Verbal Reasoning: Foundations

What Does Verbal Reasoning Test?

The Verbal Reasoning (VR) subtest assesses your ability to critically evaluate and draw conclusions from written information. You are presented with prose passages on a variety of topics — science, history, social commentary, arts, politics, health — and must answer questions based solely on the information provided in the passage.

This is not a test of general knowledge. Even if you know the topic well, you must answer based only on what the passage states or implies. Bringing in outside knowledge is one of the most common mistakes in VR.

The Format

• 44 questions in 21 minutes (approximately 29 seconds per question)
• 11 passage sets, each with 4 questions
• Two question formats: True/False/Can’t Tell and multiple-choice (4 options)

True / False / Can’t Tell (T/F/CT)

This is the most common VR format. You are given a statement and must decide:

• True: The statement is explicitly supported by or can be logically concluded from the passage
• False: The statement directly contradicts information in the passage
• Can’t Tell: The passage does not provide enough information to determine whether the statement is true or false

The Critical Distinction: True vs Can’t Tell

This is where most students lose marks. A statement is TRUE only if the passage provides direct evidence or a logical certainty. If the statement seems likely or reasonable but the passage doesn’t explicitly confirm it, the answer is CAN’T TELL.

Example:

Passage: “The hospital introduced a new hand hygiene protocol in January 2023. Infection rates fell by 15% over the following six months.”

Statement: “The new hand hygiene protocol caused infection rates to decrease.”

Answer: Can’t Tell. While there is a correlation (protocol introduced, then infection rates fell), the passage does not establish causation. Other factors could explain the decrease.

Common VR Traps

1. Inference trap: Making assumptions beyond what the passage states
2. Prior knowledge trap: Using your own knowledge instead of the passage
3. Strong language trap: Words like ‘always’, ‘never’, ‘all’, ‘none’ often signal FALSE
4. Partial truth trap: A statement that is half correct and half unsupported
5. Distraction trap: A statement about a topic mentioned in the passage but not supported by it