Verbal Ability Sectional Test 2026 (30 MCQs with Solutions)
Timed verbal ability sectional test for 2026: 30 MCQs across synonyms, antonyms, grammar, error spotting, idioms, and sentence rearrangement, with answer key and solutions.
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Last Updated: June 2026
This sectional test isolates verbal ability so you can sharpen vocabulary and grammar accuracy in one section. It spans the high-frequency verbal topics candidates report from TCS NQT, Infosys, Wipro, Accenture, and Cognizant rounds: synonyms, antonyms, error spotting, sentence completion, idioms, one-word substitution, and para-jumbles. Sit it in 25 minutes, then study every solution.
Test Instructions
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Questions | 30 |
| Total Time | 25 minutes |
| Section | Verbal Ability only |
| Marking | +1 correct, -0.25 wrong |
| Target Score | 22+ for placement readiness |
Topic Coverage
| Topic | Questions |
|---|---|
| Synonyms and Antonyms | 8 |
| Error Spotting | 6 |
| Sentence Completion | 6 |
| Idioms and One-word | 5 |
| Spelling and Rearrangement | 5 |
Questions
Q1. Synonym of ABUNDANT:
A) Scarce B) Plentiful C) Rare D) Limited
Q2. Synonym of FRAGILE:
A) Strong B) Delicate C) Tough D) Solid
Q3. Antonym of TRANSPARENT:
A) Clear B) Opaque C) Bright D) Visible
Q4. Antonym of PERMANENT:
A) Lasting B) Temporary C) Fixed D) Stable
Q5. Synonym of CANDID:
A) Frank B) Dishonest C) Hidden D) Secret
Q6. Antonym of EXPAND:
A) Grow B) Enlarge C) Contract D) Extend
Q7. Synonym of METICULOUS:
A) Careless B) Careful C) Hasty D) Rough
Q8. Antonym of OPTIMISTIC:
A) Hopeful B) Pessimistic C) Positive D) Confident
Q9. Error spotting: One of my friend (A) / has gone (B) / to Mumbai (C) / No error (D)
A) A B) B C) C D) D
Q10. Error spotting: He is junior (A) / than me (B) / by two years (C) / No error (D)
A) A B) B C) C D) D
Q11. Error spotting: The teacher as well as the students (A) / were present (B) / in the class (C) / No error (D)
A) A B) B C) C D) D
Q12. Error spotting: I have been knowing him (A) / for many years (B) / now (C) / No error (D)
A) A B) B C) C D) D
Q13. Error spotting: Each of the boys (A) / have done (B) / their homework (C) / No error (D)
A) A B) B C) C D) D
Q14. Error spotting: She did not went (A) / to the party (B) / yesterday (C) / No error (D)
A) A B) B C) C D) D
Q15. Fill in the blank: He is good ___ playing chess.
A) in B) at C) for D) on
Q16. Fill in the blank: She has been ill ___ Monday.
A) for B) since C) from D) by
Q17. Fill in the blank: The book ___ on the table belongs to me.
A) lying B) laying C) lain D) lie
Q18. Fill in the blank: If I ___ rich, I would travel the world.
A) am B) was C) were D) be
Q19. Fill in the blank: He ___ his homework before dinner yesterday.
A) finishes B) finished C) has finished D) had finished
Q20. Fill in the blank: Neither of the answers ___ correct.
A) are B) is C) were D) have
Q21. Idiom: "To hit the nail on the head" means:
A) To injure oneself B) To be exactly right C) To work hard D) To make a mistake
Q22. Idiom: "To cost an arm and a leg" means:
A) To be cheap B) To be very expensive C) To get hurt D) To be free
Q23. One word substitution: A person who speaks for others.
A) Spokesperson B) Leader C) Manager D) Critic
Q24. One word substitution: A place for keeping books.
A) Library B) Studio C) Gallery D) Archive
Q25. Idiom: "To turn over a new leaf" means:
A) To read a book B) To start afresh C) To go outdoors D) To change jobs
Q26. Correctly spelled word:
A) Seperate B) Separate C) Seperete D) Sepparate
Q27. Correctly spelled word:
A) Occured B) Occurred C) Ocurred D) Occurd
Q28. Rearrange: (P) every morning (Q) a walk (R) he takes (S) in the park
A) RQSP B) RQPS C) RPQS D) RSPQ
Q29. Rearrange: (P) is the best policy (Q) honesty (R) in life (S) always
A) QPSR B) QSPR C) QPRS D) QRSP
Q30. Rearrange: (P) of the company (Q) the success (R) hard work (S) depends on the
A) QPSR B) QPRS C) QRPS D) QPSR
Answer Key
| Q | Ans | Q | Ans | Q | Ans | Q | Ans | Q | Ans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B | 7 | B | 13 | B | 19 | D | 25 | B |
| 2 | B | 8 | B | 14 | A | 20 | B | 26 | B |
| 3 | B | 9 | A | 15 | B | 21 | B | 27 | B |
| 4 | B | 10 | B | 16 | B | 22 | B | 28 | A |
| 5 | A | 11 | B | 17 | A | 23 | A | 29 | A |
| 6 | C | 12 | A | 18 | C | 24 | A | 30 | A |
Worked Solutions
Q1. ABUNDANT means existing in large quantity, that is, plentiful. Answer: B.
Q2. FRAGILE means easily broken, that is, delicate. Answer: B.
Q3. TRANSPARENT means see-through; its opposite is opaque. Answer: B.
Q4. PERMANENT opposite is temporary. Answer: B.
Q5. CANDID means honest and direct, that is, frank. Answer: A.
Q6. EXPAND opposite is contract. Answer: C.
Q7. METICULOUS means showing great attention to detail, that is, careful. Answer: B.
Q8. OPTIMISTIC opposite is pessimistic. Answer: B.
Q9. "One of my friend" should be "one of my friends" (plural after "one of"). Error at A. Answer: A.
Q10. "Junior" takes "to", not "than". Error at B. Answer: B.
Q11. "The teacher as well as the students" has the singular subject "teacher", so it should be "was present". Error at B. Answer: B.
Q12. "Know" is a stative verb and is not used in continuous form, so "have been knowing" should be "have known". Error at A. Answer: A.
Q13. "Each of the boys" is singular, so it should be "has done". Error at B. Answer: B.
Q14. "Did not went" is wrong; after "did" the base verb is used, so "did not go". Error at A. Answer: A.
Q15. "Good at" is the correct collocation. Answer: B.
Q16. "Since" is used with a point in time (Monday). Answer: B.
Q17. The book is in a resting position, so "lying" is correct. Answer: A.
Q18. Second conditional uses "were" for all subjects: "If I were rich". Answer: C.
Q19. Two past actions with one before the other use past perfect for the earlier: "had finished". Answer: D.
Q20. "Neither of" takes a singular verb: "is correct". Answer: B.
Q21. "To hit the nail on the head" means to be exactly right. Answer: B.
Q22. "To cost an arm and a leg" means to be very expensive. Answer: B.
Q23. One who speaks for others is a spokesperson. Answer: A.
Q24. A place for keeping books is a library. Answer: A.
Q25. "To turn over a new leaf" means to start afresh. Answer: B.
Q26. Correct spelling: Separate. Answer: B.
Q27. Correct spelling: Occurred. Answer: B.
Q28. Correct order: He takes a walk in the park every morning. Answer: A.
Q29. Correct order: Honesty is the best policy always in life. Answer: A.
Q30. Correct order: The success of the company depends on the hard work. Answer: A.
Score Interpretation
| Score | Performance | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| 26-30 | Excellent | Verbal is a strength |
| 22-25 | Good | Build vocabulary depth |
| 16-21 | Average | Drill grammar error patterns |
| Below 16 | Needs Work | Start a daily vocabulary habit |
Verbal Improvement Plan
Verbal ability rewards two separate habits: a steady vocabulary build and a finite set of grammar rules. Candidates report that error spotting and sentence completion are the highest-return sub-topics because the rules repeat across every test. Keep a running list of the grammar traps you miss, subject-verb agreement, prepositions, conditionals, and review it before every drive. Vocabulary grows slowly; grammar accuracy can jump in a week.
The Twenty Grammar Rules That Cover Most Errors
Error spotting in placement tests draws from a small, repeating pool of rules. Master these and you will catch the majority of planted errors.
Subject-verb agreement
- "One of the" is always followed by a plural noun but takes a singular verb: one of the boys has gone.
- "Each", "every", "either", "neither" take singular verbs: each of the students has a book.
- "The number of" is singular; "a number of" is plural: the number of cars is rising; a number of cars are parked.
- With "as well as", "along with", and "together with", the verb agrees with the first subject, not the second: the teacher as well as the students was present.
Prepositions that are frequently tested
| Word | Correct preposition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| good | at | good at chess |
| afraid | of | afraid of the dark |
| junior, senior | to | junior to me |
| married | to | married to a doctor |
| prefer | to | prefer tea to coffee |
| interested | in | interested in music |
| fond | of | fond of music |
| accustomed | to | accustomed to hard work |
Tense and verb form
- After "did", "does", and "do", always use the base verb: she did not go, not did not went.
- Stative verbs like "know", "believe", and "understand" are not used in the continuous form: I have known him, not I have been knowing him.
- For two past actions, the earlier one takes the past perfect: he had finished his homework before dinner.
- Second conditional uses "were" for every subject: if I were rich.
Articles and pronouns
- Use "an" before a vowel sound, including silent-h words: an honourable man, an hour.
- Use "a" before a consonant sound, including some vowel letters: a university, a one-day match.
- Reflexive pronouns are only used when subject and object are the same: he hurt himself, not he and myself went.
How To Approach Each Verbal Question Type
| Question type | Fast approach |
|---|---|
| Synonym or antonym | If unsure, use word roots and the sentence tone; do not guess blindly under negative marking |
| Error spotting | Scan for the twenty common rules above before reading for meaning |
| Sentence completion | Read the full sentence first to catch the tense and tone the blank must match |
| Idioms | Learn them as fixed phrases; they cannot be reasoned out from the words |
| Para-jumbles | Find the opening sentence first, then link by pronouns and connectors |
Candidates report that the single biggest verbal score gain comes from drilling error spotting against this rule list until recognition is automatic, since those marks are won by rule, not by guessing.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What verbal topics do placement tests focus on?
Candidates report synonyms, antonyms, error spotting, sentence completion, idioms, and para-jumbles as the core verbal ability topics in TCS NQT, Infosys, and Wipro rounds. Reading comprehension appears in some companies but the vocabulary and grammar base is universal, so this sectional test weights those heavily.
How do I improve verbal ability quickly?
Build a vocabulary habit: ten new words a day with usage, plus drilling the twenty most common grammar error patterns. Candidates report that error spotting and sentence completion are the most learnable verbal sub-topics because the rules are finite and repeat across tests.
Is the verbal section easier than quant and reasoning?
For strong English readers, verbal is often the fastest section to score in, but it punishes guessing on vocabulary you do not know. Candidates report the best approach is to bank the grammar and rearrangement marks with certainty and only attempt vocabulary questions where you genuinely know the word.
Sources and review notesreviewed 8 Jun 2026
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