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VerbalReasoningTest4 Solutions
VerbalReasoningTest4 Solutions
Solutions Booklet
Instructions
This verbal reasoning test comprises 30 questions, and you will have 25 minutes in which to
correctly answer as many as you can.
You will be presented with a passage to read, and a statement about that passage. For each
statement you must select one of the following answers:
True: The statement follows logically from the information contained in the passage.
False: The statement is logically false from the information contained in the passage.
Cannot Say: It is not possible to determine whether the statement is true or false
without further information.
You will have to work quickly and accurately to perform well in this test. If you don’t know the
answer to a question, leave it and come back to it if you have time.
Try to find a time and place where you will not be interrupted during the test. When you
are ready, begin the test.
Assessment Day
Practice Aptitude Tests
A common difficulty faced by business managers is when the behaviour of a
team-member conflicts with established desirable practice. How does a good
leader handle such an issue? One effective angle is to lead by example: instead
of waiting for a problem to develop, take a proactive approach in heading it off
with reference to clearly laid out guidelines. If a problematic situation does
develop, controlling it can be made simpler by invoking existing values from a
mission statement which has been set out in advance. A good team will always
put the needs of the organisation first.
True – this statement is correct, as the passage says: “when the behaviour of a
team-member conflicts with established desirable practice... one effective angle is to
lead by example...”
Cannot say – while the passage encourages both effective communication and a
flexible approach (“a manager must have a good understanding of the way individual
people communicate”, “a flexible approach is essential”) it does not explicitly state
that individual communication leads to a flexible approach.
False – while accepting that changes in approach are sometimes necessary (“If new
developments do arise...”) the passage states that: “The perfect PR message will be
consistent, with each new approach reinforcing the key objectives of the company.”
Q5 Not disclosing a full company history to the PR officer will result in a failed
campaign.
Cannot say – while the passage states that disclosure of company history is
important (“The client should disclose detailed information to the PR officer, including
the company's history”) it is not explicitly stated anywhere that failing to do this will
directly and by itself result in the failure of the PR campaign. However, neither is it
stated that failure will not result from no disclosure, so any definite answer to this
question would rely on inferences which are not directly confirmed by the passage.
False – The passage states: “Seizing opportunities when they arise is key to the
success of the campaign.”
Orientation and value-formation training can induce this kind of thinking in new
staff recruits, inculcating the notion of how quickly it is possible to achieve financial
security through hard work and innovative business approaches, combined with
the impression that to miss out on opportunities for such rapid economic and social
advancement would be at best unwise and at worst catastrophic.
False – the passage states in fact that such employees will contribute “as willing
partners to the achievements of the company.”
True – the passage states that “this kind of thinking” - which refers directly to the
personal entrepreneurship approach discussed in the first paragraph – can be
induced through “Orientation and value-formation training”.
Cannot say – while the passage states, “Those who are oriented towards personal
entrepreneurship will work long hours”, therefore implying that the answer to this
question should be 'false', there is no explicit comparison with other staff in either
direction, so no definite answer can be given.
On the other hand, artificial flattery or excessive deference are tactics unlikely to
impress if promotion is the goal – a good employee should demonstrate the
potential to be an equally effective boss.
Q10 Employees must reject criticism to build a good working relationship with
their boss.
False – the passage explicitly states the opposite, that “accepting criticism gracefully
[helps to] build a solid working relationship.”
Q11 A bad relationship with a boss can lead to missed opportunities, but does not
risk an employee's reputation.
Q12 Flattering the boss can be an effective approach for an employee seeking
promotion.
Cannot say - the passage states “artificial flattery [is] unlikely to impress if promotion
is the goal”, but makes no comment about the effect of sincere flattery. So that tells
us about artificial flattery and that it is unlikely to impress. Regarding flattery in
general, the passage does not state that flattery can or cannot be an effective
approach for seeking promotion, so we cannot say if this is true or false.
False – in direct contradiction to the statement above, the passage states, “It is also
useful to know something of the history and development of the company, as well as
being aware of its present reputation.”
Q14 The personal traits and abilities of a company's personnel can influence the
confidence people have in their product.
True – the passage states that “this information”, i.e., the knowledge of company
history and policies described earlier in the paragraph and referred to in the question,
“can help to form the basis of an effective sales pitch.”
Q16 Unethical practices are only a problem if the public becomes aware of them.
Cannot say – the passage states that “the increasingly inescapable attention of the
media” means that “unethical practices can become a matter of public knowledge
overnight, with devastating consequences.” It does not however make any explicit
reference to the consequences of unethical practices which do not come to the public
attention.
True – The passage states that, “Codes of ethical practice should apply not only to
clients, but to employees”.
Q18 More people than ever before have access to information about companies'
ethical practices.
True – the passage states that the media “allows an unprecedented number of
individuals to access news and information” and explicitly confirms that this includes
information about companies' ethical practices by adding “unethical practices can
become a matter of public knowledge overnight”.
The rise of the internet has provided a variety of new opportunities for
advertising, of which an innovative business should take full advantage. A
well-designed website should ideally combine a professional appearance with
user-friendly functionality, and be widely promoted to draw as much traffic as
possible. This not only increases the visibility of a company, but assures
potential clients that the company has a forward-thinking, enterprising outlook,
and is willing to embrace as well as exploit the latest technological
developments.
True – the passage states, “a helpful starting point for [planning advertising
strategies] is an analysis of the advertising currently being used by competitors”. The
statement is therefore correct.
Cannot say – the passage states that “A well-designed website” should “combine a
professional appearance with user-friendly functionality”, but adds that the site should
be “widely promoted to draw as much traffic as possible.” There is no explicit
relationship, positive or negative, suggested to exist between the design of the
website and the traffic it attracts.
Cannot say – the passage states that a website “assures potential clients that the
company has a forward-thinking, enterprising outlook”, but does not explicitly state
that a client would or would not prefer such a company.
The combined effect of these factors can lead both to fluctuating sales, and an
unstable working environment – tensions within the business may rise as
employees are denied expected pay increases, or have to be let go to
compensate for falling profits. Employers and employees alike must be
flexible, and make every effort to adapt to new and less predictable economic
conditions, to have the best chance of survival.
Q22 Flexible businesses which adapt to new economic conditions will survive a
recession.
Cannot say – while the passage does state that “Employers and employees alike
must be flexible”, it goes on to say that this will provide “the best chance of survival”.
There is no explicit guarantee that a business will or will not survive the recession if it
employs an adaptable approach.
Cannot say – on the basis of this passage alone, it is not possible to confirm or refute
this statement. The passage states that economic recession impacts business
through “reduced consumer spending”, and that recession also “leads to a rise in
inflation”. It does not state that the consumer spending leads to the latter, only that
recession results in both; nor does it state that consumer spending does not lead to
recession, therefore it is impossible to make a definite answer to the statement.
True – the passage states that recession impacts a business through “reduced
consumer spending and a resultant decrease in sales” and through “a rise in inflation,
which increases a business's expenditure.” It then goes on to state that these factors
“in turn act both to reduce competition...and increase it”.
True – the passage states, “Customers must be reassured that... increased prices
reflect the need to cover unseen, escalating costs of running a business.” The
statement above is therefore correct, though abbreviated.
False – while the passage goes on to say that offering discounts is often not
sufficient, it does explicitly state that “ One approach to increase sales is offering
discounts on products,” in direct opposition to the statement above.
Q27 Increasing prices will always reduce revenue from regular customers.
Having created a business plan, the first step in setting up an online business is to
find a reliable website host and reserve a suitable domain name. There are
numerous practical factors to consider, including bandwidth and disk space
requirements, and establishing a sufficient level of security in processing online
payments from customers. Depending on what service or product is being
provided, the website need not be technically complex; however, for maximum
impact, it may be helpful to employ a professional web-designer.
Cannot say – the passage makes no definite statement about whether using a
professional designer will increase traffic, but says, more ambiguously, “for maximum
impact, it may be helpful to employ a professional web-designer.” In addition, it is not
clearly indicated whether or not “maximum impact” refers to web-traffic. Therefore it
is not possible to give a definite answer to this statement.
Q29 One of the practical factors to consider in setting up an online business is the
bandwidth requirements of the website.
True – the passage states, “the first step in setting up an online business is to find a
reliable website host... There are numerous practical factors to consider, including
bandwidth...requirements.” This statement is therefore correct.
-- End of Test --