Reading Comprehension and Analysis Flashcards
7 cards from real New Jersey Civil Service Exam practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Reading Comprehension and Analysis flashcards as text
A passage states: 'The borough council may override a mayoral veto by a two-thirds majority vote of its full membership. A council of nine members would therefore require six affirmative votes to override.' If the council has twelve members, how many votes are needed to override a veto?
Answer: Eight
Two-thirds of twelve is eight affirmative votes.
Read the following: 'The suspect was apprehended in the vicinity of the scene, but no forensic evidence directly linking him to the crime was recovered at that time.' What can be concluded from this statement?
Answer: The suspect was nearby but lacks physical evidence connecting him to the crime
The passage confirms proximity but explicitly states no forensic evidence was recovered linking him to the crime.
A directive states: 'Sensitive documents must be shredded immediately upon disposal; recycling bins are not an acceptable disposal method for any document marked confidential or higher.' An employee has a document marked 'Internal Use Only.' Based on the directive, what should she do?
Answer: Recycle it, as it is not marked confidential or higher
The directive restricts recycling only for documents marked 'confidential or higher'; 'Internal Use Only' does not meet that threshold.
A passage reads: 'Unlike punitive damages, which are intended to punish the defendant, compensatory damages are designed solely to restore the plaintiff to the financial position they occupied before the harm occurred.' What is the PRIMARY purpose of compensatory damages?
Answer: To reimburse the plaintiff for their losses
The passage defines compensatory damages as designed to restore the plaintiff's financial position, meaning reimbursement for losses.
A civil service announcement states: 'Candidates who place in the top three ranks of the eligible list and who reside within the municipality shall be given preference in appointment.' A candidate ranks fourth but lives in the municipality. Is she eligible for the residency preference?
Answer: No, because she does not rank in the top three
Both conditions—top three ranking AND residency—must be met; she satisfies residency but not the ranking requirement.
The following is an excerpt from an employee handbook: 'Sick leave may not be used in increments of less than one hour. Partial-hour absences will be charged to annual leave or, if no annual leave is available, will be unpaid.' An employee leaves 30 minutes early and has both sick and annual leave. Which leave will be charged?
Answer: Annual leave
Sick leave cannot be used in increments less than one hour, so the 30-minute absence must be charged to annual leave.
A report concludes: 'The data suggest a correlation between increased street lighting and reduced nighttime vehicle theft in the studied districts; however, causation cannot be established without controlling for other variables.' What does this conclusion CAUTION against?
Answer: Assuming lighting directly caused the theft reduction
The report warns that correlation does not prove causation, so one should not assume lighting directly caused the reduction.