The USA Hire Occupational Reasoning Test – 2024 Guide
The Occupational Reasoning test is one of the hardest sections in the USA Hire Online Assessment. You will be under a strict time limit of 30 minutes to answer the questions, and the questions can often trip applicants up with their wording.
Below we explain the main question types that are present on the Occupational Reasoning Test and provide you with some strategies you can use for solving the problems and preparing for the test.
What is the Occupational Reasoning Test?
The Occupational Reasoning Test is composed of several different types of verbal questions that test the candidate’s logical reasoning skills: The 2 main types are:
- Formal logic questions
- Seating arrangement questions
Both of these question types are intended to measure the candidate’s ability to (1) look at a written text and to boil down the content to its logical components and (2) to make decisions based on these comments.
These are examples of such questions:
Sample Question #1 - Seating Arrangements
FACTS: A street has 5 houses arranged from left to right (1-2-3-4-5). Each house has a unique characteristic:
One house has a gate to the front yard.
The house with the front porch is not house #4.
The leftmost house does not have a blue door.
The house with the garden is immediately to the left of the house with the wide driveway.
The house with the gate to the front yard is two houses to the right of the house with the front porch and one house to the left of the house with the garden.
CONCLUSION: House #2 has a front porch.
Which of these is true?
How to Answer Seating Arrangement Questions on the Occupational Reasoning Test
You probably noticed this question is loaded with information that is difficult to follow. This is the main challenge in sitting arrangement questions, making them difficult to make sense of in the short amount of time you have. Here are a few tips to help reveal the correct answer:
- Try to jot down written information in chart form. Use letters to mark each of the persons listed in the question: A for Abe, B for Billy, and so on. Substitute underlines ( ) _ ) to mark unknowns.
- Next, list the relevant information for each item. In this example, it would be useful to jot down a list of the houses and associate each of them with what is known about it - House 1 - (does not have a blue door), House 3 (does not have a front porch), etc. once all the information is organized, making the correct decision is a lot easier.
- Note: The text you’re provided will contain both direct information about the seating (in the form of statements like ‘Abe is sitting next to Billy’) as well as indirect information, which can be implied by the text. You must make sure you note all the information in the text in your chart so that you have everything in place to resolve the question.
Practicing the skills above to solve different types of sitting arrangement questions can greatly improve your ability to assemble an image from the given information and easily arrive at the correct answer within the given time limit
On our full preparation pack, you can get immediate access to 12 full reasoning tests with detailed answers and other helpful solving tips:
Here are two more occupational reasoning questions, examining formal logic:
Sample Question #2 - formal logic
FACTS:
Andy only likes words that start with vowels.
Brad only likes words that start with consonants.
Cody only likes words that start with C.
CONCLUSION: Andy and Cody do not both like any of the same words.
Which of these is true?
Sample Question #3 - formal logic
FACTS: Al, Edward, Fred, and Jim all play on a basketball team. If Al does not score at least 10 points in the next game, Al will be traded. If Jim is traded, Fred will play Jim’s position on the team. Jim will be traded only if both Al and Edward each score at least double the points as Jim in the next game. Jim was not traded after the next game.
CONCLUSION: Al was not traded after the next game.
Which of these is true?
How to Answer Formal Logic Questions on the Occupational Reasoning Test
Formal Logic questions like these often contain a large amount of information in a way that may be confusing or misleading. there are several ways to deal with this issue:
- Sketching out the information in a graphic form (you will be allowed to use scratch paper to do so).
- Considering ALL the information presented to you when examining possible scenarios, and their effect on the conclusion.
- Start with known facts- like in the question above, you might be presented with statements that begin with "if...". As these may have no influence on the conclusion, try starting with more informative facts first (like "Jim was not traded after the game").
Just like other cognitive tests, the more you practice reasoning questions in which you are required to analyze multiple statements and determine their conclusion, the better you'll be at identifying the correct answer.
On our full preparation pack, you can get immediate access to 12 full reasoning tests with detailed answers and other helpful solving tips:
Tips for Answering Occupational Reasoning Questions
- Read the questions carefully to avoid being tripped up.
- Take notes to write down key information.
- Try to arrange key information in graphic form.
To be prepared for the Occupational Reasoning Test, it’s best to practice repeatedly. Click here to get access to 12 mock Occupational Reasoning tests as well as study guides.