Verbal Reasoning

Verbal reasoning is the ability of reasoning by using concepts framed in words. It aims at evaluating the ability to think constructively, rather than at simple fluency or vocabulary recognition.

Verbal Reasoning Tests

Verbal reasoning tests of intelligence provide an assessment of an individual’s ability to solve linguistic problems in different ways. They are focused at using the individuals vocabulary for obtaining the correct verbal reasoning test answers.

Verbal reasoning tests are often used as entrance examinations by schools, colleges and universities to select the best applicants. Also a growing number of employers throughout the world are using verbal reasoning tests as part of the selection/recruitment process. Mostly these tests consist of several different components and besides verbal reasoning also other area’s of the individuals knowledge are mapped like for example numeracy, spatial reasoning and in psychometric tests even an extensive psychological profile of the applicant can be formulated.

Verbal Reasoning Practice

Practice verbal reasoning, is this possible? You can find tons of online verbal reasoning practice tests but are they really beneficial for your verbal intelligence? Well to be short: Yes! Practice makes perfect and of course this also goes for one’s verbal reasoning skills. But how to practice verbal reasoning? Well you can try to broaden your vocabulary which of course will make verbal reasoning tests (slightly) easier.

However in good verbal reasoning tests care is taken that the broadness of one’s vocabulary will have a minimal influence on the test results. So simply trying to memorize a dictionary is not only incredibly dull but will have a minimal effect as verbal reasoning practice. No, a solid verbal reasoning test practice would comprise of practicing the verbal reasoning questions you expect to be presented to you in your upcoming test.

A verbal reasoning test can contain a wide variety of test questions, however as mentioned before you can find tons of online verbal reasoning tests for practice. Still keep in mind that a good verbal reasoning test will not only test the broadness of an individuals vocabulary. It will most importantly focus on one’s capability to utilize his/her vocabulary to come up with creative solutions to verbal reasoning questions. This way a verbal reasoning test will give an indication of one’s verbal intelligence. The most common example of test questions are verbal analogies.

Verbal Reasoning Test Criticism

Biggest criticism on verbal reasoning tests is that it is almost impossible to develop a verbal reasoning test in which the vocabulary knowledge of the individual who is being tested is of no importance to the test results. In several studies it has already been proven that taking a verbal reasoning test in one’s mother tongue will increase one’s score significantly compared to taking it in another language. This appears to be true even if the the individual appears to master the concerning language flawlessly. So if you have the possibility always try to take a test in your mother tongue.

If you require more information or want to take our verbal reasoning aptitude tests take a look at our related pages. You can train your verbal reasoning skills by doing some of our aptitude tests and if you hit a dead end solving word analogies take a look at the “analogies examples and types” page where the most common types of word analogies are explained.