Our recommended 11 Plus Verbal Reasoning test practice papers

Passing verbal reasoning tests The general advice given is typical that some focussed test practice will improve your score. Unfortunately, there aren’t any quick wins for being good at Maths.

• Give your “first response”.
• As a timed test, you need to average around one minute per question. Work briskly but accurately.
• Each question counts the same so pick off the easy ones first and don’t waste your test time on the most difficult questions.
• Practise some of the most common numerical test types at the main test publisher websites. For this reason alone, we strongly advise practising sample questions from Kenexa-IBM, TalentQ and SHL sites. ensure that you are comfortable using data tables, interpreting graphs and manipulating large financial figures.

 

How to do well on verbal reasoning tests

These come in many different types of formats. The traditional comprehension format is to have a short text passage followed by a series of questions about facts, opinions, conclusions from the passage content. A bit like those English tests in primary school where you answered questions on a novel extract. Regardless of the type of test, it’s vital to remember:

• To carefully read each question. Often questions hinge on 1-2 keywords so you must take more care to interpret these accurately.
• If questioned whether something “always” applies whilst the passage states that it is “sometimes” the case, then this is a false interpretation.
• One useful strategy is to scan the passage initially, then to read it in more detail.
• It’s more efficient as you answer each question if you can recall roughly where to find the answer in the passage.

 

Top Tips for Passing Verbal Reasoning Tests

Verbal reasoning is one of the most common examinations these days which is considered a determining criterion by many schools and colleges for admission purposes. Furthermore, these examinations are also required for determining the IQ among teenage students and are a test that is conducted by educational institutions for their students quite frequently. So, if a student is well versed in these kinds of examinations, then it would be beneficial for them in the long run.

 Whats a verbal reasoning examination like?

There are many kinds of verbal reasoning examination and the most common one is where a passage is provided, from where key arguments need to be picked up and questions are to be answered which will be related to the article or piece provided. The ability to summarize and read through the whole comprehension keeping in mind the key points is important for forming a logical argument.

For cracking these exams with flying colors, certain tips and tricks are required. When it comes to verbal reasoning, a certain degree of analysis for perceiving the questions and understanding what the ask is will be required. Here are some tips that will assist the students in passing the verbal examinations.

The first tip is that applicants should be figuring out beforehand who the test provider will be. As soon as the applicants figure that out, they will be asked to refer to a sample and the process goes on. Figuring out who the test provider is important as all verbal reasoning examinations are not the same and thequestions differ from person to person. Some of the most common test providers are Talent Q, SHL, Saville, and many more. If one figures out which provider will be responsible for the questions will allow them to practice and study for it in that manner. A lot of applicants do not consider this but this is a substantial advantage for getting good marks on the examination.

verbal reasoning question samples

Re-reading all the pieces of the text is the second most important tip. The test passages are not written in a simple manner, rather they are provided in a complex manner intentionally to determine the analytical skill of the students. Reading each passage more than two to three times will make the students understand what is being said. It is important to understand the instructions provided thoroughly and if no vital information is missed, one can always go back to the questions and answers page.  

The third important tip for all applicants who are appearing for the verbal reasoning test for the first time in their life is not to make assumptions. There is no general knowledge that works here, rather, every student must refer to the paragraph and the piece that has been provided here. Real-life experiences should also not be taken into consideration. All the information that has been presented on the paper or screens should be referred to only and if there is any information that is not included in the passage, it should not affect the understanding of the applicants. Based on the information that has been provided, the students can correlate that particular question and proceed to answer. This is when the analytical skills of the students are analyzed.

Time management

Time management is another important tip for someone who does or does not have an experience in this field. There will be multiple questions and the time provided for all those questions is never enough. The first rule of getting good marks is always answering or attempting all the questions first.

There is a general thumb rule that one should be spending not more than a minute on each of the questions. It is important that everyone is pre-prepared and knows how many questions relate to the statement provided. 

More verbal reasoning test tips

The next tip is working on or improving the analytical skills is important for every applicant for grasping the questions better and coming up with the answers quicker. One can read business articles from time to time as there contain a lot of complicated information and analyzing or working on these kinds of articles, will allow the reader to build a mindset of looking for key information in a massive article or a complicated statement. If one’s analytical skills are top notch, one will be able to figure out the key arguments and also understand the tone of the author. For any form of critical analysis, having a decent level of analytical skills is important for any individual.

Most of our 11+ practice resources are free. We hope you find them useful!

11+ Verbal Reasoning Test Tips

• Verbal reasoning is a method of understanding and framing reason-based justifications using different concepts framed with the help of words. Constructive thinking is required here rather than simple fluency and vocabulary reasoning.
• These tests are common for those who are appearing for the 11+ examinations. One must prepare effectively for these examinations and many online examination tests will determine the quality of one’s standard.
• This will assist the student in determining whether they will need to improve or not and how much more preparation should they be planning to do. Tests can be premium or free, almost all the tests are similar.
• However, on the premium ones, students will be getting additional assistance. The premium tests are not super expensive and are affordable to all so that all students can avail themselves of the top-class benefits.
• All these pre-tests online examinations will make the selection process towards the 11+ grades quite easier. The following tips will come in handy for the students appearing for the examination.

Top 5 Tips for 11+ Verbal Reasoning 

1. Your overall approach needs to be focused concentration. In your verbal reasoning practice sessions you should have realised which speed suits you best. Of course, this is getting the maximum number of verbal reasoning questions correct. Also,though you must answer as many verbal reasoning questions as possible.
2. Carefully read each question. Often questions hinge on 1-2 keywords so you must take more care to interpret these accurately.
3. If asked whether something “always” applies whilst the passage states that it is “sometimes” the case, then this is a false interpretation.
4. Scan the Comprehension passage initially, then to read it in more detail.
5. It’s more efficient as you answer each question if you can recall roughly where to find the answer in the passage.

11+ Verbal Reasoning Tips 6-10

6. The sixth tip is to avail the online premium sites will offer the best in quality tutorial videos with one question at a time kind of pattern. There will be timed questions as well as untimed questions so that the child can practice at a beginner and an advanced level as well.

Free verbal reasoning tests – verbal reasoning questions – 11 plus verbal reasoning

It is better to start with the untimed questions and then move on to the timed ones so that an effective learning curve is maintained. discussed earlier, the question type will differ from publisher to publisher, the UK-based publishers will be coming up with code-breaking and letter sequence questions and verbal reasoning papers. 7. The next tip is focusing on the vocabulary section. The Durham university publisher papers will be designed based on testing the vocabulary a lot more than the other skills. There will be questions testing word recognition and understanding.

 

With effective practice, once the student masters the beginner level, then they can move on to the other ones. It is important to understand the question patterns might change during the time of the original examination. 8. The eigth tip for all aspirants is to go through the mock question rounds.  These tests are designed to build an understanding in the minds of the students to understand how the exams will be but they will not provide the exact format of how they will look. The more the students practice, the more they will get an understanding of how timed questions need to be dealt with. A grammar school candidate is expected to have strong English analytical skills, so the exams might be harder than one generally expects. The premium sites will improve the core skills of the students through different games and online quiz sessions. 9. The next tip is to stay motivated and focused at all times. The program is designed to keep the students motivated for practice and better their performance. The best way to crack these examinations is to keep calm under pressure.

Be accurate. Be patient

10. The tenth tip for getting better marks is focusing on the accuracy part. Accuracy is also one of the most important skills that the teachers are looking for in the tests. Being swift and accurate will be one of the best skill-set combinations that will work well for the students The tests are designed to check this ability as well and the better the students can handle pressure, the more they will be able to focus on the exam. Motivated students will be able to crack the exams easily, provided that they are calm throughout the session and think clearly. 11. The last tip is to be patient. The whole process will not work overnight, rather it will work with consistent effort. It should be made sure that all the tips and tricks discussed previously are followed accurately.

Free verbal reasoning tests – verbal reasoning questions – 11 plus verbal reasoning

The steps discussed here are the basic level school skills that should be developed during the child’s academic period in school. This will ensure that the students are even more prepared for the examinations. A grammar school candidate will find it quite easy to answer the reasoning questions. The academic background of the students so far is also an important step towards understanding what are the skills that the students have developed till now and what will be beneficial towards their career growth. The questions that will be coming in the test can be anywhere between finding a code, finding missing numbers, odd letters, inserting letters, etc. With effective preparation, the student will surely be ready for it and crack the examinations. Firstly, questions typically consist of single sections of text, each of which is followed by a series of questions relating to that particular section. Each question requires relevant pieces of information to be extracted from the passage and a specific judgement to be made on the basis of this information. The comprehension questions below consist of a long passage of text, followed by 2-3 statements about the information contained within the passage. Identify which of these statements are ‘correct’ and which statements are ‘incorrect’. Only use the information given in the passages. Assume that the information in the passages is correct even if you know otherwise.

Free verbal reasoning tests – verbal reasoning questions – 11 plus verbal reasoning

Your verbal reasoning skills may be something that you’ve taken for granted. Or you may have assumed that they are only relevant for people who like doing crosswords and playing Scrabble. In fact, reading comprehension is something that we all do every day in both our personal lives and at work. From newspapers and magazines to correspondence and company reports, you use your verbal reasoning skills to make sense of all different types of writing. Whether you are aware of it or not, you use your verbal reasoning skills when following a new recipe, reading a notice at a train station, applying for a bank account, or browsing through holiday brochure.  

When are verbal reasoning skills used?

Eleven Plus Verbal Reasoning Tests provide an assessment of a child’s ability to reason and solve problem solve with written information.  Everyone needs to have basic verbal reasoning skills to survive daily life. And good verbal reasoning skills are a key prerequisite for many different jobs. Any job that involves frequent communication requires verbal reasoning skills.

This could mean written communication in emails or reports, or spoken and written communication such as in teaching. In a commercial environment, for instance, call centre employees need to be able to converse clearly with their customers. At the graduate and managerial levels, many jobs require the interpretation and critical analysis of complex verbal information.

Almost all jobs require some form of verbal communication and/or reading written information. Internal correspondence with your colleagues can be more informal (depending upon who they are!) than when you are communicating with your customers or clients.

 

Step-by-step Chukra 11 plus verbal reasoning guide

1. Assessing Your Child’s Current 11 plus verbal reasoning skill level is vital. Otherwise you cannot track their progress along the way. In other words, you should assess your child’s English skills. Those literacy skills covered by Key Stage 2 in school.
2. Master the different 11 plus verbal reasoning question types.

• Certain types of 11 plus exam have separate verbal reasoning and 11 plus English papers. Whilst the CEM 11 plus exam’s verbal reasoning paper covers a full range of a child’s literacy skills: readingcomprehension, vocab, punctuation and spelling.

3. Only start using Chukra 11 plus verbal reasonign papers once your child fully understands the different types of verbal reasoning question.

Chukra 11 Plus verbal reasoning

• Whilst other 11 plus exam paper publishers, such as the GL Assessment 11 plus exam’s verbal reasoning paper, has code breaking / letter sequence question format. Plus, their 11 plus format’s core maths questions within the same 11 plus verbal reasoning exam.
• The CEM 11 plus exam format tests English vocab, word recognition and English understanding.

Of course, these region-specific 11 plus formats also can change. HEnce it’s worth checking the 11 plus test publisher sites:

• GL Assessment 11 plus Guide
• CEM 11 plus Guide
• Essex 11 plus Guide

Chukra 11 plus verbal reasoning

Verbal Reasoning Sample Questions

Instructions – Read the passage. To each question, answer TRUE, FALSE or CANNOT TELL using only the information given in the passage.

Verbal Reasoning Example Questions Passage I

Whereas invertebrates have an external exoskeleton, vertebrates have an internal endoskeleton. The human endoskeleton is comprised of cartilage and the body’s 206 bones. These are connected to each other by ligaments. It protects and supports the body’s internal organs. Also, the human endoskeleton also works in conjunction with muscles, joints and nervous system to enable movement.

Joints occur between bones, making the skeleton flexible by acting as hinges or pivots. Tendons attach muscles to bones and contract in response to a stimulus from the body’s nervous system. Those muscles that are under conscious control, the skeletal muscles, act by pulling against the bones of the skeleton.

•      Physical activity requires the muscles and bones to synchronise.

Firstly, True. See 3rd sentence.

•     The human endoskeleton provides connection points for the body’s muscles.

Secondly, True. T

•  The human skeleton is comprised mainly of bone.

Thirdly, CT.

•    Unlike invertebrates, humans have an internal exoskeleton.

Finally, False. Humans have an internal endoskeleton as specified in the first and second sentences.

Verbal Reasoning Test Passage II

Copernicus’ sixteenth century model of the solar system has the Earth and associated planets revolving around the Sun. Nicolaus Copernicus’s theory was the first heliocentric model of planetary motion, placing the sun at the centre. That said, his solar model retained the erroneous premise – as per the Ptolemaic System – that planets move in perfect circles.

There was a complete change in people’s concept of the universe because of the move away from the geocentric view. The Copernican model of the solar system laid the groundwork for Newton’s laws of gravity and Kepler’s laws of planetary motion. It describes how each planet stays in orbit.

•      The passage suggests that the Copernician system was flawless.

Firstly, False. The Copernician system retained the erroneous premise that planets move in perfect circles.

• Copernicus developed the first geocentric model of the Earth’s solar system.

Secondly, False. The model was heliocentric.

• C paved the way for Newton’s work on the orbits of the planets.

Thirdly, True. See the last two sentences.

• The Ptolemaic system preceded the Copernican model.

Finally, True. See 3^rd sentence.

11 Plus verbal reasoning practice papers from ISEB’s Galore Park

Galore Park, the ISEB publishers, also offer a comprehensive range of verbal reasoning revision papers ;

Verbal Reasoning – Sample Test questions; and Verbal Reasoning Sample Test Solutions.

Ask ROB (expert test developer) your questions by emailing passedpapers@gmail.com

An Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, Rob Williams is a Chartered Psychologist with over 25 years of experience working and designing tests. Rob has worked for the school entrance test publishers ISEB and GL – as well as the leading global psychometric test publishers including SHL, Kenexa IBM, MBTI, CAPP and SOVA Assessment.