Get the Most Accurate SHL Verbal Reasoning Test Practice (2025)

The SHL Verbal Reasoning Test is a graduate-level and above assessment that measures your ability to comprehend written information and to evaluate arguments about it. The information is given in the form of short passages, followed by statements about those passages, which you can deem true, false, or "cannot say".

We've put together this short video with some important details about this assessment:

Candidates who take the SHL Verbal tests usually face three main difficulties that may cause them to lose marks:

1. Tight time limits - the test consists of 30 questions to be answered in 19 minutes. This means that you have about 40 seconds to answer each question.
2. Failing to stick only to what’s given in the passage and jumping to conclusions based on your own knowledge.
3. If English is your second language, you might find this test more challenging, as the texts are not easily digestible and include advanced-level words.

Let’s see an example for a Verbal Reasoning question that resembles the actual test format and difficulty level:

The test comes in two versions named CEB SHL Verbal Reasoning Test and SHL Verify Verbal Reasoning Test.

While the CEB version is the older one, they both include the exact same question types: true, false, cannot say (TFC). They also have the same time limits and number of questions. So which exact test is named on your invitation is not crucial.

Now:

Let’s get to know the True/False/Cannot Say questions better:

• A TRUE statement follows logically from the information or opinions contained in the passage.
• A FALSE statement is logically false from the information or opinions contained in the passage.
• Select CANNOT SAY if you cannot determine whether the statement is true or false based on the information given in the text.

Want to put it into practice? Try the following TFC sample question:

The best way to increase your chances of passing the test is by practising beforehand.

Practising will help you get used to quickly reading and analysing the advanced-level texts that appear on the test (under immense time pressure).

Also, you’ll get comfortable with the concept of relying only on what’s given in the text, while ignoring your own knowledge (even if the facts in the passage are wrong).

This ensures that nothing will catch you by surprise and that you’ll know how to manage your time well while avoiding simple mistakes.

Now:

Today there are only three accurate practice options for the SHL Verbal Reasoning Test:

• SHL Direct Verbal Reasoning practice test
• Our free SHL practice test
• JobTestPrep’s complete SHL Verbal Reasoning Practice

SHL Direct, the official SHL practice site, is usually the first practice option that candidates see, as it’s attached to the assessment invitation email.

It includes a few sample questions (with no solutions) and a practice test. However, if you’re planning to rely only on this practice option, you’re going to face three immediate problems:

1. The time limit and difficulty level of the practice test do not simulate the real test (SHL even mentions that the difficulty level is different). So, you can’t really count on that to predict how well you’ll perform on the real test.
2. The score report you get at the end is practically useless as it only tells you how many questions you got right or wrong, without mentioning which ones they are.
3. You get zero feedback, explanations or tips on what to do next to improve your skills. This means that you’re unable to learn how to answer the questions correctly nor understand why you answered some questions wrong.

Sounds annoying, right?

Now, if you’re looking for a practice plan that mirrors the actual test’s format and structure and shows you proven solving techniques for TFC questions, the next option is for you.

The SHL verbal reasoning test scores are comparative. Meaning, they’re compared to a group of candidates who share similar educational backgrounds and took the test in the past.

Then, these comparative scores are transformed into a percentile result, which the employer uses to understand where you rank compared to that group.

So, if you’re in the 70th percentile, for example, it means you scored higher than 70% of the people in that group of test-takers.

Makes sense?

Now, you might be wondering what the SHL verbal reasoning test pass mark or average score is, to know what score to aim for.

In reality, SHL doesn’t reveal its pass marks or average scores, and they differ between positions and employers.

That said, we know from our experience that scoring in the 80th percentile should be more than enough to pass the test.

Here’s an example of an SHL feedback report that some candidates receive after completing the test. It breaks down your score into grades and percentiles and shows its meaning:

Read more about the SHL test results and how to interpret them here >>

1. Remember that your general knowledge and opinions do not matter.
   The questions must be answered based solely on the information presented in the text. A good way to bypass your bias would be to imagine the phrase 'according to the passage’ before each statement.
   
   
2. Look out for generalisations.
   Generalising is taking an idea stated in the text and making a 'general rule' from it.
   
   For example, if the passage discusses how some lawyers quit their jobs because they are unhappy, and the statement reads ‘lawyers quit their jobs because they are unhappy’, the answer would be ‘Cannot Say’;
   
   This is because of the way the statement generalises all lawyers, but the passage only discussed ‘some’ of them.
   
   
3. Don’t add details.
   This is the opposite of making generalisations. You should avoid taking general statements and basing specific ideas on them.
   
   For example, if the passage discussed lawyers who quit their jobs because they were unhappy, and the statement reads ‘the lawyers who quit their jobs were unhappy because of the long hours’, the correct answer would be ‘Cannot Say’.
   
   While it makes sense to assume the statement is true, the passage did not provide you with those details. It is possible that those lawyers had no problem with the long hours but with some other issue. Workload, for instance.
   
   
4. Do not assume causation.
   Two statements that appear in the text are not necessarily related to each other in a cause-and-effect relationship. This is a common way to trick you into choosing ‘True’ over ‘Cannot Say’.
   
   For example, a passage may discuss how some lawyers are unhappy, and some quit their jobs, but never explicitly make the cause-and-effect connection. If the statement then reads ‘some lawyers quit their jobs because they are unhappy’, the answer would be ‘Cannot Say’.
   
   
5. Pay attention to relationship keywords.
   In TFC questions, the relationships between text parts are often more important than the content itself. These words may refer to exclusion, inclusion, negation, etc.
   
   
6. Qualifiers are important.
   In the same way as relationship keywords, qualifiers tell you a lot about the context of the statement in the text. For instance, they can reveal whether generalisations can be made (all/none, always/never) or not (few/some, many/most).
   
   
7. SHL only counts your correct answers.
   No penalties are given for wrong answers (unless the test instructions mention that). So, it’s crucial that you do not leave any questions unanswered. If you don’t know the answer, take an educated guess!

SHL is a test development company with a significant share of the pre-employment assessment market. Its clients include Qantas, PwC, Barclays, and others.

In addition to the verbal reasoning test, SHL boasts a large selection of assessments. Popular among these are the numerical reasoning test, which measures data interpretation and calculation, and the deductive and inductive reasoning tests, which deal with logical thinking and conclusion-making.

Sometimes, you may have to take a test consisting of numerical, inductive, and deductive questions. This test is called the SHL General Ability Test (Also sometimes called the Verify G+).

Often, candidates who are given a cognitive task like the SHL Verbal Reasoning Test are also given a complementary personality assessment like the SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire or the Motivational Questionnaire.

Other SHL Assessments include the SHL Calculation Test, SHL Mechanical Comprehension Test, and SHL Checking Test.

Or, use our SHL Verbal Reasoning Prep Course