Verbal Reasoning Test: True, False or Cannot Say Explained (With Examples)

How verbal reasoning tests work, why Cannot Say catches so many people out, and worked example passages with explained answers to help you practise.

By Tony Musso on Sun Oct 18 2026

A verbal reasoning test checks how accurately you can read a short passage and judge what it does and does not say. It is not a test of vocabulary or spelling. The skill being measured is close reading under time pressure: separating what the passage states from what you assume, know already or think is likely.

Employers use these tests for graduate schemes, the Civil Service, law and professional services firms, banks and many office roles where you will read reports, policies and emails and act on them. This guide explains the most common format, why "Cannot Say" catches so many people out, and how to prepare, with worked example passages and explained answers.

The True / False / Cannot Say format

The most common verbal reasoning format gives you a passage of around a paragraph, followed by several statements. For each statement you choose one of three answers:

• True: the statement follows from the information in the passage.
• False: the passage contradicts the statement.
• Cannot Say: the passage does not give enough information to decide either way.

The golden rule is to treat the passage as the only source of truth. Even if you know something about the topic, and even if the passage seems out of date or wrong, judge each statement only against what is written in front of you.

Why "Cannot Say" trips people up

Most wrong answers come from confusing False with Cannot Say. The difference is simple to state but easy to forget at speed:

• False means the passage says something that rules the statement out.
• Cannot Say means the passage is silent, or does not say enough.

The trap is that a statement can feel false, or feel obviously true, because of what you know or expect. If the passage does not actually say it, the answer is Cannot Say.

Watch for these patterns in particular:

• Cause and effect. A passage might say sales rose after a campaign. That does not mean the campaign caused the rise unless the passage says so.
• Future events. "The board will decide in the autumn" does not tell you what the board will decide.
• Strong words. "All", "never", "only" and "always" in a statement need equally strong support in the passage.
• Comparisons. Knowing something is not the lowest does not tell you it is the highest.

How the tests are timed and scored

Verbal tests are timed tightly, and many candidates do not finish. The instructions will tell you how many questions there are and how long you have, so work out your pace before you start.

As with a numerical reasoning test, your raw score is usually compared with a comparison group, such as other graduates or applicants, to give a percentile. Each employer then sets its own pass mark. If the instructions do not mention losing marks for wrong answers, an educated guess generally beats a blank.

Worked example 1: a four-day week trial

These passages were written for this guide in the style of a typical test.

Harbourside Logistics introduced a four-day week trial for its office staff in January. Staff worked 32 hours across four days with no reduction in pay. Warehouse staff, who work shifts, were not included in the trial. At the end of the six-month trial, the company reported that the number of customer complaints handled by the office team had fallen compared with the same period the previous year. The board has said it will decide in the autumn whether to make the arrangement permanent, and that its decision will take into account the views of staff surveyed during the trial.

1. Office staff were paid less during the trial. False. The passage says there was no reduction in pay, which directly contradicts the statement.

2. The four-day week caused the fall in customer complaints. Cannot Say. The passage reports that complaints fell during the trial, but never says the trial caused it. Something else could explain the change.

3. Warehouse staff did not take part in the trial. True. The passage states that warehouse staff were not included.

4. The board will make the four-day week permanent. Cannot Say. The passage only says the board will make a decision. It does not say what that decision will be.

5. The trial lasted six months. True. The passage refers to "the end of the six-month trial".

Worked example 2: library opening hours

Northbrook Council is reviewing the opening hours of its libraries. Under the proposal, three of its nine branches would close on Mondays, and the central library would stay open until 8pm on Thursdays instead of closing at 6pm. The council says the change would allow it to keep all nine branches open without reducing staff numbers. Visitor counts collected over the past year show that Monday is the quietest day at every branch except the central library. A public consultation will run for eight weeks before any change is made.

1. Under the proposal, no branch would close permanently. True. The council says the change would allow it to keep all nine branches open. Closing on Mondays is not a permanent closure.

2. The central library is busiest on Mondays. Cannot Say. The passage says Monday is not the quietest day at the central library. That does not make it the busiest. This is the comparison trap.

3. The proposal would mean cutting library staff. False. The passage says the change would work without reducing staff numbers.

4. The central library currently closes at 6pm on Thursdays. True. The proposal would keep it open until 8pm "instead of closing at 6pm", which tells you the current closing time.

5. Most local residents support the proposal. Cannot Say. The consultation has not happened yet, and the passage says nothing about residents' views.

Worked example 3: a short one to spot the strong word

Applicants for the trainee scheme must hold a full UK driving licence. Most trainees are placed in the company's Leeds office for their first year.

Statement: All trainees spend their first year in Leeds. Cannot Say. "Most" does not tell you whether every trainee is placed there, so the passage cannot confirm "all".

Statement: An applicant without a driving licence meets the scheme's requirements. False. The passage says a full UK driving licence is required.

Other verbal reasoning formats

Not every employer uses True / False / Cannot Say. You may also meet:

• Inference questions, where you rate a conclusion on a scale such as definitely true, probably true, not enough information, probably false or definitely false.
• Critical reasoning, which asks you to spot hidden assumptions, judge whether an argument is strong or weak, or decide whether a conclusion follows from the evidence.
• Comprehension questions with multiple-choice answers about the main point of a passage.
• Spelling, grammar and checking tests, used for some administrative, legal and proofreading roles.

The same habit underpins all of them: separate what is stated from what is assumed.

How to practise

Do the employer's practice test. If your invitation includes a practice version, always take it. It shows you the exact format, the number of answer options and how the screen works.

Practise little and often. A few timed passages a day over a week or two builds speed better than one long session the night before.

Read the statement first, then the passage. Knowing what you are checking helps you find the relevant sentence quickly.

Mark your reasoning on practice tests. For every answer, note the exact words in the passage that support it. If you cannot point to any, the answer is probably Cannot Say.

Review your mistakes by type. If most of your errors are True answers that should have been Cannot Say, you are filling gaps with your own knowledge. If they are False answers that should have been Cannot Say, you are treating silence as contradiction.

Read widely. Reports, longer news articles and policy documents get you used to dense, formal writing, which is what most passages look like.

Set up properly on the day. Use a laptop or desktop in a quiet room with a reliable connection, and do not try to fit the test into a lunch break.

Reasonable adjustments

If you have dyslexia, a visual impairment, ADHD or another condition that affects reading under time pressure, you can ask for reasonable adjustments. In England, Scotland and Wales, the Equality Act 2010 requires employers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled candidates, and Northern Ireland has equivalent law. Adjustments might include extra time, a format that works with a screen reader, or a different colour scheme.

Contact the recruitment team as soon as you are invited, and before you start the test, so there is time to arrange it.

What comes next

Verbal tests are often paired with a situational judgement test and a numerical test, then followed by an interview or an assessment centre. Many assessment centres include a written exercise, where the same close reading helps you pull the key facts out of a briefing pack.

See which kinds of reasoning come most naturally Career Strengths is our aptitude-style assessment of the reasoning you handle best, so you know where you are strong before test day.

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If you are weighing up options, our guide to choosing a career test explains what a good one tells you and what it cannot.