Verbal Reasoning
The verbal reasoning section tests precise reading rather than general knowledge. You are given a short passage and must decide what follows from it, what contradicts it, and what cannot be determined. Questions often use true/false/cannot-say formats or ask which conclusion must be true.
Read for logical structure
Identify the main claim, the evidence, and qualifiers such as only, all, some, unless, and except. Treat the passage as the sole source of truth; even correct outside knowledge is irrelevant if the passage does not support it.
Quantifiers and direction
“Only X may Y” means Y implies X, not X implies Y. “Some” means at least one and possibly all. “Unless” introduces a necessary condition. Rephrase conditionals before judging an answer.
Worked example: “Only staff who have passed the secure-coding assessment may access the prototype repository. Farah can access the prototype repository.” Which must be true? “Only P may A” gives A → P. Farah accesses, so Farah passed the assessment. The reverse - that everyone who passed has access - is not stated. Answer: Farah passed the secure-coding assessment.
Traps that cost marks
- Reversing a conditional: “all passers have access” is not implied.
- Importing real-world assumptions about how offices usually work.
- Treating “some” as “some but not all”.
- Confusing “cannot say” with “false”: false means the passage contradicts the statement.
- Ignoring scope words that limit who or what is covered.