The first type of verbal reasoning test measures your critical thinking and analytical skills. This includes an ability to problem solve by identifying an error or a problem in the logic involved with the argument presented to you. You must be able to analyze and evaluate the given information carefully, weighing the pros and cons of each argument presented in order to arrive at a conclusion. For this, you should not only be able to express your own opinion but also that of others. It is advisable to formulate a systematic plan of how you plan to arrive at a conclusion before you actually do it.
The second type of verbal reasoning tests assess your comprehension and critical thinking skills. These are measured using multiple-choice, argumentative, reading comprehension, reasoning, and oral assessments. One of the popular exams used to gauge the level of your comprehension and critical thinking skills are the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TWEL). In this test, you will have to complete a multiple-choice reading and listening comprehension section, answer a written question, and show a knowledge of vocabulary found in the English language.
The third type of verbal reasoning test is built on reasoning. It measures your ability to solve problems analytically. It uses both inductive and deductive reasoning to gauge your problem-solving abilities. These types of tests are commonly used in job and educational tests.
The fourth type of verbal reasoning measure is your ability to reason logically. It is measured using both inductive and deductive reasoning. For example, to solve a problem you must first establish an issue, choose a solution, explain your solution, and then reason your choice through to its completion. In this case, TWEL would measure your ability to reason rationally. An example of a logic problem could be, If I were looking at five different numbers one through five, how would I know which number comes before the fifth, which number comes after the fifth, and so on.
The fifth type of verbal reasoning test gauges your ability to think creatively. It does this by using a variety of different kinds of reasoning. One example could be, Suppose I was looking at two different sets of dates, each with four numbers from one to four. I would need to use some sort of calculation, sort them out, and then figure out which date has the greater probability of coming before the other date. This is called a thought experiment, and it is often administered in creative writing tests. GRE is probably the most commonly administered creative writing test.
The last type of verbal reasoning test measures your verbal skills. It is called non-verbal reasoning, because you don’t have to verbally tell the examiner that answers are correct. Instead, you simply point to an answer on the page that is correct. Most people are not naturally good at this, and it is really hard to improve. You may find that you improve your scores on the math and reading tests that you take, but never on the non-verbal reasoning questions.
Now that you understand the five different kinds of reasoning used in a verbal reasoning exam, you should know what to do to improve your score. First, study hard, and then study some more. Get lots of practice questions, so that when you sit for the exam, you already know how the test is going to work. Use the tips from this article to prepare yourself for verbal reasoning exams. Then, go out there and get those grades that you want.