verbal reasoning tests examples
Today’s GMAT tip comes from test prep firm ManhattanGMAT. In this article, ManhattanGMAT instructor Stacey Koprince offers advice on making an educated guess on the verbal section of the GMAT:
What is Educated Guessing?
Generally speaking, there are two kinds of guessing: random and educated. A random guess is one in which you really don’t have any good idea how to choose among all five answer choices. An educated guess is simply one in which you have used good reasoning to eliminate a wrong answer or answers before you make a random guess from among the remaining choices.
It is often the case that we can figure out some likely wrong answers even when we have no idea how to find the right answer. When we narrow our options in this way, we give ourselves a better chance of guessing correctly when we finally do guess. In order to narrow our options effectively, though, we actually have to have studied this in advance; this is not something that you just “know” how to do.
Everyone will have to guess at some point on the GMAT; there’s no way around that. The test will give you things that you can’t do. (Most people have to guess on between 4 and 7 questions in each section.)
When Should I Make an Educated Guess?
On verbal, we use a different process to answer the answers than we do on quant. We are actually making an educated guess right from the beginning of each verbal problem.
Our first pass through the five answers is used to determine which answers are definitely wrong and can be crossed out immediately (and ignored from now on). We do not attempt to determine which answers are correct on this first pass; we only cross off the ones we know are definitely wrong (and this is already educated guessing, because we are eliminating answers!). It is rare not to be able to eliminate any answers on the first pass, though this can happen occasionally. If you aren’t able to eliminate a single answer on your first pass, you will need to consider making a random guess on this question and moving on.
On our second pass, we take a more careful look at any remaining answer choices. If we get stuck, we may need to use more sophisticated means to continue to narrow down our answers through the use of educated guessing.
Techniques
There are many different techniques that we can use to make educated guesses. For the most part, the techniques will be specific to a problem type (Sentence Correction, Critical Reasoning, or Reading Comprehension) or even to a sub-type (for example, Draw a Conclusion on CR). I’ll discuss some of the most common below, but you should consider this just a starting point. As you study from now on, ask yourself: how can I eliminate wrong answers on this question? How do the test writers make wrong answers tempting on certain types of verbal problems? (Tip: it’s often easier to figure this out on questions you answered correctly; learn how to do it on questions you understand, then apply the technique to harder problems of the same type.)
Note: what we discuss in this section still involves making guesses based on certain common traps; it is not the case that these guesses will always result in correctly eliminating wrong answers. These tactics should be used only when needed; they should not be your first line of attack.
Sentence Correction: Play the Odds on Certain Splits
There are certain pairs of differences, or splits, in the answer choices that more often resolve one way than the other (more often – not always). If you know what these are and you have to make a guess, then you can “play the odds” by guessing the variation that is more often correct. For instance, in a split between “like” and “such as,” the phrase “such as” is more likely to appear in the correct answer. (This is because people often make the mistake of using “like” when they actually should use “such as,” so the trap is to think that “like” is okay to use in place of “such as.”) In a split between “rather than” and “instead of,” “rather than” is more likely to appear in the correct answer.
When you’re studying and see a split that you’ve seen before, ask yourself: does this tend to go one way more than the other? If so, why? (There should be a good reason, like the reason I described above for “like” versus “such as.”)
Critical Reasoning: Know the Common Traps
In Critical Reasoning, the common traps tend to be specific to the problem sub-types. The four major types (according to ManhattanGMAT!) are: Find the Assumption, Draw a Conclusion, Strengthen the Conclusion, and Weaken the Conclusion.
On Find the Assumption, Strengthen, or Weaken types, the right answer needs to be connected to the conclusion in some way. Wrong answers are sometimes not tied to the conclusion at all. If you’re debating between two choices and one is tougher to connect to the conclusion, don’t guess that one.
On Draw a Conclusion, wrong answers will often go too far – they will go beyond the scope of what we can reasonably conclude from the given information. If you are debating between two choices and have to guess, choose the one that doesn’t go as far from the premises given in the argument.
Reading Comprehension: Know the Common Traps
In Reading Comprehension, again, the common traps tend to be specific to the problem sub-types. On General (main idea) type questions, the wrong answers will often be either too specific or too broad; if you have to guess, pick a “middle of the road” type answer. Extreme words are often included in wrong answers.
On Inference questions, wrong answers will often go too far (much like wrong answers on CR Draw a Conclusion questions). Choose an answer that doesn’t stray as far from the text of the passage. Wrong answers may be what we call “plausible in the real world” but not addressed by the passage. If you read something and think, “Hey, that’s probably true!” but realize you think that because of your own knowledge of the world, not something you read in the passage… don’t guess that one.
On Specific questions (both inference and look-up) beware of the “mix-up” trap. If the answer choice includes language directly from the passage, but that language is found in two or more separate paragraphs in the passage, then the answer is more likely to be a trap.
Your Turn!
It’s up to you now to keep studying and find more of these. Talk to your friends. Ask your instructors. STUDY the problems you’re doing from this point of view: how do the test writers get someone to choose this wrong answer? How do the test writers get someone to eliminate this right answer?
For more information on ManhattanGMAT, download Clear Admit’s independent guide to the leading test preparation companies here. This FREE guide includes coupons for discounts on test prep services at ten different firms!
Read the full article: GMAT Tip: How to Make Educated Guesses on Verbal
I am not an accomplished HR person, nor am I an interview-trainer. I am only a fresher, who has just given two job interviews in his campus and has been selected for one (and rejected for the other), and therefore knows what one should do (and should not do) to get a job offer through campus interviews. And best of all, I want to help!
To begin with, most (software) companies follow a four-round pattern when recruiting freshers. These rounds are as:
Round 1 – Aptitude Test
Round 2 – Group Discussion / Just-A-Minute Sessions (JAMS)
Round 3 – Behavioral Interview
Round 4 – Technical Interview
Now let’s look at each round in detail
Round 1 – Aptitude Test
The aptitude test, as the name suggests, tests your aptitude for the job. Most (software) companies test the students in three areas, viz, Verbal Ability, Analytical Ability and Eye for Detail (these names vary from company to company, but the meaning remains the same, for example a company may call Analytical Ability as Logical Reasoning). Each company may have it’s own selection criteria, some may select students who have scored more than a pre-determined overall cut-off marks (meaning that the students need not have achieved the cut-off in each section of the test), some may place sectional cut-offs, while some others may simply select the top 100 or 200 students for the next round. In order to pass this round you must possess two qualities – accuracy and speed. The aptitude test usually has 60 to 80 questions and a duration of 60 to 120 minutes.
The Verbal Ability section tests the candidate’s knowledge of English. Every Verbal Ability test of every company will have two long comprehension passages followed by questions on those passages. But fear not, the passages are quite easy. A simple and time-saving technique to tackle such questions is to just read the first line of each paragraph of the passage in order to gain an idea of what each paragraph is talking about. Then read each question and look for its answer in the paragraph that talks about the subject of the question. Other questions in the Verbal Ability section may include questions on prepositions, articles, choosing the correct word that would complete a sentence, sentence correction. Here your knowledge of the English language will help.
The Analytical Ability section contains questions on Mathematics (ugh!) and logical reasoning. Many people consider this section to be a piece of cake before taking the test, and they are the ones who do not clear the test. Only practice can help you get through this section, which includes questions on profit and loss, discounts, venn diagrams, data interpretation, figure-series, data sufficiency, puzzles on classification, seating arrangements, syllogisms and logical deductions. I know that sounds like a lot! But there a quite a few resources for practice. If you have taken coaching for CAT, then your CAT study material should suffice for your preparation. For people who do not have the CAT material, I sincerely suggest that you get a copy of R.S. Agarwal’s Verbal and Non-Verbal Aptitude and Quantitative Aptitude Books. I swear by these. In fact, one of the papers I have written had questions that were given as examples in the R.S. Agarwal books.
The last section, Eye for Detail, has questions that test your concentration skills. This is, frankly speaking, the easiest section, and you should have no problem getting through it with zero preparation. This may have questions of the type where you are given 3 large numbers, not unlike mobile recharge codes and asked to identify the identical numbers, perform mathematical problems where the math signs have changed meanings (example, + stands for * and * stands for -).
One more resource I suggest for preparation for the Aptitude Test is www.freshersworld.com . This website has numerous sample papers for almost every company. Enough to last you all your life.
One final advice, DO NOT try to copy/cheat in this test.
1-> Your helper may actually try to make you fail.
2-> If your helper is indeed your best friend and helps you pass, you will be indebted to him for the rest of your life.
Do it on your own and be proud. Practice makes a man perfect. Practice gets a man through the Aptitude Test.
More on the other rounds of the recruitment process will follow. Till then, practise for the Aptitude Test.
August 31st, 2010 at 1:47 pm
Detroit Dave says:
Nique was way more disrespecful than MJ with his in game dunks.
August 31st, 2010 at 1:53 pm
POPPI GEE says:
Perhaps for food for thought you all could post a video of each dunkers highlights and then that may cause the vote to have a little more truth vs. feel.
Me personally I like Kemp the best.
August 31st, 2010 at 2:03 pm
POPPI GEE says:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlAuCLFqjmY
Pretty horrid quality but none-the-less you get the picture.
Kemp’s case!
Really I don’t see how MJ beats Kemp, Vince or Nique far as In-game.
I would love for ESPN to do a 30/30 film on how Nique was robbed that one year in the dunk contest.
August 31st, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Heckler says:
well….one of these four guys will finish last in the voting. and any of them can finish first. i have no problem with any finishing 1st. but someone gotta be last–Im not saying it should be Nique–but one of them gotta finish 4th.
SIDE NOTE (to this video)–
if any of yall wanna feel a free, spirited physical rush, then yall need to see MOP live when they’re performing “Ante Up”. get in the mosh pit and try no to die!….RUSH!!
August 31st, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Toot says:
Clyde “The Glide” Drexler anyone?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU-vSeXskRY
especially during the Phi Slamma Jamma/Portland days
August 31st, 2010 at 2:29 pm
SJ says:
I hope DIME is typing up something about this ‘Melo situation! Dude messed up bad!
August 31st, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Brown says:
Vince likely gets more votes because the younger crowd doesn’t remember (or know) how nasty Nique was. Kemp has some nice slams, but Nique had quality AND quantity. He dunked on dudes regularly.
August 31st, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Knicksfan84 says:
All about the audience Austin. Too many 90’s babies poppin up here on this site.
August 31st, 2010 at 2:52 pm
That's What's Up says:
Doc Rivers was dishin’ a lot of those dopey dimes to ‘Nique.
Unfortunately I remember when he joined the Spurs, and got stuffed by the rim on a breakaway. game over
August 31st, 2010 at 2:57 pm
Steve Nash says:
love it how Dr. J just put his head down instead of trying to at least get in the way jajajaja
August 31st, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Nodizzel says:
“I would love for ESPN to do a 30/30 film on how Nique was robbed that one year in the dunk contest.”
I love Nique and all, but he lost that dunk contest because dude did the same dunks like 4 years in a row, and I think the judges wanted to see something different. I went on Youtube and watched all those classic dunk contest and every year Nique was in it, I was able to call out the dunk he was going to do before he did them.
Dude just got too cookie cutter after a while.
August 31st, 2010 at 3:05 pm
Kermit The Washington says:
When ‘Nique dunked on Bird in the playoffs, Bird looked like he died in mid-air. I guarantee he was unconscious for a second.
August 31st, 2010 at 3:05 pm
karizmatic says:
I still like MJ a little bit more than Nique as far as in game. Some of MJ”s dunks were just ruthless. But like you said that’s a matter or personal preference. I would take Vince down a notch on that list, but his dunk over Weis alone keeps him up there, and Kemp was ferocious so I think Nique probably is behind those guys, but it’s not by much. For real they are all in the same class.
August 31st, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Kermit The Washington says:
@ Nodizzel:
I used to get so mad at ‘Nique being able to score a 50 every time he did a windmill. It was like his entire contest was “windmill from straight-on”, “windmill from the baseline”, “windmill from the OTHER baseline”…ugh. But he had mad power though
August 31st, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Nodizzel says:
@Kermit The Washington:
Yeah he was getting by on how hard he dunked. The only player to ever equal the power in which he dunked was Kemp but that’s just my opinion. Although that dunk VC put on Zo made me run a few laps around the block to kill some of my hype.
August 31st, 2010 at 3:46 pm
That's What's Up says:
@Nodizzel…. predicting the past…how amazing.
Maybe we should call you Nostradizzel
August 31st, 2010 at 3:59 pm
Chicagorilla says:
@Kermit, you hit it right on the head. While all of the guys had their certain selection of dunks, Nique was always doing windmills and thats it. I love Nique as a in-game dunker and he was great in the contest too. But this B.S. people are spitting about the 88′ contest kills me. WATCH THE CONTEST ON YOUTUBE. You will see Nique getting 50 for repeating the same dunk over and over then had the nerve to complain when he didnt get a 50 for repeating a dunk and Jordan did. The real travisty in that contest was Drexler trying to repeat every dunk Jordan did. Then gettin mad when he didnt get the same score. As for in game dunkers @1 Vince Carter. The Mutombo dunk, Chris Mullin/Ric Smits baseline reverse windmill facial, the alley oop windmill at gauchos, and “the Lipton” on Weis. @2 Jordan. Tree rollins, Ewing, Manute, Mutombo, Zo, Tim Duncan when MJ was 40, Hakeem, The Admiral, Rodman, Mel Turpin, Barkley, The Celtics, just too many to name. @3 Nique. Bob Lanier, Bird, tip dunkin his own miss(!)
August 31st, 2010 at 4:42 pm
POPPI GEE says:
Nah I still got Kemp over dudes. Kemp was thuggin in the NBA before Ron made it “popular”. Kemp was giving you the “complete” show.
Intro – can be anything from GP with the rock and Kemp following behind, or Kemp on the break wide open or just Kemp and some poor soul one on one. You felt something was gonna happen. If it was against your team you was like “Awww Shiii#!”
Climax is when Kemp brought it regardless of whatever, whoever and all. 3 dudes..didn’t matter, would he possibly get called for a charge…didn’t matter. Dude was dunkin each time like he served 20 and the rim was a fresh piece after he just got out. Killin it!
Conclusion and this is what sets dude apart from others for me. You could always count on some type of dramatics afterward. Before dudes who are now screaming and puttin on, Kemp was that. From grabbing his nutz, to pointing, to looking at the opponent who was humiliated already and to even having an opposing player dap him up (wow). Sorry as great as some of Mike’s and Niques were they never gave you the complete show as Kemp did. Vince yea he has given complete shows, but only few of them ranked with the wide array of “complete” shows that Kemp gave.
Course that is just my view. I can see Vince being 1 for accomplished dunks (cause ain’t no one jumped OVER a dude like he did).
Still ain’t no way I see Mike and Nique as 1 or 2 after more deliberation.
As far as the dunk contest with MJ and Nique I would still love for ESPN to bring it back with comments from the participants. I have heard opposing views for both sides. I was along the lines that Nique got robbed too, but clearly after reading a couple of post I am going to watch it again. Deuces.
August 31st, 2010 at 4:45 pm
DNice says:
It should go
1 Kemp
2a Wilkins
2b Jordan
4 Carter
I say Jordan and Wilkins are tied for the 2 spot
August 31st, 2010 at 4:56 pm
Nodizzel says:
@That’s What’s Up:
Apparently you missed the point the dude had no variety that’s all I was getting at.
August 31st, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Jah says:
1. Shawn Kemp
2. Dominique Wilkins
3. Michael Jordan
4. Vince Carter
5. Clyde Drexler
That’s it!
August 31st, 2010 at 5:55 pm
DJ Leon Smith says:
Great clip but would have been A+ if they edited the dunks in time with the “OHHHHHHHHHHHH!”s, “BLAWWWS!”s and “GET EM GET EM GET EM!”s.
August 31st, 2010 at 7:01 pm
Promoman says:
I’m old enough to have seen ‘Nique in his prime but I still have to ride with Vince being the GOAT as far as dunking’s concerned. Vince had a wider arsenal and a good deal of his dunks are now standards in dunk contests. The Lipton, the Gauchos alley-oop, the 2000 dunk contest, Vince’s UNC run, etc. are still discussed like it happened last night. Michael was ruthless and had a wider arsenal too. The only reason I’d put ‘Nique ahead of Shawn Kemp (and I’m a huge Kemp fan) is that Shawn had at least 4-5 inches on ‘Nique.
August 31st, 2010 at 9:15 pm
Chicagorilla says:
@GEE, man i loved to watch Kemp back in the 90s! The mistreatment of Chris Gatling then the DAP afterwards, the disrespect against the Knicks his rookie year with the back dunk, the Cradle Rock-cram-then point vs GState(Billy Owens?) was a thing of beauty. My only thing with Kemp is that he went out like a b!tch by gaining 40lbs when he got traded to CLEV and was never heard from again as far as dunking goes. Jordan and Nique was still bangin on cats well into their 30s. Nique after knee surgery was still catching tip dunks with the SPURS and MAGIC. Jordan retired, came back a gave Mutombo the finger wave then retired again and came back and dunked on Duncan in the 2001 ASG. Vince was so amazing in the time from 96′ UNC-2005 with the nets that he is forgiven for not doing it now.
August 31st, 2010 at 10:37 pm
Chicagorilla says:
Oh wow, just watched the Nique clip and it makes me want to go out and dominate on a 8ft rim! lol. No one will ever do it like that again. The way he cocked the ball back to his numbers and unleashed hell on the rim.
I saw that people were putting up the angriest dunkers of all time. how is it that Nique wasn’t number one on every list?
Top 5 angriest dunkers Chi-style
1) D.Wilkins
2) Shaq
3) Jerome Kersey
4) D. Dawkins
5) K.Garnett (minnesota days)
August 31st, 2010 at 10:59 pm
POPPI GEE says:
C-Rilla I can give you that. Kemp was short lived after the weight gain lol. I always wished Nique would have left Atl. earlier and did the “LeBron” if you will. Felt like Atl. never did dude right.
All this talk about folks getting dunked on has got me amped for the upcoming season, to see ….who gets it!
September 1st, 2010 at 12:31 am
Chicagorilla says:
@Gee,
not a lot of people get dunked on anymore. Too many venues to see the replays on. Mutumbo said it in a interview once back in the late 90’s “You don’t want to get dunked on because the next day you are on ESPN, NBA showtime, NBC, NBA JAM” And it seems like dudes really took that as a warning to not jump.
So a guy like Lebron, who should have a ton of facials on big men, don’t get the glory of crowing a shot blocker because they don’t jump anymore. Here is my list of shot blockers that still jump
1) Tyrus Thomas
2) Josh Smith
3) Javel McGee
4) Emeka Okafor
5) Gerald Wallace
It seems as though only foriegn players jump with no regard for themselves being on highlights (Dragic vs Rose).
And the only people that will catch a big jumping at them is small guys like Ty Lawson (Mbenga), C.Paul (caught DWight Howard), Shannon Brown and Derrick Rose, but the last two may have a free lane pass after last season.
Lebron scares people too much so no one jumps. They all clear the lane because Lebron is nearly impossible to block clean without a foul (with DSterns new rulebook and all). So out go the facials and in come the lame tamahawk open lane dunks
September 1st, 2010 at 8:54 am
JA says:
Sir Charles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpIggpXm1u8