‘Verbal Reasoning for Ireland’s Civil and Public Service Competitions’ is a publication from ORSEU. ORSEU is a leading trainer of future European officials.
For over 15 years, they have prepared candidates for EPSO tests. These are computer based multiple-choice tests – verbal, numerical, abstract reasoning tests and, for certain specialist competitions, tests on field-related competences.
If you are planning to sit a civil service competition, the Garda Trainee competition or take part in another large-scale recruitment campaign such as that for Clerical Officers, Executive Officers or Administrative Officers, you will have to take a verbal reasoning test. This book has been designed specifically to help prepare for this test.
What is the test like?
The verbal reasoning test assesses your ability to understand and analyse verbal data. It consists of several multiple choice questions. For each question you are given a text and a number of answer options. You must choose the option that best answers the question, based solely on the information contained in the text.
Why is the test difficult?
The verbal reasoning test is primarily a test of logic. It requires not only a good knowledge of the language, but an excellent command of the rules of verbal logic. For example: let’s say that 80% of candidates passed an exam. Can we deduce from this that a lot of candidates passed the exam?
80% seems like a lot, so we might be tempted to say yes. But if the expected success rate was 90%, 80% is not that much. It all depends on the context. Here, the rule is this: ‘80%’is an objective amount, whereas ‘a lot of’ is a subjective amount. And a subjective amount cannot be deduced from an objective amount.
In the verbal reasoning test there are many hidden traps. We’ve discovered around thirty!
Another difficulty with the test is the time allotted: on average, less than a minute per question! This means that you need to be quick but remain alert to avoid falling into a trap.
How can you pass the test?
To pass the test, you must learn to identify verbal logic traps and outsmart them. You must also be able to read selectively in order to quickly select the passages in the text that arerelevant to the question. All this can only be done by applying a reliable and proven method.
And once you have assimilated the method, you must practise.
This book, published by ORSEU, provides a unique methodology and around 180 questions with detailed explanations of the correct answer to each question.
Who is ORSEU ?
ORSEU Competitions specialises in logic and situational judgment tests. For nearly 25 years, ORSEU has been creating tests and training candidates for European civil service competitions. ORSEU Competitions is the only provider in the European civil service competition market to offer a rigorous methodology for each test. This methodology is based on its experience of competitions and the experience of the thousands of candidates it trains each year.
Where can you get the book?
It is now available at Hodges Figgis in Dublin and at O’Mahony’s book-store in Limerick. It is also available on amazon.co.uk and via the ORSEU Competitions website.
Tests Ireland: Verbal *Reasoning for Ireland’s Civil and Public Service Competitions – ISBN:9782918796305 – €30.74