Verified question bank

Verbal reasoning questions with answers and evidence.

Practise 654 verbal reasoning questions across 19 categories. Every answer is independently verified and every accessible explanation shows the exact evidence or reasoning step that decides it.

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Eight complete examples

Verbal reasoning questions with worked answers.

These are confirmed questions from the public practice pool. Each answer names the deciding passage span or logical step, so you can check the reasoning rather than trust an unexplained answer letter.

Example 1: True/False/Cannot Say (easy)

The pharmacy delivers prescriptions free of charge. Customers may speak to the pharmacist without an appointment. The pharmacy is closed on Sundays.

Statement: Prescriptions are delivered by the pharmacy at no charge.

Verified answer: True

The evidence

The pharmacy delivers prescriptions free of charge. Customers may speak to the pharmacist without an appointment. The pharmacy is closed on Sundays.

The highlighted text decides the answer.

What to notice

The passage says the pharmacy delivers prescriptions free of charge.

The rule

'Free of charge' and 'at no charge', active to passive — same fact, True.

Why the others are wrong

False: Delivery is free, so False contradicts it.
Cannot Say: Delivery cost is stated, so it is answerable.

Example 2: True/False/Cannot Say (medium)

Bouquets ordered before noon are delivered the same afternoon. The flowers, which arrive each morning, come from a nearby grower that uses no pesticides. Vases can be hired for events.

Statement: An order placed before midday reaches the customer that same afternoon.

Verified answer: True

The evidence

Bouquets ordered before noon are delivered the same afternoon. The flowers, which arrive each morning, come from a nearby grower that uses no pesticides. Vases can be hired for events.

The highlighted text decides the answer.

What to notice

The passage says bouquets ordered before noon are delivered the same afternoon.

The rule

'Before noon'='before midday', 'delivered'='reaches the customer' — same fact, True.

Why the others are wrong

False: Same-afternoon delivery is stated, so False contradicts it.
Cannot Say: The timing is stated, so it is answerable.

Example 3: Reading Detail (easy)

All passwords are changed every ninety days. Laptops are locked when left unattended. Guest Wi-Fi is kept separate from the main network. Phishing reports are sent to the help desk. USB drives are not allowed on work machines.

According to the passage, which statement is correct?

Verified answer: D — Phishing reports are sent to the help desk.

The evidence

The highlighted text decides the answer.

What to notice

The passage states that phishing reports are sent to the help desk.

The rule

Pick the option that restates one stated fact with the same entity, value and destination; reject any option that swaps the destination, widens the scope, mixes two facts, or adds an unstated topic.

Why the others are wrong

A — Staff connect to internal systems through a company VPN client.: Not stated: the passage never mentions a VPN client — it is outside what the passage covers.
B — Every device on the network is kept separate from the main network.: Over-generalised: only the guest Wi-Fi is kept separate, not every device on the network.
C — Laptops are locked when left unattended and their passwords change every ninety days.: Conflation: the lock rule is for laptops and the ninety-day rule is for all passwords; the passage never makes the interval a laptop-specific rule.
E — Phishing reports are sent to the marketing team.: Contradicts the passage: phishing reports go to the help desk, not the marketing team.

Example 4: Reading Detail (medium)

Any applicant with fewer than ten staff qualifies for the small-team funding stream. The review panel meets twice a year. The Harlow workshop employs six staff. The application form is limited to four pages.

According to the passage, which statement is correct?

Verified answer: C — The Harlow workshop is eligible for the small-team funding stream.

The evidence

The highlighted text decides the answer.

What to notice

The eligibility threshold sits in one sentence and the Harlow workshop's staff count in another; only joining them settles whether the workshop qualifies.

The rule

Read the rule's cut-off, then find the figure it tests in another sentence: six staff is fewer than ten, so the Harlow workshop qualifies for the small-team funding stream.

Why the others are wrong

A — The Harlow workshop is too large for the small-team funding stream.: Contradicts the passage: six staff is fewer than ten, so the workshop qualifies rather than being too large.
B — Every applicant qualifies for the small-team funding stream.: Over-generalised: only applicants with fewer than ten staff qualify, not every applicant.
D — Successful applicants receive their award as a single lump sum.: Not stated: the passage never says how an award is paid — award structure is outside what the passage covers.
E — The Harlow workshop qualifies because the review panel meets twice a year.: Conflation: the panel meeting twice a year is unrelated to eligibility, which depends only on staff count.

Example 5: Main Idea and Summary (easy)

The car park is free for the first two hours. After that, each extra hour costs three pounds.

Which option best captures the passage as a whole?

Verified answer: E — Parking is free for the first two hours and then costs three pounds for each extra hour.

The evidence

The car park is free for the first two hours. After that, each extra hour costs three pounds.

The highlighted text decides the answer.

What to notice

Two facts: a free period and a later charge.

The rule

The best summary keeps both, adding or reversing nothing.

Why the others are wrong

A — All parking in the area is free of charge.: Too broad: not all parking is free, and there is a charge.
B — Parking is free all day on Sundays.: Added claim: no Sunday rule is stated.
C — Parking costs three pounds from the moment you arrive.: Contradicted: the first two hours are free.
D — The notice explains where to display your parking permit.: Unsupported focus: permits are not mentioned.

Example 6: Main Idea and Summary (medium)

Version 4.2 replaces the old password login with a required one-time code sent by email. Saved reports from earlier versions will open in read-only mode until they are re-exported. Support for the version 2 plug-in interface ends with this release. The full list of fixed bugs appears in the appendix to these notes.

Which option is the best summary of the passage?

Verified answer: B — Version 4.2 switches sign-in to a required emailed one-time code, opens older saved reports as read-only until they are re-exported, and ends support for the version 2 plug-in interface.

The evidence

The highlighted text decides the answer.

What to notice

The release makes three changes: a required emailed one-time-code login, read-only older reports until re-exported, and the end of version 2 plug-in support; the fixed-bug list is only an appendix.

The rule

The best summary compresses every key change without adding a claim, omitting a necessary one, or reversing what the passage says.

Why the others are wrong

A — The notes are mainly a catalogue of the bugs fixed in this release.: Distorted emphasis: the fixed-bug appendix is an incidental detail, not what the notes are mainly about.
C — Version 4.2 replaces password login with an emailed one-time code and opens older saved reports in read-only mode until they are re-exported.: Partial summary: it states the new login and the read-only reports but omits the necessary end of version 2 plug-in support.
D — Users can keep signing in with their existing password in version 4.2.: Contradicted: the password login is replaced by an emailed one-time code, the opposite of keeping the existing password.
E — The login change was made after a recent breach exposed customer accounts.: Added claim: the notes give no reason for the login change and never mention a breach.

Example 7: Deduction (easy)

Every chilled churn is moved to the loading bay. Every churn in the loading bay is weighed by the dairyman.

Conclusion: Every chilled churn is weighed by the dairyman. Does the conclusion follow from the premises?

Verified answer: A — Follows

The evidence

Every chilled churn is moved to the loading bay. Every churn in the loading bay is weighed by the dairyman.

The highlighted text decides the answer.

What to notice

Two one-way rules chain through 'the loading bay'.

The rule

Hypothetical syllogism: (chilled -> bay), (bay -> weighed) gives (chilled -> weighed).

Why the others are wrong

B — Does Not Follow: The two rules chain cleanly; rejecting the link drops premise 2.

Example 8: Deduction (medium)

If a tram enters the depot, its brakes are tested. If a tram's brakes are tested, the logbook is signed.

Which conclusion follows from the premises?

Verified answer: D — If a tram enters the depot, the logbook is signed.

The evidence

If a tram enters the depot, its brakes are tested. If a tram's brakes are tested, the logbook is signed.

The highlighted text decides the answer.

What to notice

Two one-way rules chain forward through 'brakes are tested'; the foils run the rules backwards.

The rule

Hypothetical syllogism: (enter -> brakes tested), (brakes tested -> logbook signed) gives (enter -> logbook signed).

Why the others are wrong

A — If a tram's brakes are tested, the tram entered the depot.: Reverses premise 1; a brake test need not mean the tram entered the depot.
B — If the logbook is signed, the tram entered the depot.: Affirms the consequent; a signed logbook has other causes.
C — Every tram enters the depot.: Asserts every tram enters the depot, which no premise states.
E — If a tram does not enter the depot, the logbook is not signed.: Denies the antecedent; not entering does not block a signature.

Choose a skill

Verbal reasoning practice questions by category.

Four complete categories are free. The remaining categories include a question preview before full guided practice.

Lexical reasoning

4 categories

Argument analysis

6 categories

Evidence-based comprehension

7 categories

Rule-based deduction

2 categories

Questions you can challenge

A worked answer must show its evidence.

The correct option is not presented as an unexplained letter. Passage questions cite the deciding sentence; deduction questions show the logical step; word questions name the relationship. Every question also has a report route for human review.

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Move from worked examples to test practice.

Use the practice-test hub when you are ready to work under test conditions. Rehearse passage comprehension on the SHL-style verbal practice page, or work through the five critical-thinking methods on the Watson-Glaser-style practice page. If your invitation uses a different label, compare the formats in the verbal ability and aptitude guide.

Preparing for a public-service application? Use the dedicated police verbal reasoning test guide or the Civil Service verbal reasoning guide.