Civil Service Verbal Test practice
Decide what the passage proves, contradicts or leaves unknown. Practice one skill at a time, then combine them in a full sitting.
View your results and progress4 short drills · Untimed practice · Every answer explained
Appointment reminders
A service center sends a reminder two days before every booked appointment. Customers may choose either a text message or an email. If a customer has not chosen a channel, the center sends an email. The reminders contain a link for changing the appointment.
Customers who have not chosen a reminder channel receive an email.
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Choose a practice drill
8 questions with feedback after each answer. One Civil Service Verbal pass covers replays and full practice.
Finding evidence
Match a statement to the precise evidence in a passage.
Inferences & missing information
Separate supported conclusions from missing information.
Qualifiers & comparisons
Check words such as all, only, some and more than.
Conditions & exceptions
Apply rules, exceptions and ordering constraints.
Full verbal practice
The real test varies in length. Our 24-question length and difficulty adjustment are practice settings; they do not reproduce official scoring.
Try a free example
No account needed. Use only the information in the passage.
A revised application form
A council introduced a shorter application form in June. In May, 18% of submitted applications were returned because information was missing; in June the proportion was 12%. The council also introduced telephone support in June. The report does not give the number of applications received in either month.
Fewer applications were returned for missing information in June than in May.
Learn the methods
Work through four explained examples, learn the common mistakes and understand how the official test differs from practice.
Study guide & worked examplesPreparing for a Civil Service application?
Check the test names in your invitation. You may be asked to take Verbal, Numerical or both. HMRC’s Tax Specialist Programme also uses Judgement.
Common questions
What is in the Civil Service Verbal Test?
You read a passage and decide whether a statement is True, False or Cannot Say using only the supplied information. Our drills develop evidence checking, inference, qualifiers and conditional reasoning.
Is there a time limit?
The official tests are untimed. Cabinet Office guidance says most people take 15–45 minutes per test and recommends allowing at least an hour. Our drills and full practice are also untimed. Time spent is descriptive and does not reduce your practice score.
How many questions are there?
The real tests adapt to your answers and can vary in length. Our full practice has 24 questions and adjusts the next question’s editorial difficulty after each answer. That length and selection rule are practice settings, not the official test’s stopping rule or scoring model.
Can I skip a question or go back?
The official tests require an answer before continuing and do not allow skipping or going back. Our practice follows that sequence. Short drills explain each answer after submission; full practice reveals feedback only when all 24 questions are complete.
What score do I need?
The official result is a percentile based on calibrated question difficulty and comparison with an applicant reference group. Job-level standards and recruitment decisions affect progression. Our accuracy and difficulty summaries are learning feedback, not official percentiles or a pass prediction.
Can I use a calculator?
Yes. Official guidance allows a calculator, rough paper and a pen. Use them to check your working, especially for numerical practice. You must complete the actual assessment independently.
Does a Verbal pass include the other Civil Service tests?
One Civil Service Verbal pass covers this subject’s four short drills, replays and full practice for your selected duration. Other subjects, including Civil Service Judgement, have separate passes. Where trial access is included, each short drill has one free attempt. Saved results and explanations stay available after the pass ends.
Will I see the same questions again?
Each subject has 144 original questions. Practice favors less familiar questions within its topic and difficulty requirements. Questions can repeat as you use the bank; history distinguishes repeated exposure so that familiar answers do not look like new evidence of improvement.
Is this a Fast Stream test?
Check the exact test names in your invitation. This practice covers the Civil Service Verbal and Numerical Tests. Fast Stream, Work Styles, Casework and other named assessments may use different tasks. They are not interchangeable.
Official Civil Service Verbal and Numerical guidance
Original independent preparation. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the UK Civil Service. Practice results are not official scores or pass predictions.