Like most of the other articles on this page, we would like to advise the readers that these tips are based mostly on our experience. We do not guarantee the pass or fail rate on these tips as it would still depend on your preparation as an applicant.
We will no longer go into the details as to what versant is and what it does. We will just give you an overview on what happens during the exam itself. Once your name is called for the Versant exam, you will be assigned a computer to work with, a headset and a set of instructions on what to do. Listen to the instructions carefully and do not hesitate to ask questions, if you start the exam and your headset is not working, advise the recruitment officer right away, you will fail Versant if your headset is not working.
Okay now let’s walk you through the exam – before taking Versant, please always keep in mind that, there’s no right or wrong answer. No one audits or evaluates the recording in Versant, it’s purely a machine based assessment, keep calm, relax and just have fun. Most of the time, applicants fail on the Question and Answer portion of the exam, let’s break down the reason why this is happening but first let’s look at this sample evaluation answer from Versant:
Versant: "What is your greatest achievement?"
Sample Answer: "My greatest achievement is when I was able to graduate from my five year course because studying for five years is tough... That is my greatest achievement.. 10..9..8...7..6..5..4..3..2..1.. (note to readers: yes, your eyes does not deceive you that is a countdown).
Simple answer right? There are fragmented grammars here and there too and of course, there’s that countdown where we will provide an explanation later on. If this was a live interview, you would have failed already, but again, there’s no right or wrong answer and a machine will just evaluate you so first things first, you would need to make sure that your voice is clear. Not too loud and not too soft, believe it or not, the applicant who made that answer in Versant passed the exam.
What are the most common reasons why applicants fail Versant?
1. The voice is not clear enough, either the voice is too soft or it’s too loud. Coughing during versant is also a markdown based on the Versant system, it would be best to cough it out first before talking. There’s also a part in Versant wherein you would have to repeat the recorded voice. Again, your voice should be clear enough - slow down, don’t rush it, there’s no need to repeat the whole recording, as long as you’re talking in a clear way, you will pass it. Most of the applicants who passed the exam are using a monotonous tone, like they just woke up, just remember that Versant is not an accent exam - just keep your voice clear enough for the machine to hear it.
2. The answer did not reach the time allotted by Versant. The rule of versant is, when you hear the beeping sound, you should start talking and you must end your answer after the ‘beep’. Most of the applicants who failed the exam just answered with a short sentence and waited for the ‘beep’ in silence, the key to passing the exam is to prolong your answer. Let’s go back to the previous example, remember the countdown? You can either count from 1 to 10 or from 10 to 1 or up to 100 as long as you can prolong your answer up to the beeping sound. The most important thing to remember is that as long as you have a good first sentence, you can either count, cite poetries or lyrics as long as you don’t sing it. You can even pray - whichever is more comfortable for you. Again, you must prolong your answer up until the beeping sound.
Let’s break down the Versant process. This was during our time, some parts of the exam might have already changed but the system is still the same. Just keep in mind the things that were discussed above and you should be able to pass it.
Versant Exam Overview – Below is the exact workflow of the Versant exam. Just imagine you are wearing a headset and you are hearing these instructions from your headset.
REMINDER: The test begins when you say your name. If you hang up before you complete the test, the test cannot be graded. You cannot reuse the Test Identification Number.
Test Identification Number (TIN)
12345678
Call: 1-415-738-3800
Expires: January 1, 2012
Note: these will be provided by the recruitment officer. AGAIN, listen to the instructions carefully before taking the exam.
Thank you for calling the Versant testing system.
Please enter your Test Identification Number on the telephone keypad.
Now, please say your name. Now, please say the city and country you are calling from.
Now, please follow the instructions for Parts A through F.
PART TASK TEST DETAILS
A. Reading Please read the sentences as you are instructed.
1. Traffic is a huge problem in Southern California.
2. The endless city has no coherent mass transit system.
3. Sharing rides was going to be the solution to rush-hour traffic.
4. Most people still want to drive their own cars, though.
5. Larry's next door neighbors are awful.
6. They play loud music all night when he's trying to sleep.
7. If he tells them to stop, they just turn it up louder.
8. He wants to move out of that neighborhood.
9. My aunt recently rescued a dog that was sick.
10. She brought her home and named her Margaret.
11. They weren't sure she was going to live, but now she's healthy.
12. I just wish she could get along better with their cat.
B. Please repeat each sentence that you hear.
Example: a voice says, "Leave town on the next train."
and you say, "Leave town on the next train."
C. Please give a simple answer to the questions.
Example: a voice says, "Would you get water from a bottle or a newspaper?"
and you say, "a bottle" or "from a bottle".
D. Please rearrange the word groups into a sentence.
Example: a voice says, "was reading" ... "my mother" ... "her favorite magazine"
and you say, "My mother was reading her favorite magazine."
E. Story Retelling
You will hear three brief stories. Each story will be spoken once, followed by a beep. When you hear the beep, you will have 30 seconds to retell the story in English. Try to retell as much of the story as you can, including the situation, characters, actions, and ending. You will hear another beep at the end of the 30 seconds.
F. Open Questions
You will hear two questions about family life or personal choices. Each question will be spoken twice, followed by a beep. When you hear the beep, you will have 40 seconds to answer the question. You will hear another beep at the end of the 40 seconds. Thank you for completing the test.
