Part 8 of our Verbal Ability reviewer has 20 practice questions in the style of the Civil Service Exam. Answer them in order, read the explanation after each one, and check your score against the 80% passing mark at the end. Questions and choices are reshuffled every time you retake the part.
Start Part 8Sample questions from Part 8
Here are a few questions from this part. Take the full test to answer all 20 and get your score.
Sample question 1
Which sentence uses “famish” correctly?
- After the straight exam, I felt too exhausted and famished to eat my favourite foods.
- I could eat a horse, I am famish now.
- I famished my stomach next time you treat me to a meal out.
- I will bring lots of pizza, that’s a famish.
Answer: After the straight exam, I felt too exhausted and famished to eat my favourite foods.
Famished is an adjective meaning extremely hungry. Only the first sentence uses it correctly as a participle ("felt exhausted and famished"). The others use "famish" wrongly as an adjective, verb or noun.
Sample question 2
Priscila _______ rather not invest her savings in the stock market.
- must
- has to
- could
- would
Answer: would
"Would rather" is the fixed expression for stating a preference: "Priscila would rather not invest...". Must, has to and could do not form this idiom.
Sample question 3
Did you have any problem ______ our house?
- search
- to search
- searching
- for searching
Answer: searching
"Have a problem + verb-ing" is the pattern: "Did you have any problem searching our house?"
Sample question 4
Most basketball players are 6 ____ tall or more.
- foot
- feet
- foots
- feets
Answer: feet
After a number, the unit of height uses the plural: feet (the plural of foot). "Foots" and "feets" do not exist.
Sample question 5
These children _____ how to improvise more props for the play.
- knew
- knows
- know
- known
Answer: know
The subject "These children" is plural, so the present-tense verb takes no -s: know. "Knows" is singular and "known" needs an auxiliary.