Verbal reasoning: complete practice bank: open practice pack ############################################################ 100 untimed questions across 10 authored sections. Pack: cognitive-skills-verbal-reasoning Source: cognitive-skills Pack version: v1 Worksheet items: 100 Authored hints: 0 Worked explanations: 100 ! This is untimed educational practice for one cognitive skill. It is not a clinical, diagnostic, employment, or professionally recognized assessment, and it does not produce an IQ score or credential. ! The answer key and worked explanations in this file belong only to this public, untimed educational practice source. No active aptitude suite or Novus Reasoning Challenge answer key is ever included in any download. Learner worksheet ================= One hundred untimed self-check questions in ten sections, moving from everyday word meanings to demanding passage evaluation. Work only from the information given in each question. No outside knowledge is needed and there is no time limit. Choose one answer for each item. For a delayed-recall item, read its study text, cover it, and then answer without looking back. Statement evaluation: True, False or Cannot say ----------------------------------------------- Using only the passage below, decide whether each statement is True, False, or Cannot say. Passage: "All members of the Riverside Hiking Club must complete a safety orientation before joining any group hike. Maria completed the safety orientation last month and has since joined two group hikes. New members who miss the monthly orientation session must wait until the next one is offered." 1. verbal-reasoning-s01-q01 --------------------------- Maria is a member of the Riverside Hiking Club. - TRUE. True - FALSE. False - CANNOT-SAY. Cannot say Your answer: ______ 2. verbal-reasoning-s01-q02 --------------------------- A new member who misses the monthly orientation can never join a group hike. - TRUE. True - FALSE. False - CANNOT-SAY. Cannot say Your answer: ______ 3. verbal-reasoning-s01-q03 --------------------------- Maria completed the safety orientation before she went on her first group hike. - TRUE. True - FALSE. False - CANNOT-SAY. Cannot say Your answer: ______ 4. verbal-reasoning-s01-q04 --------------------------- The orientation session is offered on a recurring monthly basis. - TRUE. True - FALSE. False - CANNOT-SAY. Cannot say Your answer: ______ 5. verbal-reasoning-s01-q05 --------------------------- Maria has joined more group hikes than any other club member this year. - TRUE. True - FALSE. False - CANNOT-SAY. Cannot say Your answer: ______ 6. verbal-reasoning-s01-q06 --------------------------- Every hiking club requires new members to complete a safety orientation. - TRUE. True - FALSE. False - CANNOT-SAY. Cannot say Your answer: ______ 7. verbal-reasoning-s01-q07 --------------------------- Maria became a club member before she completed the safety orientation. - TRUE. True - FALSE. False - CANNOT-SAY. Cannot say Your answer: ______ 8. verbal-reasoning-s01-q08 --------------------------- A member may join a group hike without having completed the safety orientation. - TRUE. True - FALSE. False - CANNOT-SAY. Cannot say Your answer: ______ 9. verbal-reasoning-s01-q09 --------------------------- The Riverside Hiking Club organises activities other than group hikes. - TRUE. True - FALSE. False - CANNOT-SAY. Cannot say Your answer: ______ 10. verbal-reasoning-s01-q10 ---------------------------- Maria completed the safety orientation last month. - TRUE. True - FALSE. False - CANNOT-SAY. Cannot say Your answer: ______ Word meanings in context ------------------------ Use the clues in each sentence to work out what the quoted word most nearly means. 11. verbal-reasoning-s02-q01 ---------------------------- In the sentence "The instructions were so lucid that nobody needed to ask questions", the word "lucid" most nearly means: - A. lengthy - B. clear - C. complicated - D. informal Your answer: ______ 12. verbal-reasoning-s02-q02 ---------------------------- "Rather than open new branches, the firm decided to consolidate its existing offices into one regional centre." Here "consolidate" most nearly means: - A. advertise - B. abandon - C. combine - D. refurbish Your answer: ______ 13. verbal-reasoning-s02-q03 ---------------------------- "The minister's ambiguous reply left both interpretations open." "Ambiguous" most nearly means: - A. open to more than one meaning - B. deliberately dishonest - C. spoken very quietly - D. firmly decided Your answer: ______ 14. verbal-reasoning-s02-q04 ---------------------------- "Her tenacity impressed the coaches: she repeated the drill every evening until she mastered it." "Tenacity" most nearly means: - A. raw talent - B. nervousness - C. physical strength - D. determined persistence Your answer: ______ 15. verbal-reasoning-s02-q05 ---------------------------- "Reviewers criticised the report for being verbose, noting that one point was repeated four times." "Verbose" most nearly means: - A. inaccurate - B. using more words than needed - C. too technical - D. poorly organised Your answer: ______ 16. verbal-reasoning-s02-q06 ---------------------------- "The auditor gave only a cursory glance at the receipts before signing off." "Cursory" most nearly means: - A. quick and superficial - B. suspicious and hostile - C. careful and thorough - D. reluctant and delayed Your answer: ______ 17. verbal-reasoning-s02-q07 ---------------------------- "The second witness's account corroborated the first." "Corroborated" most nearly means: - A. contradicted - B. complicated - C. repeated word for word - D. supported Your answer: ______ 18. verbal-reasoning-s02-q08 ---------------------------- "The researcher warned against extrapolating from a single season's data." "Extrapolating" most nearly means: - A. profiting - B. copying results - C. extending conclusions beyond the evidence - D. deleting inconvenient figures Your answer: ______ 19. verbal-reasoning-s02-q09 ---------------------------- "Talks reached an impasse when neither side would adjust its offer." "Impasse" most nearly means: - A. deadlock - B. agreement - C. turning point - D. compromise Your answer: ______ 20. verbal-reasoning-s02-q10 ---------------------------- "His effusive praise made some listeners doubt his sincerity." "Effusive" most nearly means: - A. reluctant - B. sarcastic - C. whispered - D. unrestrained and gushing Your answer: ______ Word relationships and analogies -------------------------------- Work out the relationship between the first pair of words, then apply exactly the same relationship to complete or judge the second. 21. verbal-reasoning-s03-q01 ---------------------------- Kitten is to cat as puppy is to ___. - A. kennel - B. bone - C. dog - D. fur Your answer: ______ 22. verbal-reasoning-s03-q02 ---------------------------- Baton is to conductor as whisk is to ___. - A. orchestra - B. chef - C. kitchen - D. spoon Your answer: ______ 23. verbal-reasoning-s03-q03 ---------------------------- Which word does not belong with the other three: oak, birch, willow, tulip? - A. oak - B. birch - C. willow - D. tulip Your answer: ______ 24. verbal-reasoning-s03-q04 ---------------------------- Drought is to rain as famine is to ___. - A. food - B. weather - C. harvest - D. hunger Your answer: ______ 25. verbal-reasoning-s03-q05 ---------------------------- Reticent is to talkative as frugal is to ___. - A. careful - B. poor - C. generous - D. extravagant Your answer: ______ 26. verbal-reasoning-s03-q06 ---------------------------- Sonnet is to poem as waltz is to ___. - A. music - B. dance - C. ballroom - D. rhythm Your answer: ______ 27. verbal-reasoning-s03-q07 ---------------------------- Which word does not belong with the other three: cautious, wary, reckless, vigilant? - A. cautious - B. wary - C. reckless - D. vigilant Your answer: ______ 28. verbal-reasoning-s03-q08 ---------------------------- Archipelago is to islands as constellation is to ___. - A. stars - B. telescopes - C. planets - D. galaxies Your answer: ______ 29. verbal-reasoning-s03-q09 ---------------------------- Alleviate is to pain as quench is to ___. - A. hunger - B. thirst - C. water - D. drought Your answer: ______ 30. verbal-reasoning-s03-q10 ---------------------------- Ephemeral is to permanence as opaque is to ___. - A. darkness - B. colour - C. transparency - D. thickness Your answer: ______ Sentence completion and connectives ----------------------------------- Choose the word or pair of words that makes each sentence logically consistent from start to finish. 31. verbal-reasoning-s04-q01 ---------------------------- The road was icy; ___, drivers were asked to reduce their speed. - A. consequently - B. nevertheless - C. similarly - D. in contrast Your answer: ______ 32. verbal-reasoning-s04-q02 ---------------------------- The results looked promising at first; ___, closer analysis revealed serious flaws. - A. likewise - B. therefore - C. however - D. furthermore Your answer: ______ 33. verbal-reasoning-s04-q03 ---------------------------- She speaks fluent Portuguese ___ she lived in Lisbon for ten years. - A. although - B. because - C. unless - D. whereas Your answer: ______ 34. verbal-reasoning-s04-q04 ---------------------------- ___ the forecast of heavy rain, the open-air concert went ahead as planned. - A. Because of - B. Thanks to - C. In light of - D. Despite Your answer: ______ 35. verbal-reasoning-s04-q05 ---------------------------- Entry to the museum is free; visitors must, ___, still book a timed ticket in advance. - A. for example - B. in short - C. however - D. as a result Your answer: ______ 36. verbal-reasoning-s04-q06 ---------------------------- The evidence was ___ but not ___: it pointed towards the theory without settling the question. - A. suggestive … conclusive - B. conclusive … suggestive - C. irrelevant … persuasive - D. abundant … recent Your answer: ______ 37. verbal-reasoning-s04-q07 ---------------------------- The new form was meant to simplify applications; ___, most applicants found it harder to complete than the old one. - A. accordingly - B. similarly - C. as intended - D. in practice Your answer: ______ 38. verbal-reasoning-s04-q08 ---------------------------- Far from ___ the rumours, the director's vague statement only ___ them. - A. confirming … silenced - B. dispelling … fuelled - C. spreading … ended - D. recalling … clarified Your answer: ______ 39. verbal-reasoning-s04-q09 ---------------------------- The committee did not reject the proposal outright; ___, it requested revisions and postponed the vote. - A. moreover - B. in other words - C. even so - D. instead Your answer: ______ 40. verbal-reasoning-s04-q10 ---------------------------- The critic conceded that the novel's prose was elegant; the plot, ___, she found entirely ___. - A. likewise … satisfying - B. by contrast … implausible - C. therefore … original - D. in addition … graceful Your answer: ______ Main ideas and summaries ------------------------ Read each short passage, then choose the option that best captures its central point: not a minor detail, and not more than the passage claims. 41. verbal-reasoning-s05-q01 ---------------------------- Passage: "Wild bees pollinate many of the crops we rely on, from apples to beans. Yet their habitats are shrinking as hedgerows are removed and wildflower meadows are ploughed. Several councils now sow roadside verges with native flowers to help." Which statement best expresses the main idea? - A. Roadside verges are dangerous places for bees. - B. Apples and beans are the crops most dependent on bees. - C. Councils have solved the problem of habitat loss. - D. Wild bees matter for food crops, and some councils are acting to protect their shrinking habitats. Your answer: ______ 42. verbal-reasoning-s05-q02 ---------------------------- Passage: "Many public libraries now lend far more than books: seed kits, musical instruments, sewing machines and museum passes all circulate alongside novels. Librarians describe the shift as a return to their founding purpose, sharing resources a community needs but cannot each afford alone." Which statement best expresses the main idea? - A. Libraries have broadened their lending to serve wider community needs. - B. Books are no longer popular with library users. - C. Museum passes are the most borrowed library item. - D. Libraries have abandoned their founding purpose. Your answer: ______ 43. verbal-reasoning-s05-q03 ---------------------------- Passage: "On summer afternoons, streets with mature trees can be several degrees cooler than bare streets nearby. Leaves shade the pavement and release moisture that cools the surrounding air. Planting programmes therefore focus first on the hottest, most exposed neighbourhoods." Which title best fits the passage? - A. Why Pavements Absorb Heat - B. The History of Street Planting - C. How Urban Trees Cool Their Streets - D. Summer Weather in the City Your answer: ______ 44. verbal-reasoning-s05-q04 ---------------------------- Which sentence does NOT belong in this paragraph? (1) The community garden opened in April with twenty raised beds. (2) Volunteers water the plots on a shared rota. (3) The town's new car park has spaces for four hundred vehicles. (4) A harvest exchange table lets growers swap surplus produce. - A. Sentence 1 - B. Sentence 3 - C. Sentence 2 - D. Sentence 4 Your answer: ______ 45. verbal-reasoning-s05-q05 ---------------------------- Passage: "A two-year trial of remote work at an insurance firm found that output per employee was unchanged. However, junior staff reported receiving noticeably less informal guidance, and half said they would prefer more office days for that reason." Which statement best expresses the main point? - A. Remote work maintained productivity but weakened informal mentoring for junior staff. - B. Remote work raised productivity across the firm. - C. Junior staff were less productive when working remotely. - D. The firm has ended remote working. Your answer: ______ 46. verbal-reasoning-s05-q06 ---------------------------- Passage: "The town's earth flood banks need regrading every decade at modest cost. A proposed concrete wall would last fifty years but cost eight times as much up front, and engineers note the banks have never yet been overtopped." Which option best summarises the passage? - A. The concrete wall is the only long-term option. - B. The flood banks have failed repeatedly. - C. Engineers recommend removing the flood defences. - D. The town must weigh cheap, recurring maintenance of proven banks against a costly, longer-lasting wall. Your answer: ______ 47. verbal-reasoning-s05-q07 ---------------------------- Passage: "Rail freight produces a fraction of the emissions of road haulage per tonne carried. Yet sidings have closed, and many terminals cannot handle modern container lengths. Modest investment in loading gauge and terminal capacity would let existing lines carry far more goods." What is the author's primary purpose? - A. To describe the history of rail sidings. - B. To argue that targeted investment could shift more freight to rail. - C. To show that road haulage is becoming cleaner. - D. To explain how containers are loaded onto trains. Your answer: ______ 48. verbal-reasoning-s05-q08 ---------------------------- Passage: "In the survey, adults who kept a written budget reported lower money-related stress than those who did not. The researchers caution that budgeting may attract people who already feel in control of their finances." Which statement best reflects the passage? - A. Budgeting is proven to reduce financial stress. - B. The survey shows budgets have no effect on stress. - C. The survey found an association between budgeting and lower reported stress, but the cause is uncertain. - D. The researchers recommend everyone keep a written budget. Your answer: ______ 49. verbal-reasoning-s05-q09 ---------------------------- Passage: "It is often said that goldfish remember nothing for more than a few seconds. In fact, trained goldfish have navigated mazes weeks after first learning them, and they can learn to feed at set times of day. The popular claim survives because it is repeated, not because it is supported." Which statement best expresses the main idea? - A. Goldfish are unusually intelligent among fish. - B. Goldfish can learn to navigate mazes within seconds. - C. Popular claims about animals are usually true. - D. The common belief that goldfish have only momentary memories is contradicted by the evidence. Your answer: ______ 50. verbal-reasoning-s05-q10 ---------------------------- Passage: "Handwritten notes are slower to take than typed ones, which forces note-takers to select and rephrase rather than transcribe. Several classroom studies associate this slower, more selective style with better recall of ideas, though results vary with the subject being taught." Which statement best expresses the main idea? - A. The slowness of handwriting forces selection, which several studies link, with some variation, to better recall of ideas. - B. Typing should be banned in classrooms. - C. Handwriting is faster than typing for most students. - D. Recall of ideas is identical however notes are taken. Your answer: ______ Drawing safe inferences ----------------------- Choose only what MUST follow from the information given: a conclusion that could be false while the statements are true is not safe. 51. verbal-reasoning-s06-q01 ---------------------------- Every ticket for Saturday's concert had sold out by Thursday evening. On Friday morning, Amir bought a ticket for one of the weekend's two concerts, Saturday's or Sunday's. What can be concluded? - A. Amir queued overnight for his ticket. - B. Amir's ticket is for Sunday's concert. - C. Sunday's concert is also sold out. - D. Amir bought the last available ticket. Your answer: ______ 52. verbal-reasoning-s06-q02 ---------------------------- By noon on every market day, the bakery has sold out of sourdough. It is now 3 pm and sourdough is still on the shelves. What can be concluded? - A. The bakery baked extra sourdough today. - B. The market was cancelled this week. - C. Sourdough is becoming less popular. - D. Today is not a market day. Your answer: ______ 53. verbal-reasoning-s06-q03 ---------------------------- In a staff survey, 60% of respondents said they cycle to work at least once a week and 25% said they cycle every working day. Which statement must be true? - A. Some respondents cycle at least weekly but not every working day. - B. Most respondents cycle every working day. - C. 40% of respondents never cycle. - D. Cycling is the most popular way to travel to work. Your answer: ______ 54. verbal-reasoning-s06-q04 ---------------------------- Every flat in the Hartley building has a balcony. Some flats in the Hartley building are rented. What must be true? - A. Some rented flats have no balcony. - B. All rented flats are in the Hartley building. - C. Some rented flats have balconies. - D. Most flats in the building are rented. Your answer: ______ 55. verbal-reasoning-s06-q05 ---------------------------- In May, the north branch processed more applications than the south branch, despite having fewer staff. Which conclusion must be true? - A. The north branch worked longer hours. - B. The north branch processed more applications per staff member than the south branch. - C. The south branch is badly managed. - D. The north branch will also process more in June. Your answer: ______ 56. verbal-reasoning-s06-q06 ---------------------------- The evening seminar runs only if at least eight people register. This month's seminar ran. What can be concluded? - A. Exactly eight people registered. - B. The seminar was popular with regular attendees. - C. Registration closed early this month. - D. At least eight people registered. Your answer: ______ 57. verbal-reasoning-s06-q07 ---------------------------- At Brindle & Co, every expense claim is approved by an employee, and no employee may approve their own claim. Dana, an employee, had her claim approved yesterday. What must be true? - A. Dana's manager approved the claim. - B. Dana approved a colleague's claim in return. - C. An employee other than Dana approved her claim. - D. Dana's claim exceeded the usual spending limit. Your answer: ______ 58. verbal-reasoning-s06-q08 ---------------------------- A shop's sales rose by 10% in March and then fell by 10% in April. Compared with sales in February, April's sales were: - A. slightly lower - B. exactly the same - C. slightly higher - D. impossible to compare Your answer: ______ 59. verbal-reasoning-s06-q09 ---------------------------- Most of the choir's members are sopranos, and every soprano in the choir sang at Friday's concert. Which statement must be true? - A. The whole choir sang on Friday. - B. Only sopranos sang on Friday. - C. Some sopranos missed the concert. - D. Most of the choir's members sang at Friday's concert. Your answer: ______ 60. verbal-reasoning-s06-q10 ---------------------------- Whenever the harbour bridge is closed, the shuttle bus runs. The shuttle bus never runs on Sundays. What can be concluded? - A. The bridge is closed every day except Sunday. - B. The shuttle bus runs every weekday. - C. The harbour bridge is never closed on a Sunday. - D. The bridge closes only when the bus is available. Your answer: ______ Identifying hidden assumptions ------------------------------ Find the unstated premise each argument needs: the claim that, if false, would make the conclusion collapse. 61. verbal-reasoning-s07-q01 ---------------------------- "Our café should open at 7 am, because hundreds of commuters walk past to catch the 7:30 train." The argument depends on which assumption? - A. The 7:30 train is usually on time. - B. The café's rent will not rise this year. - C. Some of those commuters would buy something if the café were open at 7 am. - D. No other café operates on the same street. Your answer: ______ 62. verbal-reasoning-s07-q02 ---------------------------- "This detergent removed the grass stain in the demonstration, so it will remove the ink stain on my shirt." Which assumption does the argument rely on? - A. A detergent that removes grass stains will work similarly on ink stains. - B. The shirt is machine-washable. - C. The demonstration was filmed live. - D. Ink stains are easier to remove than grass stains. Your answer: ______ 63. verbal-reasoning-s07-q03 ---------------------------- "Attendance fell after we raised ticket prices, so cutting prices will restore attendance." The argument assumes that: - A. the venue's running costs will fall next year - B. competitors kept their own prices unchanged - C. attendance was already falling before the price rise - D. the price rise, rather than another factor, caused the fall in attendance Your answer: ______ 64. verbal-reasoning-s07-q04 ---------------------------- "Riya achieved the highest score on the entrance test, so she will perform better on the course than the other entrants." Which assumption is required? - A. Riya revised harder than anyone else. - B. Performance on the entrance test predicts performance on the course. - C. The other entrants scored poorly on the test. - D. The course tutors marked the entrance test. Your answer: ______ 65. verbal-reasoning-s07-q05 ---------------------------- "Volunteers counted more birds in the reserve this spring than last spring, so the bird population must have grown." The argument depends on assuming that: - A. the counting effort and conditions were broadly comparable across the two springs - B. volunteers enjoy counting birds - C. the reserve is larger than others nearby - D. birds are easier to count in autumn Your answer: ______ 66. verbal-reasoning-s07-q06 ---------------------------- "Replacing our office bulbs with LEDs will cut the electricity bill." Which assumption does the plan rely on? - A. LED bulbs are cheaper to buy than the current bulbs. - B. Staff will remember to switch lights off at night. - C. The LEDs will use less electricity than the current bulbs for the same lighting. - D. Electricity prices will fall next year. Your answer: ______ 67. verbal-reasoning-s07-q07 ---------------------------- "No complaints were filed last month, so our customers must be satisfied." The conclusion depends on which assumption? - A. The complaints inbox was checked daily. - B. Dissatisfied customers would actually file complaints. - C. Satisfied customers often write positive reviews. - D. Complaint numbers vary with the seasons. Your answer: ______ 68. verbal-reasoning-s07-q08 ---------------------------- "The fossil lay in a rock layer dated to sixty million years ago, so the animal lived sixty million years ago." Which assumption is required? - A. The animal was a marine species. - B. The dating technique used is the newest available. - C. The fossil skeleton is complete. - D. The fossil had not shifted from the layer in which it was originally buried. Your answer: ______ 69. verbal-reasoning-s07-q09 ---------------------------- "We invited the scheme's five most prominent critics and answered every objection they raised, so the scheme has no serious weaknesses." The argument assumes that: - A. the critics accepted the answers they were given - B. the scheme will be popular with the public - C. the objections raised by those critics cover every serious weakness the scheme might have - D. five is an appropriate number of critics to invite Your answer: ______ 70. verbal-reasoning-s07-q10 ---------------------------- "Staff turnover at Corville Ltd is below the industry average, so its staff must be more satisfied than staff at rival firms." The argument depends on assuming that: - A. Corville pays above-average wages - B. differences in turnover mainly reflect differences in satisfaction - C. Corville's staff numbers grew last year - D. satisfied staff recommend their employer to friends Your answer: ______ Strengthening and weakening arguments ------------------------------------- Judge what each new fact would do to the argument. Look for alternative causes, unrepresentative samples, and missing comparisons. 71. verbal-reasoning-s08-q01 ---------------------------- Councillors claim the new bypass caused the recent fall in town-centre traffic. Which finding, if true, most weakens this claim? - A. The bypass was finished ahead of schedule. - B. Some drivers still prefer the town-centre route. - C. The bypass carries heavy traffic at peak times. - D. The town's largest employer, based in the centre, closed in the same month the bypass opened. Your answer: ______ 72. verbal-reasoning-s08-q02 ---------------------------- A charity argues that a free school-breakfast programme will raise test scores, because pupils who eat breakfast score higher. Which finding most strengthens the argument? - A. Breakfast is the most commonly skipped meal. - B. In schools that piloted the programme, scores rose while scores at similar schools without it stayed flat. - C. Teachers support the programme. - D. The programme is inexpensive to run. Your answer: ______ 73. verbal-reasoning-s08-q03 ---------------------------- "People who own bicycles visit the doctor less often, so cycling improves health." Which statement most weakens this argument? - A. People who are already healthy are more likely to buy bicycles in the first place. - B. Bicycle sales have risen steadily for a decade. - C. The survey counted only adults aged 25 to 60. - D. Cycling injuries are rare among experienced riders. Your answer: ______ 74. verbal-reasoning-s08-q04 ---------------------------- A website's sales rose sharply in the month after its redesign, and the designers conclude the redesign caused the rise. Which fact most strengthens their conclusion? - A. The redesign was praised by a design magazine. - B. Sales usually rise towards the end of the year. - C. No prices, products or advertising changed during that month. - D. The old design had been in place for five years. Your answer: ______ 75. verbal-reasoning-s08-q05 ---------------------------- "An online poll on a local gardening forum found 80% of respondents opposed the new parking charges, so the town's residents oppose the charges." Which fact most weakens this conclusion? - A. The poll ran for two full weeks. - B. Some respondents left comments as well as votes. - C. Parking charges are a common topic on the forum. - D. The forum's members are a small, self-selected group who are not representative of the town's residents. Your answer: ______ 76. verbal-reasoning-s08-q06 ---------------------------- "To cut waiting times, the clinic will add a second reception desk." Which finding most weakens the plan? - A. Waiting times are driven by a shortage of consulting rooms, not by queues at reception. - B. The reception area was redecorated recently. - C. Patients speak highly of the current receptionists. - D. Another clinic added a second desk last year. Your answer: ______ 77. verbal-reasoning-s08-q07 ---------------------------- "A composting scheme succeeded in Elmford, so a similar scheme will succeed in Dartmoor Vale." Which fact most strengthens the argument? - A. Elmford's scheme won a national award. - B. The two areas have similar housing, population density and collection services. - C. Dartmoor Vale's council has a larger budget. - D. Composting reduces landfill costs. Your answer: ______ 78. verbal-reasoning-s08-q08 ---------------------------- "The cycle-helmet campaign worked: hospital admissions for cyclist head injuries fell 30% in the two years after it began." Which fact most weakens this argument? - A. The campaign's posters were widely shared. - B. Helmet sales rose slightly over the period. - C. Head injuries are the most serious cycling injuries. - D. The total amount of cycling fell by roughly 40% over the same two years. Your answer: ______ 79. verbal-reasoning-s08-q09 ---------------------------- "Watering tomato plants with diluted seaweed feed makes them more productive." Which additional finding would most strengthen this claim? - A. Seaweed feed smells stronger than other feeds. - B. Tomatoes are the country's most popular greenhouse crop. - C. In a controlled trial, yields rose steadily as the feed dose increased, with untreated plants yielding least. - D. Some growers have used seaweed feeds for generations. Your answer: ______ 80. verbal-reasoning-s08-q10 ---------------------------- "Nine of the last ten winners of the regional business award used the consultancy BrightPath, so hiring BrightPath improves a firm's chances of winning." Which fact most weakens this argument? - A. BrightPath accepts as clients only firms that already meet most of the award's criteria. - B. The award is judged by an independent panel. - C. BrightPath's fees are among the highest in the region. - D. The tenth winner used a different consultancy. Your answer: ______ Spotting flaws in reasoning --------------------------- Each argument contains one characteristic error of reasoning. Identify the description that names it. 81. verbal-reasoning-s09-q01 ---------------------------- "You can trust the witness's account, because she is a truthful person, and we know she is truthful because her account is accurate." What is the flaw? - A. It attacks the witness personally. - B. It argues in a circle, using the conclusion to support itself. - C. It generalises from a single case. - D. It appeals to the majority view. Your answer: ______ 82. verbal-reasoning-s09-q02 ---------------------------- "The air-quality report can be ignored: its lead author once worked for a car manufacturer." What is the flaw? - A. It relies on a false analogy. - B. It confuses correlation with causation. - C. It presents only two options when more exist. - D. It attacks the author's background instead of engaging with the report's evidence. Your answer: ______ 83. verbal-reasoning-s09-q03 ---------------------------- "Either we cut the arts budget, or the library will have to close. Nobody wants the library to close, so the arts budget must be cut." What is the flaw? - A. It uses a word in two different senses. - B. It draws on an unrepresentative sample. - C. It treats two options as the only possibilities when others may exist. - D. It assumes the conclusion in its premises. Your answer: ______ 84. verbal-reasoning-s09-q04 ---------------------------- "It snowed twice this April, so claims that the region's climate is warming must be wrong." What is the flaw? - A. It treats a brief local observation as if it could overturn a long-term trend. - B. It attacks the motives of climate scientists. - C. It argues in a circle. - D. It appeals to tradition. Your answer: ______ 85. verbal-reasoning-s09-q05 ---------------------------- "The average household in the town owns 1.8 cars. The Patels are a household in the town, so they must own about two cars." What is the flaw? - A. It relies on an outdated statistic. - B. It confuses cause and effect. - C. It applies a group average directly to an individual case. - D. It uses emotionally loaded language. Your answer: ______ 86. verbal-reasoning-s09-q06 ---------------------------- "In a large survey, 90% of respondents said they believed the old theatre was haunted. So many people can't be wrong. The theatre must be haunted." What is the flaw? - A. The survey sample was too small. - B. It treats popular belief as if it established fact. - C. It confuses necessary and sufficient conditions. - D. It generalises from a single anecdote. Your answer: ______ 87. verbal-reasoning-s09-q07 ---------------------------- "I wore my green scarf to the last two matches and we won both, so the scarf is helping the team win." What is the flaw? - A. It assumes that because one thing preceded another, it caused it. - B. It attacks the opposing view unfairly. - C. It relies on an ambiguous word. - D. It presents a false choice. Your answer: ______ 88. verbal-reasoning-s09-q08 ---------------------------- "Every singer in the choir has an excellent voice, so the choir as a whole must sound excellent." What is the flaw? - A. It appeals to the singers' authority. - B. It confuses the choir with its conductor. - C. It draws a conclusion from no evidence at all. - D. It assumes that what is true of each part must be true of the whole. Your answer: ______ 89. verbal-reasoning-s09-q09 ---------------------------- A councillor proposes lowering the speed limit outside schools at drop-off times. An opponent replies: "Banning all cars from our roads is unworkable and extreme." What is the flaw in the reply? - A. It cites an unqualified authority. - B. It misrepresents the proposal as a more extreme position and attacks that instead. - C. It draws a hasty generalisation from one school. - D. It argues in a circle. Your answer: ______ 90. verbal-reasoning-s09-q10 ---------------------------- "Reported sightings of the rare orchid doubled this year, so the orchid population is booming." In fact, sightings rose from two to four after a new footpath opened through the reserve. What is the flaw? - A. It uses emotionally loaded language. - B. It attacks the people reporting the sightings. - C. It mistakes the orchid for a more common species. - D. It treats a large relative rise in very small, observation-dependent numbers as proof of a real population change. Your answer: ______ Advanced passage evaluation --------------------------- These dense passages mix rules, figures, and hedged claims. Choose only the statement the passage genuinely supports. 91. verbal-reasoning-s10-q01 ---------------------------- Passage: "The Halloway grant may fund equipment or travel, but never both in the same award year. Last year the archaeology department used its Halloway grant entirely for travel. Departments may apply in consecutive years, though first-time applicants are given priority." Which statement must be true? - A. Last year, the archaeology department's Halloway grant funded no equipment. - B. The archaeology department will not receive a grant this year. - C. First-time applicants always receive grants. - D. The department has never bought equipment. Your answer: ______ 92. verbal-reasoning-s10-q02 ---------------------------- Passage: "Of the 200 survey responses, 120 came from current subscribers, 90 of whom rated the app favourably. Overall, 130 of the 200 respondents rated the app favourably." Which statement must be true? - A. Most non-subscribers rated the app unfavourably. - B. Subscribers were less satisfied than non-subscribers. - C. Exactly half of the non-subscriber respondents rated the app favourably. - D. Seventy respondents did not answer the rating question. Your answer: ______ 93. verbal-reasoning-s10-q03 ---------------------------- Passage: "The evaluation concluded that the tutoring scheme was cost-effective in rural schools. For urban schools, the data collected was too sparse to support any conclusion either way." Which statement is best supported? - A. The scheme is not cost-effective in urban schools. - B. The scheme should be extended to all rural schools. - C. Urban schools declined to take part in the evaluation. - D. The evaluation reached no verdict on the scheme's cost-effectiveness in urban schools. Your answer: ______ 94. verbal-reasoning-s10-q04 ---------------------------- Passage: "Applications that arrive without a reference letter are returned unread. Every application the panel reads receives a written score. Tom's application received no written score." Which conclusion follows? - A. Tom's application lacked a reference letter. - B. The panel did not read Tom's application. - C. Tom's application arrived after the deadline. - D. Tom may not resubmit his application. Your answer: ______ 95. verbal-reasoning-s10-q05 ---------------------------- Passage: "Over five years, Brand K's share of the torch market grew from 8% to 12%, while total torch sales across the market halved." Which statement must be true? - A. Brand K attracted customers from rival brands. - B. Brand K's own sales grew over the period. - C. The torch market will continue to shrink. - D. Brand K sold fewer torches at the end of the period than at the start. Your answer: ______ 96. verbal-reasoning-s10-q06 ---------------------------- Passage: "The planning committee approved the design 'in principle', while deferring every budget decision to the finance board, which next meets in March." Which statement is best supported? - A. At the time of the committee's approval, no budget for the design had been agreed. - B. The finance board opposes the design. - C. The design will be funded in March. - D. The committee has no authority over designs. Your answer: ______ 97. verbal-reasoning-s10-q07 ---------------------------- Passage: "None of the interns who joined in June had used the archive software before joining. By the end of August, every intern in the office could complete a standard retrieval unaided. No training sessions ran in July." Which statement must be true? - A. The June interns taught themselves the software. - B. Training sessions ran in August. - C. At least some interns learned to use the software after joining. - D. The archive software is easy to learn. Your answer: ______ 98. verbal-reasoning-s10-q08 ---------------------------- Passage: "Of the forty exhibits in the current show, twenty-five are on loan and fifteen belong to the museum. Most of the loaned exhibits are ceramics; none of the museum's own exhibits in the show are ceramics." Which statement must be true? - A. Exactly thirteen exhibits in the show are ceramics. - B. More than a quarter of the exhibits in the show are ceramics. - C. The museum owns no ceramics at all. - D. Most of the show's exhibits are ceramics. Your answer: ______ 99. verbal-reasoning-s10-q09 ---------------------------- Passage: "Critics of the reserve's licensing system say it deters volunteers. The warden's records, such as they are, show volunteer numbers holding steady since licensing began, though the records omit anyone who enquired but never applied." Which statement is best supported? - A. The available records do not show the fall in volunteers that critics allege, but they cannot capture people deterred before applying. - B. Licensing has increased volunteer numbers. - C. The critics have been proved wrong. - D. The warden opposes the licensing system. Your answer: ______ 100. verbal-reasoning-s10-q10 ----------------------------- Passage: "Standard refunds are paid to the original payment card within five working days. Where the original card has expired, the refund is instead paid by bank transfer, which can take up to ten working days. Neha's refund was paid by bank transfer." Which conclusion can properly be drawn? - A. Neha's payment card had expired. - B. Neha received her refund within five working days. - C. Neha's refund may have taken longer than five working days to arrive. - D. Neha originally paid by bank transfer. Your answer: ______ Authored hints ============== This cognitive practice source does not publish authored hints. Every item is listed as missing a hint, and no hint text is generated or inferred. 100 worksheet items do not have an authored hint. No hint text was generated for them. Answer key ========== ! The answer key and worked explanations in this file belong only to this public, untimed educational practice source. No active aptitude suite or Novus Reasoning Challenge answer key is ever included in any download. Verbal reasoning: complete practice bank: open practice pack answer key Item Choice Answer ------------------------ ---------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- verbal-reasoning-s01-q01 TRUE True verbal-reasoning-s01-q02 FALSE False verbal-reasoning-s01-q03 TRUE True verbal-reasoning-s01-q04 TRUE True verbal-reasoning-s01-q05 CANNOT-SAY Cannot say verbal-reasoning-s01-q06 CANNOT-SAY Cannot say verbal-reasoning-s01-q07 CANNOT-SAY Cannot say verbal-reasoning-s01-q08 FALSE False verbal-reasoning-s01-q09 CANNOT-SAY Cannot say verbal-reasoning-s01-q10 TRUE True verbal-reasoning-s02-q01 B clear verbal-reasoning-s02-q02 C combine verbal-reasoning-s02-q03 A open to more than one meaning verbal-reasoning-s02-q04 D determined persistence verbal-reasoning-s02-q05 B using more words than needed verbal-reasoning-s02-q06 A quick and superficial verbal-reasoning-s02-q07 D supported verbal-reasoning-s02-q08 C extending conclusions beyond the evidence verbal-reasoning-s02-q09 A deadlock verbal-reasoning-s02-q10 D unrestrained and gushing verbal-reasoning-s03-q01 C dog verbal-reasoning-s03-q02 B chef verbal-reasoning-s03-q03 D tulip verbal-reasoning-s03-q04 A food verbal-reasoning-s03-q05 D extravagant verbal-reasoning-s03-q06 B dance verbal-reasoning-s03-q07 C reckless verbal-reasoning-s03-q08 A stars verbal-reasoning-s03-q09 B thirst verbal-reasoning-s03-q10 C transparency verbal-reasoning-s04-q01 A consequently verbal-reasoning-s04-q02 C however verbal-reasoning-s04-q03 B because verbal-reasoning-s04-q04 D Despite verbal-reasoning-s04-q05 C however verbal-reasoning-s04-q06 A suggestive … conclusive verbal-reasoning-s04-q07 D in practice verbal-reasoning-s04-q08 B dispelling … fuelled verbal-reasoning-s04-q09 D instead verbal-reasoning-s04-q10 B by contrast … implausible verbal-reasoning-s05-q01 D Wild bees matter for food crops, and some councils are acting to protect their shrinking habitats. verbal-reasoning-s05-q02 A Libraries have broadened their lending to serve wider community needs. verbal-reasoning-s05-q03 C How Urban Trees Cool Their Streets verbal-reasoning-s05-q04 B Sentence 3 verbal-reasoning-s05-q05 A Remote work maintained productivity but weakened informal mentoring for junior staff. verbal-reasoning-s05-q06 D The town must weigh cheap, recurring maintenance of proven banks against a costly, longer-lasting wall. verbal-reasoning-s05-q07 B To argue that targeted investment could shift more freight to rail. verbal-reasoning-s05-q08 C The survey found an association between budgeting and lower reported stress, but the cause is uncertain. verbal-reasoning-s05-q09 D The common belief that goldfish have only momentary memories is contradicted by the evidence. verbal-reasoning-s05-q10 A The slowness of handwriting forces selection, which several studies link, with some variation, to better recall of ideas. verbal-reasoning-s06-q01 B Amir's ticket is for Sunday's concert. verbal-reasoning-s06-q02 D Today is not a market day. verbal-reasoning-s06-q03 A Some respondents cycle at least weekly but not every working day. verbal-reasoning-s06-q04 C Some rented flats have balconies. verbal-reasoning-s06-q05 B The north branch processed more applications per staff member than the south branch. verbal-reasoning-s06-q06 D At least eight people registered. verbal-reasoning-s06-q07 C An employee other than Dana approved her claim. verbal-reasoning-s06-q08 A slightly lower verbal-reasoning-s06-q09 D Most of the choir's members sang at Friday's concert. verbal-reasoning-s06-q10 C The harbour bridge is never closed on a Sunday. verbal-reasoning-s07-q01 C Some of those commuters would buy something if the café were open at 7 am. verbal-reasoning-s07-q02 A A detergent that removes grass stains will work similarly on ink stains. verbal-reasoning-s07-q03 D the price rise, rather than another factor, caused the fall in attendance verbal-reasoning-s07-q04 B Performance on the entrance test predicts performance on the course. verbal-reasoning-s07-q05 A the counting effort and conditions were broadly comparable across the two springs verbal-reasoning-s07-q06 C The LEDs will use less electricity than the current bulbs for the same lighting. verbal-reasoning-s07-q07 B Dissatisfied customers would actually file complaints. verbal-reasoning-s07-q08 D The fossil had not shifted from the layer in which it was originally buried. verbal-reasoning-s07-q09 C the objections raised by those critics cover every serious weakness the scheme might have verbal-reasoning-s07-q10 B differences in turnover mainly reflect differences in satisfaction verbal-reasoning-s08-q01 D The town's largest employer, based in the centre, closed in the same month the bypass opened. verbal-reasoning-s08-q02 B In schools that piloted the programme, scores rose while scores at similar schools without it stayed flat. verbal-reasoning-s08-q03 A People who are already healthy are more likely to buy bicycles in the first place. verbal-reasoning-s08-q04 C No prices, products or advertising changed during that month. verbal-reasoning-s08-q05 D The forum's members are a small, self-selected group who are not representative of the town's residents. verbal-reasoning-s08-q06 A Waiting times are driven by a shortage of consulting rooms, not by queues at reception. verbal-reasoning-s08-q07 B The two areas have similar housing, population density and collection services. verbal-reasoning-s08-q08 D The total amount of cycling fell by roughly 40% over the same two years. verbal-reasoning-s08-q09 C In a controlled trial, yields rose steadily as the feed dose increased, with untreated plants yielding least. verbal-reasoning-s08-q10 A BrightPath accepts as clients only firms that already meet most of the award's criteria. verbal-reasoning-s09-q01 B It argues in a circle, using the conclusion to support itself. verbal-reasoning-s09-q02 D It attacks the author's background instead of engaging with the report's evidence. verbal-reasoning-s09-q03 C It treats two options as the only possibilities when others may exist. verbal-reasoning-s09-q04 A It treats a brief local observation as if it could overturn a long-term trend. verbal-reasoning-s09-q05 C It applies a group average directly to an individual case. verbal-reasoning-s09-q06 B It treats popular belief as if it established fact. verbal-reasoning-s09-q07 A It assumes that because one thing preceded another, it caused it. verbal-reasoning-s09-q08 D It assumes that what is true of each part must be true of the whole. verbal-reasoning-s09-q09 B It misrepresents the proposal as a more extreme position and attacks that instead. verbal-reasoning-s09-q10 D It treats a large relative rise in very small, observation-dependent numbers as proof of a real population change. verbal-reasoning-s10-q01 A Last year, the archaeology department's Halloway grant funded no equipment. verbal-reasoning-s10-q02 C Exactly half of the non-subscriber respondents rated the app favourably. verbal-reasoning-s10-q03 D The evaluation reached no verdict on the scheme's cost-effectiveness in urban schools. verbal-reasoning-s10-q04 B The panel did not read Tom's application. verbal-reasoning-s10-q05 D Brand K sold fewer torches at the end of the period than at the start. verbal-reasoning-s10-q06 A At the time of the committee's approval, no budget for the design had been agreed. verbal-reasoning-s10-q07 C At least some interns learned to use the software after joining. verbal-reasoning-s10-q08 B More than a quarter of the exhibits in the show are ceramics. verbal-reasoning-s10-q09 A The available records do not show the fall in volunteers that critics allege, but they cannot capture people deterred before applying. verbal-reasoning-s10-q10 C Neha's refund may have taken longer than five working days to arrive. Worked explanations =================== verbal-reasoning-s01-q01 Only members may join group hikes per the passage's rule, and Maria has joined two, so she must be a member. verbal-reasoning-s01-q02 The passage says a member who misses the session "must wait until the next one is offered". Not that they can never join. verbal-reasoning-s01-q03 The passage says she completed orientation and "has since" joined two hikes, meaning the hikes came after. verbal-reasoning-s01-q04 The passage directly refers to "the monthly orientation session." verbal-reasoning-s01-q05 The passage never compares Maria's hike count with any other member's. verbal-reasoning-s01-q06 The passage only describes this specific club's rule; it says nothing about other hiking clubs. verbal-reasoning-s01-q07 The rule requires orientation before joining a hike, not before joining the club, and the passage never says when Maria became a member. verbal-reasoning-s01-q08 The passage states that all members must complete the orientation before joining any group hike, which rules this out directly. verbal-reasoning-s01-q09 The passage mentions only orientations and group hikes; it neither confirms nor denies that other activities exist. verbal-reasoning-s01-q10 This is stated word for word in the passage, so no inference is needed. A reminder to check for direct statements first. verbal-reasoning-s02-q01 The clue is the result: nobody needed to ask questions, which fits instructions that were easy to understand. verbal-reasoning-s02-q02 The phrase "into one regional centre" shows several offices being merged together rather than closed or improved. verbal-reasoning-s02-q03 The sentence itself defines the word: a reply that "left both interpretations open" can be read in more than one way. verbal-reasoning-s02-q04 The evidence given is repeated effort over time until success: persistence, not talent or strength. verbal-reasoning-s02-q05 The supporting detail is repetition, which points to wordiness rather than errors or difficulty. verbal-reasoning-s02-q06 The word "only" signals that the glance fell short of a proper check. It was brief and shallow. verbal-reasoning-s02-q07 To corroborate is to back up or confirm another account: agreement in substance, not necessarily identical wording. verbal-reasoning-s02-q08 The warning concerns stretching what one season's data can show onto periods it did not cover. verbal-reasoning-s02-q09 Neither side moving means progress has stopped entirely: a standstill, not a breakthrough or a deal. verbal-reasoning-s02-q10 Praise that raises doubts about sincerity is over-the-top praise, poured out without restraint. verbal-reasoning-s03-q01 The first word names the young of the animal named by the second, so the pattern needs the adult animal. verbal-reasoning-s03-q02 The relationship is tool to the person who uses it, so the answer must be the whisk's user, not a place or another tool. verbal-reasoning-s03-q03 Three of the words name trees; a tulip is a flowering plant, so it breaks the shared category. verbal-reasoning-s03-q04 A drought is a prolonged shortage of rain, so the parallel is the thing famine is a shortage of. Hunger is the result of the shortage, not the missing thing itself. verbal-reasoning-s03-q05 The first pair are opposites, and the opposite of restrained spending is lavish, wasteful spending: generosity concerns giving to others, which is a different axis. verbal-reasoning-s03-q06 A sonnet is a specific type of poem, so the pattern needs the general category of which a waltz is a specific type. verbal-reasoning-s03-q07 Three of the words describe careful watchfulness; the remaining word describes the opposite, a disregard for risk. verbal-reasoning-s03-q08 An archipelago is a named group of islands, so the pattern needs the things a constellation is a named group of. verbal-reasoning-s03-q09 The verb relieves the unpleasant state that follows it: alleviating eases pain, and quenching satisfies thirst. Water is the means, not the state relieved. verbal-reasoning-s03-q10 Something ephemeral lacks permanence, so the pattern needs the quality that something opaque lacks, the ability to be seen through. verbal-reasoning-s04-q01 The second clause is a direct result of the first, so the sentence needs a cause-and-effect connective, not a contrast. verbal-reasoning-s04-q02 "At first" signals that the second clause reverses the initial impression, which calls for a contrast connective. verbal-reasoning-s04-q03 Living in Lisbon explains the fluency, so the connective must introduce a reason rather than a concession or condition. verbal-reasoning-s04-q04 Going ahead runs against what a forecast of heavy rain would suggest, so the sentence needs a connective of concession. verbal-reasoning-s04-q05 The booking requirement qualifies the expectation set by "free", so a contrast word fits. The requirement is not an example or a consequence of free entry. verbal-reasoning-s04-q06 The colon explains the blanks: "pointed towards" matches evidence that hints, and "without settling" rules out evidence that proves. verbal-reasoning-s04-q07 The sentence contrasts the form's intention with what actually happened, so the connective must introduce the real-world outcome. verbal-reasoning-s04-q08 "Far from" sets up an opposite outcome: the statement failed to put the rumours to rest and instead made them stronger, a vague statement naturally feeds speculation. verbal-reasoning-s04-q09 The second clause describes what the committee did in place of rejecting the proposal, so the connective must signal a substituted action. verbal-reasoning-s04-q10 "Conceded" signals a critic granting one good point before turning negative, so the second judgement must oppose the first. verbal-reasoning-s05-q01 A good main-idea statement covers the whole passage: the bees' importance, the habitat problem, and the response, not a single detail or an overstated fix. verbal-reasoning-s05-q02 The passage's examples all illustrate one central claim about expanded lending; the framing calls this a return to, not a departure from, the founding purpose. verbal-reasoning-s05-q03 A good title names the passage's actual subject, the cooling effect of street trees and how it works, at the right level of breadth. verbal-reasoning-s05-q04 Three sentences describe the community garden and how it runs; the car park sentence introduces an unrelated topic. verbal-reasoning-s05-q05 The passage balances two findings joined by "however", steady output and a mentoring cost, so the main point must include both. verbal-reasoning-s05-q06 The passage presents a trade-off without deciding it, so a faithful summary states both sides rather than picking a winner or inventing failures. verbal-reasoning-s05-q07 The structure (an advantage, an obstacle, then a proposed remedy) builds a case for action, which reveals a persuasive rather than purely descriptive purpose. verbal-reasoning-s05-q08 The researchers' caution deliberately stops short of a causal claim, so a faithful reading preserves that hedge instead of upgrading it to proof. verbal-reasoning-s05-q09 The passage opens with a popular belief and spends the rest refuting it. "In fact" marks where the author's real point begins. verbal-reasoning-s05-q10 The main idea links the mechanism (slowness forces selection) to the finding (better recall) while keeping the passage's stated caveat about variation. verbal-reasoning-s06-q01 Saturday tickets were all gone before Friday, so a Friday purchase from the two weekend options can only have been for Sunday. verbal-reasoning-s06-q02 If today were a market day, the sourdough would have been gone by noon; it is still there at 3 pm, so the rule's condition cannot hold. verbal-reasoning-s06-q03 Everyone who cycles daily also cycles at least weekly, so the gap between 60% and 25% must cycle weekly but not daily; the remaining 40% might still cycle occasionally. verbal-reasoning-s06-q04 The rented flats in the building are still flats in the building, so each of them must have a balcony. 'Some' rented flats with balconies is guaranteed. verbal-reasoning-s06-q05 A larger total divided among fewer people always gives a higher per-person figure; explanations for why, and predictions about June, go beyond the evidence. verbal-reasoning-s06-q06 The seminar running guarantees its necessary condition was met, a minimum of eight registrations, but tells us nothing about the exact number beyond that. verbal-reasoning-s06-q07 An employee approved the claim, and Dana is barred from approving her own, so the approver must be some other employee, though not necessarily her manager. verbal-reasoning-s06-q08 The 10% fall applies to the larger March figure, so it removes more than the rise added: 110% of February reduced by a tenth leaves 99% of February. verbal-reasoning-s06-q09 The sopranos alone are more than half the choir, and all of them sang, so more than half the choir sang, whatever the other members did. verbal-reasoning-s06-q10 If the bridge were ever closed on a Sunday, the bus would have to run that day, which never happens, so a Sunday closure is impossible. verbal-reasoning-s07-q01 People walking past only helps the café if some would actually stop and buy; deny that, and the footfall is irrelevant to the conclusion. verbal-reasoning-s07-q02 The argument transfers success from one stain type to another, which only works if the two cases are relevantly similar. verbal-reasoning-s07-q03 Reversing a cause only reverses an effect if it really was the cause; if something else drove people away, cutting prices fixes nothing. verbal-reasoning-s07-q04 The leap from test score to course performance needs a bridge: the test must actually measure something the course rewards. verbal-reasoning-s07-q05 A higher count only signals more birds if the way of counting stayed the same; more volunteers or better weather could raise the count without any population change. verbal-reasoning-s07-q06 The saving comes entirely from lower consumption for the same output; purchase price and future tariffs affect other sums, not this conclusion. verbal-reasoning-s07-q07 Silence only proves satisfaction if unhappy customers would speak up; if they simply leave without complaining, the absence of complaints shows nothing. verbal-reasoning-s07-q08 The layer's age only transfers to the animal if the fossil stayed where it was first deposited; movement between layers would break the link. verbal-reasoning-s07-q09 Answering the objections that were raised proves nothing about weaknesses nobody raised; the conclusion needs the critics' list to be exhaustive. verbal-reasoning-s07-q10 Turnover can be held down by contracts, a weak job market, or location; the argument works only if satisfaction is the main driver of the difference. verbal-reasoning-s08-q01 A major employer closing offers a rival explanation for the fall in traffic, so the bypass can no longer take sole credit. verbal-reasoning-s08-q02 A pilot with a comparison group turns a mere association into evidence that the programme itself produces the improvement. verbal-reasoning-s08-q03 If health leads to bicycle ownership rather than the other way round, the association exists without cycling improving anyone's health. The causal arrow is reversed. verbal-reasoning-s08-q04 Ruling out the other plausible causes of a sales rise leaves the redesign as the best remaining explanation. verbal-reasoning-s08-q05 The conclusion generalises from the sample to the whole town, so showing the sample is unrepresentative cuts the argument at its root. verbal-reasoning-s08-q06 A plan fails if it targets the wrong bottleneck: more reception capacity cannot shorten waits caused elsewhere in the system. verbal-reasoning-s08-q07 An argument from analogy is only as strong as the relevant similarities between the two cases, so evidence of those similarities directly supports it. verbal-reasoning-s08-q08 If cycling itself fell more than the injuries did, the drop in admissions may reflect fewer cyclists rather than safer ones. verbal-reasoning-s08-q09 A controlled comparison showing more feed produces more yield, a dose-response pattern, is strong evidence that the feed itself is doing the work. verbal-reasoning-s08-q10 If the consultancy selects clients who were already likely to win, the winners' record reflects that selection rather than anything the consultancy adds. verbal-reasoning-s09-q01 The account's accuracy is used to prove the truthfulness that was supposed to prove the account's accuracy, the reasoning loops back on itself. verbal-reasoning-s09-q02 A report stands or falls on its data and methods; the author's employment history may motivate scrutiny but cannot by itself refute the findings. verbal-reasoning-s09-q03 The argument's force depends on there being exactly two options; if other savings or revenue sources exist, the forced choice is an illusion. verbal-reasoning-s09-q04 A long-term trend is a pattern across many years and places, so two cold days are far too small a sample to refute it. verbal-reasoning-s09-q05 An average summarises a whole group; any single household may own zero cars or four, so the figure cannot be read off onto one family. verbal-reasoning-s09-q06 How many people believe a claim is evidence about opinion, not about the world; widespread belief has often accompanied false claims. verbal-reasoning-s09-q07 Sequence is not causation: the scarf preceded the wins, but nothing links it to the outcome beyond coincidence. verbal-reasoning-s09-q08 Qualities of individual members do not automatically combine: excellent voices can still blend poorly, so the whole needs separate evidence. verbal-reasoning-s09-q09 The reply swaps a modest, targeted proposal for a sweeping ban nobody suggested, then refutes the invented version rather than the real one. verbal-reasoning-s09-q10 Doubling sounds dramatic, but two extra sightings, with more people now walking past, is easily explained by increased observation rather than more orchids. verbal-reasoning-s10-q01 The grant funds one category per year and last year's went entirely to travel, so equipment funding from that grant is excluded; priority for first-timers affects odds, not certainties. verbal-reasoning-s10-q02 Subtracting the 90 favourable subscribers from 130 favourable responses leaves 40 favourable non-subscribers out of the 80 who responded, exactly half. verbal-reasoning-s10-q03 Absence of evidence is not evidence of failure: sparse data means the urban question stayed open, not that the answer was negative. verbal-reasoning-s10-q04 Every read application gets a score, so no score means no reading; but the passage gives only one stated reason applications go unread, not the only possible one, so the missing-reference conclusion overreaches. verbal-reasoning-s10-q05 A larger slice of a much smaller pie can still be less: 12% of half the market equals 6% of the original market, which is below the starting 8%. verbal-reasoning-s10-q06 Deferring every budget decision to a board that has not yet met entails that no budget was settled when the committee approved the design; what the board will decide remains open. verbal-reasoning-s10-q07 The June joiners started with no experience and later managed retrievals unaided, so they at least must have learned after joining, how they learned is not settled by the passage. verbal-reasoning-s10-q08 "Most" of twenty-five means at least thirteen ceramics, and thirteen of forty already exceeds a quarter; the exact count, and what the museum owns outside the show, are not fixed. verbal-reasoning-s10-q09 The hedges matter: "such as they are" and the noted omission mean the records count against the critics without refuting them, since deterred enquirers would never appear in the data. verbal-reasoning-s10-q10 The transfer route allows up to ten working days, so a wait beyond five is possible; concluding that her card had expired reads the rule backwards: expiry guarantees a transfer, but the passage never says a transfer happens only after expiry. Source: https://learn.novusstreamsolutions.com/cognitive-skills/verbal-reasoning