Verbal reasoning refers to the ability to understand words and their relationships to each other. Strong reading comprehension allows for the assimilation of new information and provides a foundation for learning. A broad vocabulary makes written language rich, and understanding the meaning of synonyms and antonyms makes the text more impactful. Verbal reasoning thus reflects a person’s way of thinking. However, there is a downside: it is difficult to make verbal reasoning tasks completely neutral. Personal understanding of vocabulary and language, such as ambiguity, cannot be entirely eliminated. For this reason, verbal tasks aim to measure logical reasoning particularly through the breadth of vocabulary, understanding of meaning, recognition of synonyms and antonyms, and reading comprehension.

Verbal reasoning can be assessed through a variety of tasks, some of which involve only individual words and others that involve longer texts. Tasks related to grammar and text structure appear less often in aptitude tests, although they form the foundation of understandable text. Types of verbal tasks in aptitude tests can be categorized, for example, as follows:

• Word lists
• Word pairs
• Reading comprehension
• Reasoning tasks

Strong writing and reading comprehension skills are required in many professions. Text production plays a major role for translators, teachers, journalists, and experts in various fields. Today, even police officers are expected to produce understandable written text.

Word Lists

Word lists, as the name suggests, consist of consecutive words from which one or more do not belong. The words that do belong to the list share a connection that must be identified in the task. Usually, the words in the list are synonyms of each other, and the word that does not belong is closely related but does not fit the pattern. The common factor can also be a higher-level category of the terms in the list; for example, if the list contains fruits, the word that does not belong could be a vegetable.

Word Pairs

In word pairs, the first pair is given as a model, and you must find the corresponding pair from the answer options. The words in the model pair have a specific relationship, such as cause-effect, synonyms, antonyms, or another type of connection, like one reflecting time or growth relative to the other.

Reading Comprehension

This type of task is probably the most familiar, as it involves first reading a text and then answering statements related to it. The length of the texts can vary from just a few sentences to a long passage, as can the number of answer options provided.

Reasoning Tasks

Like reading comprehension tasks, reasoning tasks can cover any topic and may be quite complex. The difference is that in reasoning tasks, the answer often requires analyzing the relationships between the subjects mentioned in the text. For example, it may involve determining the correct order or relationship of people, objects, or items based on their size, age, or location.

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Examples

Word List

Which word does not belong?

Orange, Pea, Spinach, Starfruit, Kiwi, Nectarine

Answer: Spinach

Explanation: Spinach is different in meaning from the others, as it is a vegetable. All the other words are fruits. (Note: Pea is botanically a fruit as well, though it is commonly classified as a legume.)

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Word Pair

Which word pair has a similar relationship as the following words?

Sweater – Stitch

Answer options: Pants – Button, Dog – Collar, Forest – Tree, Sun – Hot

Answer: Forest – Tree

Explanation: The pair sweater and stitch describes a “made of” relationship: a sweater is made up of stitches. Similarly, a forest is made up of trees. Pants usually have buttons, but they are primarily made of fabric, not buttons.

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Reasoning Task

Arrange the people in order of height from shortest to tallest.

Katri is shorter than Leena. Minna is 2 cm shorter than Leena, but more than 10 cm taller than Sanna. Sanna is not the shortest.

Answer: Katri, Sanna, Minna, Leena

Explanation: It helps to sketch the order on paper while reading. The first sentence tells us that Katri is shorter than Leena, giving a preliminary order: Katri, Leena. Additional information about Minna and Sanna allows us to place them correctly in between.

Next, it is stated that Minna is shorter than Leena, so the possible orders are:

a) Katri, Minna, Leena
b) Minna, Katri, Leena

Then it is stated that Minna is taller than Sanna, which narrows the options to:

a) Katri, Sanna, Minna, Leena
b) Sanna, Katri, Minna, Leena
c) Sanna, Minna, Katri, Leena

Finally, it is stated that Sanna is not the shortest, so only option a) is correct.

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Exercises

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Read the text and choose the correct answers to the questions

This lease agreement is valid indefinitely starting from 1.2.2016. Termination of the lease must always be submitted in writing to the landlord. The first possible termination date by the tenant is 1.2.2017, after which the tenant’s notice period is 2 months. The landlord’s notice period is 4 months if the agreement has lasted less than a year and 8 months if it has lasted more than a year. If the tenant terminates the lease before 1.2.2019, the landlord has the right to charge a penalty equal to the security deposit, i.e., €670.

The tenant is given two apartment keys and one basement key. The apartment key works for the main door, outdoor equipment storage, laundry room, and trash shed. The basement key works only for the front door of the basement storage units. The tenant must immediately notify the landlord of any lost key. A fee of €60 is charged for a lost key.

The tenant is allowed to keep one (1) small dog, such as a dachshund or a small breed dog. Damage caused by the pet, for example bite or scratch marks, damage caused by urination, or various odors, is not considered normal wear and tear, and the tenant must cover the costs of repairing such damage.

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