How the Saville verbal test works
Each question gives you a passage of a paragraph or so, written like a work document or news item, and a statement about it. You decide whether the statement is true on the basis of the passage, false on the basis of the passage, or not possible to say from the passage alone. Some questions instead ask which of several options the passage supports or leaves out.
You will meet it in one of two forms. In Saville’s combined Swift tests the verbal section takes 4 to 6 minutes; in Swift Analysis Aptitude, the version for graduates, professionals and managers, it is reported as 8 questions in 6 minutes, followed by separately timed numerical and diagrammatic sections. The full Verbal Analysis test takes 16 to 24 minutes, depending on the level.
It is not adaptive. Each candidate gets a different set of questions of equal difficulty from a large bank, and every score is put on the same scale. Reports show how quickly you worked as well as how accurately.
How to answer True, False or Cannot say
Use the same tests on every statement:
- Read the statement first, then find the sentence in the passage that deals with it.
- True: the passage says it, or it follows directly from what the passage says.
- False: the passage says the opposite, or says something that cannot sit alongside it.
- Cannot say: the passage does not settle it either way. What you know about the topic does not count.
- Watch the small words: some, most, all, only, always. A statement that turns “many” into “most” is not true on the basis of the passage.
Worked example
Passage: “The firm opened two new depots last year. In the regions served by the new depots, delivery times fell by an average of one day. A third depot is planned for next spring, but it has not yet received planning approval.”
“The firm opened more than one depot last year.” True: the passage says it opened two.
“Delivery times fell in every region last year.” Cannot say: the passage only reports the regions served by the new depots, and says nothing about the rest.
“The third depot has planning approval.” False: the passage says approval has not yet been given.
Tips for the real Saville verbal test
- If your invitation is for Swift Analysis, use a laptop or desktop. Saville says it cannot be taken on a mobile phone.
- Do not press the browser Back button or leave the test. Saville support then has to reset it with your administrator’s approval, and your earlier answers are lost.
- Try Saville’s free Verbal Analysis and Swift Analysis practice tests first. They give feedback on each question and show whether your device displays the text clearly.
- In Swift Analysis, keep to about 45 seconds a question. If you are stuck, choose your best answer and move on.
- Ask the employer early if you need an adjustment, so it is in place before you begin.
Practise Saville Verbal Analysis on CogniPrep
Our Verbal Analysis game gives you 11 True, False or Cannot Say questions from a pool of 18 business passages, each on its own 44-second clock, close to the reported Swift pace. A question that runs out counts as wrong, and there is no Back button. Your score out of 100 is half accuracy, with the rest for speed, for scoring evenly across the three answers and for getting Cannot Say right. Ours uses only the True, False or Cannot Say format, and the run is a little longer than a real Swift section.