Analytical Ability Reviewer for the Civil Service Exam

Analytical Ability measures how well you reason through information that is new to you. The best preparation is to practice many different puzzle types so that none of them surprises you on exam day.

8 parts145 questions80% passing markFree

This free Analytical Ability reviewer on Civil Service Exam Reviewer has 8 parts and about 145 practice questions. Every question shows the correct answer and, in most cases, an explanation. Your score is checked against the 80% passing mark, and you can retake any part as often as you like.

What the Analytical Ability section covers

  • Verbal and word analogiesFinding the relationship between a pair of words and applying it to another pair.
  • Logic and syllogismsDeciding which conclusion follows from the given statements.
  • Patterns and sequencesSpotting rules in letters, numbers, codes and figures.
  • Data interpretationReading information from tables, charts and short descriptions.
  • Sets and classificationGrouping items and finding the one that does not belong.

How to prepare for Analytical Ability

  • For analogies, put the relationship into a short sentence ("A is a part of B," "A is the opposite of B") before checking the choices.
  • In logic questions, accept only what the statements say. Do not add outside knowledge.
  • Write down code or letter patterns on scratch paper, since small mistakes happen when you do them in your head.
  • If a question takes more than a minute or so, mark it, skip it and return to it after you finish the rest.
  • Review the explanation for every item you miss. Understanding why a pattern works is more useful than remembering the answer.

Sample Analytical Ability questions

Try these sample questions from our reviewer, then check the explanation below each one.

Sample question 1

Computer : fqprxvht :: Language : ?

  • ocqixcig
  • oxpixdig
  • ocqicyig
  • ocqixcjg
Answer: ocqixcjg
Each letter of COMPUTER is shifted forward alternately +3, +2:
C+3=F, O+2=Q, M+3=P, P+2=R, U+3=X, T+2=V, E+3=H, R+2=T = fqprxvht.
Apply to LANGUAGE: L+3=O, A+2=C, N+3=Q, G+2=I, U+3=X, A+2=C, G+3=J, E+2=G = ocqixcjg.

Sample question 2

No one were happy about the Mindanao crisis.

  • No one
  • were happy
  • about
  • crisis
Answer: were happy
The phrase "No one were happy" is not acceptable in formal written English because "no one" is a singular subject and should be followed by the singular verb "was."

### Answer
b. were happy

Sample question 3

A number of books is regularly donated to public schools.

  • number
  • books
  • is
  • donated
Answer: is
The phrase "A number of books is regularly donated to public schools" is incorrect in formal written English. The subject "a number of" is considered plural, so the verb should be "are" instead of "is."

### Answer
Change "is" to "are."

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