Verbal reasoning tests: True, False, Cannot Say explained
The short answer: verbal reasoning tests give you a short passage and ask whether a statement is True, False or Cannot Say based only on the passage. The single rule that decides most marks: judge the statement against what the passage actually says, never against what you know or what seems plausible. If the passage does not contain enough information either way, the answer is Cannot Say, even when the statement is obviously true in real life.
What the test looks like
You read a passage of 100 to 250 words, usually on a business, science or policy topic, then evaluate three or four statements about it. Graduate tests typically allow around 60 to 90 seconds per statement. The format is used, with variations, by SHL, Korn Ferry, Saville Assessment and most other major providers, and some also use straight multiple-choice comprehension questions alongside it. (Capply is independent and not affiliated with any provider.)
The three verdicts, precisely
- True: the statement follows logically from the passage alone. It does not have to be word-for-word, but every part of it must be supported.
- False: the passage contradicts the statement. Not "fails to mention it", actively contradicts it.
- Cannot Say: the passage neither confirms nor contradicts it. This includes statements that are common knowledge, statements the passage only partly supports, and statements about things the passage never addresses.
Where the marks are lost
- Outside knowledge: the classic error. The statement is true in the real world, so you mark True, but the passage never said it. The correct answer was Cannot Say.
- Scope shifts: the passage says "some companies", the statement says "most companies". Quantifier changes (some/most/all, may/will, often/always) flip True into Cannot Say or False.
- Hedged language: "suggests", "may", "is likely to" in the passage cannot support a statement that asserts certainty.
- Reversed causation: the passage says A leads to B; the statement says B leads to A. Contradiction or Cannot Say, depending on wording.
- Half-true statements: if one clause of the statement is supported and the other is not, the statement as a whole is not True.
A method that holds up under time pressure
- Read the statement first, so you know what you are looking for.
- Find the sentence or two in the passage that bears on it. Everything else is noise.
- Compare the exact wording: quantifiers, hedges, tense, scope.
- Ask "does the passage force this conclusion?" If yes, True. "Does it forbid it?" If yes, False. Otherwise Cannot Say.
Cannot Say stops feeling risky once you have practised enough passages to trust the rule. That is a familiarity effect, and it is exactly what regular timed practice builds. The full approach is in our psychometric test prep guide.
Practise verbal reasoning the right way
Capply's verbal tests use real True/False/Cannot Say formats, adapt to your level and explain the reasoning behind every answer.
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