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6. Psychometric Tests – Part Four – Answers to Sample Questions

Answers - Verbal Reasoning Example 1

Although this seems a likely condition for the organisation to attach to the benefit, no information is

provided about restrictions on the availability of the cut-price holidays. Given that you are asked to

answer on the basis of what the text actually says, the correct response to this question is cannot

say.

Since the passage states that staff have free off-duty access with their families it cannot be the case

that the children of staff can NEVER use the facilities for free. The correct answer is therefore

false.

The last sentence says that 'the latter' (i.e. flexibility in working hours) has been made more

restrictive this season. The statement that employees now have less freedom in this respect is

therefore true.

The phrase 'among other benefits' tells us that the full range of benefits is not listed here. While

there may be some basis to believe that cash bonuses are or are not paid, this would constitute an

assumption. On the basis of the information provided, the correct answer is cannot say.

Answers - Verbal Reasoning Example 2

Is definitely true. Cover does not start with immediate effect, as in the passage it is clearly stated,

'Cover starts one month after the first day of employment'.

Is definitely false. The Medical Care Plan is NOT compulsory for all permanent staff, as the

passage clearly states that members of staff may 'request to be excluded'.

Is probably true. The plan is PROBABLY not available to temporary staff. In the passage it is

stated that, 'All permanent members of staff are covered'. The lack of reference to temporary staff

suggests that temporary staff are not covered by the Medical Care Plan.

Is probably false. The explicit exemption of 'Mental illness and stress-related disorders' suggests

that diseases without physical symptoms are not covered by the Plan. However, there is not explicit

statements to this effect.

Answers - Verbal Reasoning Example 3

1 = B, 2 = A, 3 = B and 4 = C

Answers - Numerical Reasoning Example 1

Is Year 3. To get the cost per employee for each year divide total costs (£m) by number of

employees. This gives the following results: Year 1 = 0.0138; Year 2 = 0.0122; Year 3 = 0.0118;

Year 4 = 0.0119; Year 5 = 0.0120. The lowest of these is Year 3.

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Is Year 4. To obtain the proportional increase in sales from year to year divide total sales for each

year by total sales for each year by total sales for the previous year. This gives: Year 2 = 1.046 (so

Year 2 sales are 1.046 times Year 1 sales); Year 3 = 1.073; Year 4 = 1.027; Year 5 = 1.053; Year 6

= 1.139. The lowest proportional increase is in Year 4.

Is £27 million. Year 1 costs were £31 million and represented 115% (that is, 115/100) of the

previous year's costs. The future for the previous year's costs can therefore be calculated as: £31

million x 100/115 = £26.96 million.

Is £8.04 million. If the costs were 12% lower in Year 6 than total costs for Year 6 would have been

88% of the figure in the table, i.e. 42.0 x 0.88, which is 36.96. To obtain the gross profit deduct

Total costs from Total sales: 45.0 million -36.96 million = 8.04 million.

Answers - Numerical Reasoning Example 2

Sales of Fruit Feasts in 1995 were 35 million (i.e. 18 + 17): in 1997 sales were 33 million (17 + 16),

so the difference is 2 million. The percentage drop is 2/35 x 100, so the answer is 5.7%.

The total sales of chocolate bars can be worked out from the total and percentage of any of the four

bars. If we use Chunky Chocco, it sold 19 million bars, which was 2.4% of the total number of

chocolate bars sold. The total number sold is therefore 19/2.4x100, and the answer is 800 million.

Choosing other bars will result in slightly different figures, as a result of the rounding used in

percentages, but to the nearest 20 million, the answer will always be 800 million.

The number of Nutty Twists sold in Store A over the three years is (42 + 41 + 39) million, i.e. 122

million. The total sales of the other three bars in Store A over all three years are (36 + 37 + 31)

million (Chunky Chocco) plus (18 + 15 + 17) million (Fruit Feast) plus (0 + 12 + 20 million

(Caramel Crunch), i.e. (104 + 50 + 32 million, which equals 186 million. Add to this the total

number of Nutty Twists sold, to get the total number of these four bars sold in Store A across all

three years: 122 million + 186 million, which is 308 million. The percentage is 122 million (the

number of Nutty Twists) / 308 million (the total sold of all four bars) x 100, which is 39.6%, so,

rounded up, the answer is 40%.

Answers – Numerical Critical Reasoning Example

NI = D, N2 = C, N3 = E and N4 = B

Answers - Abstract Reasoning Example 1

The diagram is adding one line each time, next to the previous one, so the answer is a.

The triangle is rotating 900 each time, so the answer is b.

A new concentric circle is being added to the outside each time, so the answer is a.

The hexagon (6 sides), pentagon (5 sides) and square (4 sides represent 6, 5, 4, so the next figure

should be a triangle. However, all the earlier shapes are regular (i.e. have equal sides), so the

triangle must be equilateral, i.e. c.

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The V shape is reflecting itself each time (so the answer must be a or b) and the line is moving

around one side of an invisible square, so the answer is b.

The colour of the squares alternates between black and white, and the colours of the circles remain

in the same order (grey, black, white) but move along one place each time. Therefore the answer is

b.

Answers - Abstract Reasoning Example 2

A1 = A, A2 = B, A3 = C, A4 = C, A5 = A, A6 = A, A7 = B, A8 = C, A9 = A and A10 = B

Answers – Data Sufficiency Test

5

Answers – Quantitative Reasoning

1 = 3, 2 = 13 and 3 = 6

Answers – Advanced Progressive Matrices

8