Explained per part › Verbal reasoning
Verbal reasoning
You read a short text and judge statements: is the statement true according to the text (True), does the text contradict it (False), or can you not tell (Cannot say)? You only judge what the text says, not what you know yourself.
SHL (True, False, Cannot say), Harver, the Dutch capacity test (verbal logic) and Cappfinity (word choice). The Dutch Armed Forces use analogies.
How to solve it
Text: “The company opened three new solar parks in 2025. Together they supply power to around 40,000 households. A fourth park is planned, but the permit has not yet been granted.” Statement: “The fourth solar park will open in 2026.”
- Find the sentence about the statement: “A fourth park is planned, but the permit has not yet been granted.”
- Does it say the park opens in 2026? No.
- Does it say it will NOT open in 2026? No again.
- So: the text gives too little information.
Answer: Cannot say. You may think “without a permit that will never happen”, but that is your own knowledge. It does not count.
Try it yourself
1. Same text. Statement: “The company opened more than two solar parks in 2025.”
- True
- False
- Cannot say
Show the answer
A. Three is more than two. The text confirms the statement.
2. Same text. Statement: “The permit for the fourth park has been granted.”
- True
- False
- Cannot say
Show the answer
B. The text literally says the permit has not yet been granted. The statement is contradicted: False.
3. Text: “Most graduates rotate between three departments. Each rotation lasts six months.” Statement: “Every graduate works in three departments.”
- True
- False
- Cannot say
Show the answer
C. “Most” is not “every”. Whether some graduates do it differently is not stated. The text neither confirms nor contradicts it: Cannot say.
Tips
- Use only the text, never your own knowledge.
- Watch small words: all, most, some, only, always, never.
- False means: the text says the opposite. If the information is missing, it is Cannot say.
- Read the statement first, then look for the sentence it is about.
Practise with new questions: Verbal reasoning
Numbered practice tests with an explanation for every answer, plus interview and assessment day practice. No account needed.
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