreme outliers.

A measure of how far values typically spread from their mean. A small value means data cluster tightly; a large one means wide scatter, which matters when comparing consistency of service times.

A quantity per unit of another, such as words per minute or litres per hour. Work and travel problems usually reduce to combining rates, remembering that rates add when two workers act together.

A sequence where each term follows a rule, often adding, multiplying, or alternating between two patterns. Test successive differences first; constant differences signal an arithmetic pattern.

A puzzle where letters or words are transformed by a fixed rule, such as shifting each letter three places forward. Identify the rule from the given examples, then apply it to the new word.

A puzzle requiring you to place people around a table or in a row using clues about relative positions, such as left, right, or facing direction. Draw a diagram and fix one anchor person first.

A question format asking whether the given statements supply enough information to answer, without requiring the actual answer. Decide separately whether each statement alone suffices, then whether both together do.

Extracting values, totals, and trends from tables, bar charts, line graphs, or pie charts. Check units, axis scales, and whether figures are absolute numbers or percentages before calculating.

Selecting a subset of a population to draw conclusions about the whole. A biased sample, such as surveying only volunteers, can make results unrepresentative no matter how large it is.

Assessing which response to a workplace scenario is most and least appropriate, judged against professional values such as fairness, confidentiality, and respect for procedures rather than personal preference.

A situation where a personal interest, financial or relational, could improperly influence an official decision. The standard remedy is to declare the interest and withdraw from the decision.

Consistently acting honestly and according to stated principles, especially when no one is watching or when honesty carries a cost. A core public-service value tested through dilemma scenarios.

The formal line of authority through which instructions and reports pass. In judgement items, the correct action usually respects this line rather than bypassing a supervisor without justification.

The obligation to answer for decisions and results to a higher authority or the public. It includes documenting actions and accepting responsibility for errors rather than shifting blame.

Conducting public business so that decisions, criteria, and spending can be inspected by citizens. It supports trust and is balanced against legitimate confidentiality and privacy obligations.

The right of citizens to request records held by public bodies, subject to defined exemptions such as personal privacy or national security. Requests usually must be answered within a statutory time limit.

The requirement that decisions affecting people follow fair, published procedures, including notice, a chance to respond, and an impartial decision-maker. Skipping a step can invalidate the outcome.

Two core fair-hearing rules: no one should judge their own cause, and both sides must be heard. Applied to administrative decisions such as disciplinary hearings or licence refusals.

Rules governing how personal information is collected, stored, used, and shared, including lawful basis, retention limits, and security. Breaches can carry legal penalties and must be reported promptly.

A fraudulent message that impersonates a trusted sender to trick the recipient into revealing passwords or clicking malicious links. Verify the sender through a separate channel before acting.

Logging in with a password plus a second proof such as a one-time code or security key. It limits damage from a stolen password because the second factor is not reusable.

An expression beginning with an equals sign that calculates a value from cell references, such as summing a range. Relative references shift when copied; dollar signs lock a row or column.

A spreadsheet function that searches the first column of a range for a value and returns a result from a specified column in the same row. The match type must be set correctly to avoid wrong results.

An interactive summary that groups and aggregates spreadsheet records by chosen fields, letting you total, count, or average data without writing formulas. Requires clean headers and no blank rows.

A word-processing feature that combines one template document with a data source, such as a spreadsheet of names, to produce many personalised letters or labels automatically.

Tracking successive versions of a document so changes can be compared and earlier drafts restored. Names that include dates and draft numbers prevent colleagues from editing superseded files.

A formal process inviting citizens and stakeholders to comment on a proposed policy before it is finalised. Genuine consultation explains how feedback was considered, not merely that it was received.

A documented commitment setting out the standard, scope, and response times a service will meet. It gives staff and the public a measurable benchmark for judging performance.