Epic Skills Assessment Epic Skills Assessment: Verbal Reasoning 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which pair of words is most nearly SIMILAR in meaning?
- Diligent / Negligent
- Facilitate / Hinder
- Mitigate / Alleviate (Correct answer)
- Redundant / Essential
Correct answer: Mitigate / Alleviate
Both 'mitigate' and 'alleviate' mean to lessen the severity of something, making them synonyms.
Question 2: A patient record reads: 'Allergies: PCN (rash). Current medications: Amoxicillin.' What concern does this information raise?
- The patient is allergic to all antibiotics.
- Amoxicillin is a penicillin-class antibiotic and may cause an allergic reaction. (Correct answer)
- PCN rashes are not clinically significant.
- The allergy notation is likely a documentation error.
Correct answer: Amoxicillin is a penicillin-class antibiotic and may cause an allergic reaction.
Amoxicillin belongs to the penicillin class, so a documented PCN allergy creates a clinically significant concern.
Question 3: Identify the main purpose of a topic sentence in a paragraph:
- To provide supporting evidence for a claim
- To summarize the entire document
- To introduce the central idea of the paragraph (Correct answer)
- To transition to the next paragraph
Correct answer: To introduce the central idea of the paragraph
A topic sentence states the main idea of its paragraph, orienting the reader before supporting details follow.
Question 4: An email states: 'Please review the attached report and provide feedback no later than Friday.' Today is Thursday. Which action is most appropriate?
- Wait until next week since Friday is tomorrow and there is still time.
- Review the report and send feedback by end of day Friday. (Correct answer)
- Forward the email to a colleague since the deadline is too soon.
- Acknowledge receipt and ask for a one-week extension.
Correct answer: Review the report and send feedback by end of day Friday.
The deadline is Friday, and since today is Thursday, reviewing the report and submitting feedback by Friday is the correct and timely action.
Question 5: Select the word that best fits: 'Her ___ tone during the meeting prevented escalation of the conflict.'
- Provocative
- Conciliatory (Correct answer)
- Dismissive
- Assertive
Correct answer: Conciliatory
'Conciliatory' means intended to reduce hostility or make peace, which aligns with preventing conflict escalation.
Question 6: A notice reads: 'All requests submitted after 5 PM will be processed the following business day.' A request submitted at 4:58 PM on Friday — when will it be processed?
- Saturday
- Immediately on Friday (Correct answer)
- The following Monday
- The following Tuesday
Correct answer: Immediately on Friday
4:58 PM is before the 5 PM cutoff, so the request qualifies for same-day Friday processing.
Question 7: Which sentence contains an error in word usage?
- The doctor's prognosis was more optimistic than expected.
- The nurse ensured the patient's comfort throughout the procedure.
- The report had an adverse affect on team morale. (Correct answer)
- The committee reached a consensus after lengthy debate.
Correct answer: The report had an adverse affect on team morale.
'Affect' is typically a verb; the correct noun here is 'effect' — 'an adverse effect on team morale.'
Epic Skills Assessment Epic Skills Assessment: Verbal Reasoning 4
Which pair of words is most nearly SIMILAR in meaning?