A Method for publicjobs Verbal Reasoning

Verbal reasoning is the one most candidates think they can wing. You read English every day - how hard can it be? Then the timed practice starts, the clock runs down faster than expected, you second-guess a “cannot say” at the last moment, and you drop marks you did not need to drop.

Verbal reasoning is genuinely scoreable with a method. Unlike the situational judgement test, where ranking answers involves real judgement calls about the 2024 Capability Framework, verbal reasoning is a logic puzzle with a fixed answer key. Get the process right and you get the question right. Get it wrong and you lose marks to hesitation, not difficulty.

This post walks through a four-step method built for Irish test conditions - specifically the timed AON format used across publicjobs.ie competitions. For background on the format itself before you read the method, see the publicjobs verbal reasoning format guide.

Why does a method matter for the Irish format?

The publicjobs verbal reasoning test is delivered by AON Assessment Solutions and uses the true / false / cannot say format. For the Executive Officer competition, candidates report roughly 59 questions in 35 minutes - around 30 seconds per question. At Clerical Officer level the pace is similarly tight.

That time constraint changes everything. You cannot afford to read a passage twice, deliberate over a statement, and then deliberate again. You need a repeatable sequence you follow on every single question without variation, so decision-making becomes automatic rather than effortful.

The method below is designed around that constraint. It is not about reading faster. It is about reading in the right order and stopping yourself from doing the one thing that costs most candidates marks: applying outside knowledge.

Step 1: Read the statement first, not the passage

This is the most counterintuitive part of the method, and the most important.

Your instinct is to read the passage, absorb it, and then answer the statement. That feels thorough. It is also slow and sets you up to drift.

Instead, read the statement first. Note the key claims it makes: what subject, what verb, what scope. Is it saying something absolute (“all”, “none”, “always”) or qualified (“some”, “often”, “can”)?

Once you know exactly what the statement is claiming, you have a focused question in your head before you look at the passage. You are no longer reading for general comprehension - you are reading to find one specific piece of evidence. That is faster and more accurate.

Step 2: Keyword scan the passage

You are not reading the passage for full understanding. You are scanning for the words and concepts the statement mentions.

Identify two or three anchor words from the statement - specific nouns, proper names, numbers, or distinctive verbs - and scan the passage until you locate where those words (or close synonyms) appear. That is your evidence zone. Read it carefully; read the rest lightly, if at all.

This sounds like it risks missing context. In practice, the passages in this format are short enough that keyword scanning is reliable. The statements are written to be answerable from one or two sentences in the passage, not from a synthesis of the whole thing. Find the relevant sentences and you have found your answer.

Step 3: Apply the passage-only rule, strictly

Once you have located the relevant evidence, apply one rule without exception: the answer must come from the passage alone.

This is where most candidates lose marks. You read a passage about a government department’s budget allocation. The statement says the department is well-managed. You think that sounds reasonable given what you know about that department. You pick “true.”

Wrong. “Well-managed” is not in the passage. Your general knowledge is irrelevant. Your opinion is irrelevant. If the passage does not say it, you cannot say it is true.

The same logic applies in reverse. If a statement contradicts something you know to be true in the real world but the passage does not address it, the answer is not automatically “false.” The answer is “cannot say,” because the passage is silent on the point.

The first time I sat the SJT I ranked on instinct and it cost me. Verbal is easier to discipline yourself on, but the instinct to reach for what you know is powerful and you have to consciously override it every time.

The rule is simple: go by the text, only the text, nothing else.

Step 4: Use elimination to distinguish “false” from “cannot say”

If you are not confident the statement is “true,” your next decision is whether it is “false” or “cannot say.” This is the most common sticking point.

Work through it as a two-part check:

Check A - Does the passage contradict the statement? If the passage contains information that directly conflicts with what the statement claims, the answer is “false.” For example, if the passage says a project was completed in 2022 and the statement says the project is still ongoing, the passage directly contradicts the statement. That is “false.”

Check B - Is the statement simply not addressed? If the passage neither confirms nor contradicts the statement, it is “cannot say.” The passage might mention a company’s revenue without mentioning profit. A statement about profit cannot be confirmed or denied. That is “cannot say,” not “false.”

The distinction is: “false” requires active contradiction from the passage. “Cannot say” is what you choose when the passage is simply silent or insufficiently specific.

If you are unsure after this check, default to “cannot say.” Overcalling “false” is a more expensive error than being cautious, because “false” requires evidence of contradiction and “cannot say” only requires absence of evidence.

Putting it together: the sequence on every question

To summarise the four steps as a repeatable sequence you can internalise before test day:

Read the statement. Note the specific claim and scope.
Keyword scan the passage to find the relevant sentences.
Apply the passage-only rule. No outside knowledge, no opinion.
True if confirmed; false if contradicted; cannot say if the passage is silent.

Run that sequence on every question in the same order. The familiarity removes hesitation and hesitation is where the clock beats you.

The publicjobs.ie information hub has a self-assessment tool where you can try a short untimed version of the verbal reasoning test to see the format. It is worth doing once, but note that it is untimed, which means it does not replicate the pressure you will face in the live assessment. Check the publicjobs.ie Information Hub and, crucially, download the Competition Information Booklet for your specific competition, as the test structure can vary.

For a fuller look at what the test involves before you start practising, the verbal reasoning test guide covers the format, the grade-by-grade breakdown, and the most common ways candidates lose marks.

FAQ

Should I read the passage first or the statement first?

Read the statement first. Knowing exactly what claim you need to verify before you look at the passage lets you scan the text with focus rather than reading it in full. It is faster and more accurate.

How do I decide between “cannot say” and “false”?

“False” requires the passage to actively contradict the statement. “Cannot say” is your answer when the passage simply does not address the point, even if the statement sounds implausible. If you are genuinely unsure, lean toward “cannot say.”

Can I use general knowledge to answer a verbal reasoning question?

No. Everything in the publicjobs verbal reasoning test must be answered from the passage text only. Candidates who bring in outside knowledge routinely pick wrong answers, because their knowledge conflicts with what the passage actually says.

Does verbal reasoning count toward my order of merit?

For the Executive Officer competition, verbal reasoning scores are understood by candidates to contribute to the overall order of merit ranking alongside the situational judgement test. However, test composition varies by competition, and publicjobs.ie advises candidates to check the Competition Information Booklet for their specific role for the definitive answer. Do not assume the structure is identical across grades.

Try the method under timed conditions

Reading a method is not the same as ingraining it. The sequence needs to become automatic before your test date, which means practising it under time pressure.

The free taster at PublicServicePathway gives you verbal reasoning questions in the true / false / cannot say format, timed to reflect Irish competition conditions. No card required. It takes about ten minutes and shows you immediately where your instincts are reliable and where they are not.

One more thing worth reading before your assessment date: how the “cannot say” rule works under time pressure covers the specific instinct - reaching for outside knowledge - that causes most marks to leak.

A Step-by-Step Method for publicjobs Verbal Reasoning Questions