How the verbal questions work
The NZ Police ability assessment is a single test of 60 multiple-choice questions in 30 minutes. Verbal, numerical and abstract questions are mixed throughout rather than grouped in sections, so there is no separate verbal test. Each question has one correct answer.
The verbal questions test your understanding of words and the relationships between them. Expect four main types: synonyms (the word closest in meaning), antonyms (the opposite), odd one out (the word that does not belong), and analogies (A is to B as C is to which word?).
In Podium’s practice tests each question has six options, and once you move on you cannot go back. The test is adaptive, so questions get harder as you answer correctly.
How to answer a verbal question
Take each question in four steps:
- Read the instruction word first: similar, opposite, odd one out, or "is to". With question types mixed together, misreading it is an easy way to lose a mark.
- Before looking at the options, put the key word’s meaning into a short phrase of your own.
- For analogies, turn the first pair into a sentence, such as "a chef works in a kitchen", then test each option in the same sentence.
- For odd one out, name the group the others share. If two groups seem possible, the more specific one is usually intended.
Worked example
Which word is most similar in meaning to RELUCTANT? The options are eager, unwilling, careless, silent, tired and hostile. The answer is unwilling. Eager is the opposite, set as a trap for anyone who misreads the instruction, and hostile is too strong: reluctant means you would rather not, not that you are against it.
Author is to novel as composer is to which word? The options are orchestra, symphony, piano, conductor, audience and melody. In a sentence, an author writes a novel, a complete work. A composer writes a symphony. Melody is tempting, but it is part of a work rather than a whole one.
Tips for the verbal questions
- Work at a steady pace. NZ Police says the test is not about finishing quickly, and rushing or guessing at the end does not help in an adaptive test.
- Answer each question fully before pressing on. There is no going back.
- Read reports, articles and longer documents in the weeks before. Podium suggests it for the concentration these questions need.
- Watch for words with more than one meaning, and check which sense the options point to.
- Spend less than the 30-second average on words you know, to leave time for harder items.
Practise NZ Police verbal questions on CogniPrep
Our verbal drill gives you 20 questions in 10 minutes, the real test’s average of 30 seconds a question, with six options, adaptive difficulty and no going back. Questions come from a bank of 180 covering synonyms, word meanings, opposites, odd one out, analogies and word groups. A skipped question counts as wrong, and you finish with a score out of 100, a sten from 1 to 10 and a band. It is free. For the mixed test, our full 60-question GCAT practice is on the Podium hub.