"Cannot say" is your best friend in verbal reasoning
“Cannot say” is the correct answer whenever the passage does not provide enough information to prove True or False. Most candidates under-use it because their brain fills in gaps. Learn the three traps that cause wrong answers and the fast decision method to choose confidently.
- True means the passage proves the statement.
- False means the passage directly contradicts the statement.
- Cannot say means the statement may be plausible, but the passage does not prove it.
- Most wrong answers come from adding outside knowledge, causation or stronger quantifiers.
Most candidates treat “Cannot say” like a failure state. It is not. It is the correct answer whenever the passage does not provide enough information to prove True or False. For the broader method, read the verbal reasoning guide. If speed is the issue, use reading passages fast.
Do not just read the rule. Drill evidence-only decisions until they feel automatic. Open verbal reasoning practice
True, False and Cannot say compared
| Answer | Use it when | Do not use it when |
|---|---|---|
| True | The statement follows directly from the passage. | It only feels likely from real-world knowledge. |
| False | The passage says something incompatible with the statement. | The passage is merely silent on the claim. |
| Cannot say | The statement needs extra information not provided. | You can prove True or False using only the text. |
The three traps that create wrong answers
- The plausible trap. The statement is reasonable but unsupported by the text. Your brain wants to say True because it is “probably” true. Resist.
- The causal trap. The statement adds a “because” where the passage only shows correlation. Always a red flag.
- The quantifier trap. The statement shifts “some” to “most”, or “most” to “all”. Small word, wrong answer.
- The time trap. The passage talks about last year, but the statement asks about this year, next year or always.
- The comparison trap. The passage says one group improved; the statement claims it improved more than another group.
The fast decision method
Underline what the statement needs to be true. Then check: does the passage actually give you that exact information? If no → Cannot say. No exceptions.
- Strip the statement. Remove filler and find the claim that must be proven.
- Find the exact evidence. Point to the sentence that proves or contradicts it.
- Check the strength. Words like all, always, caused, best and most often change the answer.
- Choose Cannot say fast. If you cannot find evidence, stop negotiating with the text.
Statement: “Attending more sessions causes higher satisfaction.”
Answer: Cannot say. The passage reports a correlation between attendance and satisfaction but makes no causal claim. Causation is an extra claim the passage did not make.
Statement: “Most branches extended weekend opening hours during the pilot.”
Answer: Cannot say. The passage proves that at least one branch did it, but it does not prove most branches did it. “Some” cannot be upgraded to “most”.
When False is better than Cannot say
Candidates who learn Cannot say sometimes over-correct and stop choosing False. Use False only when the passage directly blocks the statement. If the passage says “applications fell by 8%” and the statement says “applications increased”, that is False, not Cannot say. Silence means Cannot say; contradiction means False.
forge trap note
The easiest way to improve verbal reasoning is to review every wrong answer by trap type. If most of your misses are Cannot say questions, your problem is usually not reading speed. It is evidence discipline: you are accepting plausible claims without proof. Pair this page with trick options to learn how the wrong answers are built.
Source notes
forge checks Cannot Say guidance against SHL’s verbal reasoning example questions and practice test pages. The provider wording may change, but the evidence rule stays stable: answer only from the passage. That is why this page focuses on proof, contradiction and missing information rather than intuition.
Train 'Cannot say' decisions on forge
Verbal reasoning sets tagged by trap type — causation, quantifier, time shift — so you train the exact miss you keep making.
See what forge offersFrequently asked questions
When should I choose Cannot Say?+
Choose Cannot Say when the passage does not provide enough information to prove the statement true or false using only the text.
Is Cannot Say the same as being unsure?+
No. Cannot Say is an evidence verdict. It means the passage lacks the information, not that you personally feel uncertain.
Why do candidates under-use Cannot Say?+
They add outside knowledge, infer causation from correlation, or upgrade weak wording such as some or may into stronger claims.
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