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PMA Long Course Verbal Intelligence Test

The PMA Long Course initial test at an Army Selection and Recruitment Centre opens with the intelligence tests, verbal and non-verbal, timed and on computer. Candidates who clear them sit the academic test the same day.

The verbal intelligence test is reasoning with words, letters and numbers against the clock. Each question is short, and the difficulty is the volume and the pace: you are expected to recognise the type of question at a glance and apply its rule without hesitating.

40 questions30 minutesFree, no sign-up

The timer starts when you press the button. Answers and explanations are shown at the end.

What the PMA Long Course verbal intelligence test asks

  • Number and letter series

    Find the next term, or the missing one, in a sequence that follows one rule.

  • Analogies

    Word and number pairs: A is to B as C is to what?

  • Coding and decoding

    A word is written in a code; apply the same code to another word.

  • Odd one out

    Four words or numbers, three sharing a property; pick the one that does not.

  • Direction sense

    Follow a route of turns and distances and say where it ends.

  • Ranking and order

    Positions in a row or a class, from the top or from either end.

  • Blood relations

    Work out how two people in a short family statement are related.

  • Logical deduction

    Which conclusion must follow from two or three statements.

  • Alphabet and word puzzles

    Letter positions, rearranged letters and words formed from a longer word.

Most of the field is eliminated here, before the academic test, the preliminary medical and the call to ISSB.

Sample PMA Long Course verbal intelligence test questions with answers

1. Find the next number: 1, 2, 6, 15, 31, 56, ?

  • A. 88
  • B. 90
  • C. 92
  • D. 94

The differences are 1, 4, 9, 16 and 25, which are consecutive squares. The next difference is 36, so 56 + 36 = 92.

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2. Find the next number: 2, 6, 12, 20, 30, 42, ?

  • A. 54
  • B. 56
  • C. 58
  • D. 60

The terms follow n × (n + 1): 1 × 2, 2 × 3, 3 × 4, and so on. The next term is 7 × 8 = 56.

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3. Find the next number: 1, 3, 8, 19, 42, 89, ?

  • A. 178
  • B. 180
  • C. 182
  • D. 184

Multiply by 2, then add consecutive numbers: +1, +2, +3, +4 and +5. The next step is 89 × 2 + 6 = 184.

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4. Find the next number: 3, 8, 7, 14, 11, 20, 15, ?

  • A. 24
  • B. 25
  • C. 26
  • D. 27

The odd-position terms are 3, 7, 11, 15, increasing by 4. The even-position terms are 8, 14, 20, 26, increasing by 6, so the missing term is 26.

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5. Find the next number: 2, 5, 9, 14, 20, ?

  • A. 26
  • B. 27
  • C. 28
  • D. 29

The increases are 3, 4, 5, and 6. The next increase is 7, so 20 plus 7 equals 27.

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How to prepare for the PMA Long Course verbal intelligence test

  • Start timed practice the day you register. The same intelligence tests come round again at ISSB, so the preparation counts twice.
  • Sit a full timed test first and keep the score. It tells you how much of your preparation the intelligence test needs.
  • Learn the usual rules for each type: differences and ratios in number series, alphabet positions (A=1 to Z=26) for letter series and codes, and a quick sketch for directions and family trees.
  • Do not get stuck. A question that has not opened in thirty seconds is a question to mark and come back to; the next one is usually quicker.
  • Read every explanation for the questions you missed, then sit another full test a few days later.

Read next: PMA Long Course eligibility and every selection stage

Keep practising

PMA Long Course Non-Verbal Intelligence Test

The other half of the PMA Long Course intelligence test.

PMA Long Course Test practice and past papers

Every subject on the PMA Long Course Test paper, timed, with answers.

Verbal Intelligence Test for other services

PMA Long Course verbal intelligence test: common questions

What is in the PMA Long Course verbal intelligence test?

Number and letter series, analogies, coding and decoding, odd one out, direction sense, ranking and order, blood relations, logical deduction and alphabet and word puzzles. The verbal intelligence test is reasoning with words, letters and numbers against the clock. Each question is short, and the difficulty is the volume and the pace: you are expected to recognise the type of question at a glance and apply its rule without hesitating.

When is the PMA Long Course intelligence test taken?

The PMA Long Course initial test at an Army Selection and Recruitment Centre opens with the intelligence tests, verbal and non-verbal, timed and on computer. Candidates who clear them sit the academic test the same day.

Is there also a non verbal intelligence test for PMA Long Course?

Yes. The PMA Long Course intelligence test has a verbal part and a non-verbal part, and candidates sit both. Each has its own free practice test on TestUstad.

How long is this PMA Long Course verbal intelligence practice test?

40 questions in 30 minutes, drawn fresh on every attempt and scored with harder questions counting more. The boards do not publish their papers, so these are original questions of the same types, at the same pace.

Is the PMA Long Course verbal intelligence practice free?

Yes. There is no fee, no sign-up and no limit on attempts. Every question is explained when you finish.