Deutsche Bank conducts Aptitude test for a few selected profiles. Many companies today require candidates to qualify given aptitude tests as a part of their selection process. These tests are concerned with evaluating mental agility and problem solving ability. They check the right fitment of a candidate with a particular job profile. For instance, a financial analyst role would require smart reasoning and swift data inference.
Since Deutsche Bank’s aptitude test may be conducted in future, we are providing the below sample verbal aptitude questions:
DIRECTIONS for the question 1 to 4: Read the passage and answer the question based on it.
To test the memorability and credibility of stories, one of the authors, along with Dr. Ray Price and Dr. Joanne Martin, provided three different groups of MBA students with exactly the same information. In one case, the students were given a verbal description that contained facts and figures. Another group was given the same information—only it was presented through charts and tables. The final group was provided the very same details presented as the story of a little old wine maker.
To the researchers’ surprise, when tested several weeks later, not only did those who had heard the story recall more detail than the other two groups (that was predicted), but they also found the story more credible. MBA students gave more credence to a story than to cold hard facts.
But why? Why do even the most educated of people tend to set aside their well-honed cynicism and critical nature when listening to a story? Because stories help individuals transport themselves away from the role of a listener who is rigorously applying rules of logic, analysis, and criticism and into the story itself. According to creative writing expert Lajos Egri, here’s how to transport the listener into a story.
The first step is to make your reader or viewer identify your character as someone he knows. Step two—if the author can make the audience imagine that what is happening can happen to him, the situation will be permeated with aroused emotion and the viewer will experience a sensation so great that he will feel not as a spectator but as the participant of an exciting drama before him.
Concrete and vivid stories exert extraordinary influence because they transport people out of the role of critic and into the role of participant. The more poignant, vibrant, and relevant the story, the more the listener moves from thinking about the inherent arguments to experiencing every element of the tale itself. Stories don’t merely trump verbal persuasion by disproving counterarguments; stories keep the listener from offering counterarguments in the first place.
Q. 1 What is the relation between credibility and analysis?
The more you analyse, the more credible you find something
The less credible you find something, the more you analyze
The more you analyse, the less credible you find something
The more credible you find something, the less you analyse
Correct Answer:- C
Explanation:- Basically there is an inverse relationship between credibility and analysis. Also we can view analysis (or a lack of it) as a cause – and credibility as an effect.
Q. 2 What role does vibrancy have to play in story telling?
It helps the reader imagine things better and so gives an effect of almost being there
It helps suspend emotions and sensations as the reader reads the story
It makes a story more believable, as we love stories which talk of heroes
We relate better to stories that show us the big picture, we do not like being bogged down in detail
Correct Answer:- A
Explanation:- From the passage: The more poignant, vibrant, and relevant the story, the more the listener moves from thinking about the inherent arguments to experiencing every element of the tale itself.
2 vibrant story telling heightens emotions, not suspends them.
3– the part about believable is true, but the reason is because we suspend judgment
4– talks of a mindset of people who do not like detail. All of us do not subscribe to this opinion.
Q. 3 Of the characteristics mentioned about good story telling, which one can be inferred to be the most important one?
The relevance of the story to the problems the audience is facing
The ability to get participants involved in the story
The increase in imaginative powers of the audience of the story
The way the audience postpones judgment during the time the story telling is going on
Correct Answer:- B
Explanation:-
Quoted from the passage: viewer will experience a sensation so great that he will feel not as a spectator but as the participant of an exciting drama before him.
1 – the audience should relate to the story, even if the relevance is not clear.
3– Imagination helps – but it is not the sine qua non. For example, you see a story in a film. You don’t have to imagine too much then.
4– Postponing judgment helps credibility, but this is not a characteristic of good story telling.
Q. 4 What aspect of a B-school pedagogy is closest to story telling?
Live projects
Group Discussion
Case study
Guest Lectures
Correct Answer:- C
Explanation:-
In a case study the student has to go through a context – and is faced with a problem at the end of the case. Except for the ending, the rest of the story is there in a case study.
1– a live project gets you the highest in terms of involvement, but does not have an aspect of story telling.
2– A discussion will involve exchanging and building up of ideas; stories may play at best an incidental role.
4 – A guest lecturer may be a welcome change, but will she necessarily use stores in her talk?
Q. 5 DIRECTIONS for the question 5 & 6: In the sentence given below some idioms have been used. Choose the option corresponding to the sentence in which the idiom is incorrect or inappropriate.
He seems like a good egg. I'll take a chance on him
I do not want to put all my eggs in one basket and only invest money in real estate
If the computer problems continue, then the software giant will have egg on its face
John wouldn't have done the dangerous experiment if his brother hadn't egged him
Correct Answer:- D
Explanation:-
Option 4. Egg someone on is the correct idiom which means to encourage, urge, or dare someone to continue doing something, usually something unwise A good egg - a good and dependable person.
To put all your eggs in one basket - to risk losing everything by putting all your efforts or all your money into one plan or one course of action
To have egg on your face (informal) - to seem stupid because of something you have done
Q. 6
He stood his ground against his adversary.
This suitcase has stood me in good stead in my travels.
It stands to reason that the rich never have justice done to them in plays and stories; for the people who write are poor.
The figures which he quoted were shown to be incorrect, and this took the corners off his argument.
Correct Answer:- D
Explanation:-
Option 4 is the answer
In first sentence " stood his ground" means -maintained his position.(correct) In 2nd sentence " stood me in good" means- proved me useful.(correct)
In 3rd sentence " stands to reason" means - it is quite clear (correct)
In 4th sentence " took the corners off"( incorrect usage) should be replaced by "took the edge off"- means to make something ineffective.
DIRECTIONS for the question 7 to 9: Choose the most logical order of sentences from among the given choices to construct a coherent paragraph.
Q. 7
Productivity, the other determinant, can be boosted through public and private investment in infrastructure, education and simplifying the tax structure.
That's a lesson the political establishment still needs to learn.
One of the determinants of GDP growth rate, labour supply, will work to India's advantage because of the famous demographic dividend.
Policy changes, such as opening up close sectors such as telecom and insurance, will also dramatically raise productivity and growth.
DACB
ABCD
CADB
DBCA
Correct Answer:- C
Explanation:-
The opening sentence will be C, as it tells about the one of the determinants of the GDP growth rate. After this A will come as it highlights the other determinant i.e. ‘labour’.
After this D will come as it ‘also’ tells that other factors should also be taken into consideration.
Finally B will conclude the sequence as it tells the ‘lesson’ to be learnt and the lesson being referred to whatever is mentioned in D. Hence the correct sequence is CADB. SO, option 3 is correct.
Q. 8
Online, one can be anything, anyone, of any age, gender, nationality, biography or appearance.
And yet one may use words and delve into verbal play to enact one’s deepest psyche, to reveal the identity that is buried in everyday life and useless in the real world of social interaction.
To hook up by way of words is often to play hooky with a reality that doesn’t obey our words. D. It is to search for a psychic order that can be forcefully denied by social order and which one would like to stealthily achieve in the deepest recesses one one’s mind.
Hence the intensely erotic nature of such play, which, in a way, is an alternative outlet for repressed energies and emotions, without any fear of being caught.
CBEAB
CDEAB
ABCDE
ABDCE
Correct Answer:- C
Explanation:-
Sentence A is an ideal opener as the idea therein is explained further in a logical manner by the rest of the lines here. Line C explains the purpose behind using particular words, an idea stated in line B (A-B-C).
Sentence D elaborates on the purpose (to search ….) of using such words (A-B-C-D), while sentence E gives a concluding remark with its use of hence.
Q. 9
Mind wandering as a cognitive tool needs to be looked at very seriously by relevant authorities as it has been shown that it can actually improve performance and problem-solving by as much as 40%.
After all, the link between daydreaming and creativity was affirmed by conventional wisdom long before scientists proved it in laboratory conditions, and encapsulated in the adage, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
Considering the contributions of Archimedes, Newton and Einstein all emanated from 'Aha!' moments of illuminating thought, it is heartening to hear that some scientists in California aver that even lesser mortals can benefit from a spot of revelatory daydreaming.
Countless workers, office-goers and even students would heartily confirm the discovery that difficult tasks are handled better if people have some downtime beforehand to refresh their approach.
Many have found the contemplative pose made famous by Rodin's 'Thinker' to be particularly productive — especially when transposed to rather more mundane settings in the morning — so this reiteration of the notion that sitting idle is not wasteful is welcome.
ECBAD
CEBDA
CAEBD
BDECA
Correct Answer:- B
Explanation:- Option 2.
The paragraph talks about daydreaming.
Hence the introductory sentence would have to be C.
A needs to be the last sentence as we first need to finish talking about what daydreaming does or in what ways is it helpful an then consider it to be used as a cognitive tool.
DIRECTION for the question 10: Fill in the blank in the sentences below with the word or pair of word that best fits the meaning of the given sentence.
Q. 10 Although a few years ago the fundamental facts about the Milky Way seemed fairly well, now even its mass and its radius have come into
determined ... resolution
ignored ... danger
problematic ... prominence
established ... question
Correct Answer:- D
Explanation:-
Facts can be fairly well established but even mass ….come into question because we have to use the opposite flags
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