Combined Verbal and Numerical Test

The tests you are asked to do will measure skills relevant to the job, position or responsibilities for which you are being considered. While different jobs make different demands on individuals, extensive analyses of many managerial and professional jobs have shown that competence in verbal and numerical critical reasoning is a common requirement.

This practice page covers tests which require you to:

• Evaluate the logic of given statements

• Interpret data from statistical tables

In order to familiarise yourself with the type of questions that may be asked, read the instructions in each case, and work through the questions as quickly and accurately as you can, bearing in mind that the tests themselves have time constraints.

Now see how you get on with the practice questions below

The Verbal Test Instructions The verbal and numerical questions which follow are multiple choice. For each question, you are given three possible answers. When you have selected your answer, you should click appropriate circle beside your choice. In this set of practice questions, you are given two passages, each of which is followed by three statements. Your task is to evaluate the statements in the light of the information or opinions contained in the passage and to select your answer according to the rules given below. Select option ‘True’ if the statement is patently true or follows logically, given the information or opinions contained in the passage. Select option ‘False’ if the statement is patently false or the opposite follows logically, given the information or opinions contained in the passage. Select option ‘Cannot say’ if you cannot say whether the statement is true or untrue or follows logically, without further information.

Passage 1

The big economic difference between nuclear and fossil-fuelled power stations is that nuclear reactors are more expensive to build and decommission, but cheaper to run. So disputes over the relative efficiency of the two systems revolve not just around the prices of coal and uranium today and tomorrow, but also around the way in which future income should be compared with current income.

The Numerical Test

Instructions

In this set of practice questions, you have to use facts and figures presented in the statistical table and graph beneath to answer the questions below. In each question, you are given five options from which to choose. One, and only one, of the options is correct in each case.

For numerical tests of this nature you will be provided with a calculator. You may try the following questions with or without the use of a calculator – as you wish. In addition you may be provided with rough paper for your working out.

Helpful Hints

Don’t be discouraged if you found the questions difficult: there are several things you can do to improve your performance.

Verbal Tests:

• Read newspapers, reports, business journals.

• Do verbal problem solving exercises, e.g. crosswords

Numerical Tests:

• Read financial reports in newspapers.

• Study tables of data.

• Practise your mental arithmetic

Remember – the outcome of most assessments is based on the combination of data from different sources. Even if you don’t feel confident about your performance in the tests, you may have other strengths which will be taken into account. Employers often offer the opportunity to obtain feedback on test performance. This may help you to understand your own relative abilities and may aid you in your career thinking. Results obtained from professionally used tests will be kept confidential.