Deloitte conducts a voice versant test for its prospective recruits. The test is taken by graduates, post graduates, and even experienced professionals as qualifying test for entering Deloitte.
This article covers the sections and strategies to nail this test.
Sections
There are different types of Versant tests such as Versant Writing Test, Versant Placement Test, Versant Speaking Test, etc. The Deloitte Versant Test is essentially a Voice Versant Test which majorly focuses on testing your English Speaking and Listening skills. The test measures your fluency, pronunciation, vocabulary as well as grammar. The test has 6 sections as described below:
Section A: Read the sentences
This section has 8-12 sentences. The voice command (IVR) says “read the sentence number 4”, you read that and so on. In this section, the sentences are displayed on screen. It is important to read the sentences as instructed. To score well in this section, focus on fluency and reading accurately.
The students who stutter, self-correct, or miss part(s) of sentences will be at disadvantage.
Section B: Listen and Repeat
This section has 16 questions. In this section, you hear a sentence, and then repeat it as it is. The main challenge here is understanding the accent and also recalling the entire sentence to repeat. It is okay if you skip a word or two, but make sure you speak as much of the sentence as possible.
The key here is not to fake an accent but just speak confidently.
Section C: One Word Answers
In this section, you get 24 questions. The IVR asks a question and you need to reply in no more than 3 words. Most questions are 1 word answers.
For example: Do you put water in a bottle or in a cap? Answer can be either “in a bottle” or “bottle”. Both are correct answers. This section basically tests your general vocabulary knowledge. The key here is to listen to the question carefully and answer. Most questions are this or that, i.e., option based questions which means the answer is within the question itself.
Section D: Sentence Building
In this section, you are required to rearrange the sentences. The IVR speaks a jumbled sentence and you need to rearrange it to make a coherent sentence.
For example: The IVR says: “a pizza he bought”
You say: “he bought a pizza”
The test gives about 10 questions in this section.
Section E: Story Retelling
In this section, you hear a story and then when the timer starts, you need to retell the same story as much as you can recall. Most students find this section challenging as they will have to recall not just a sentence but an entire story. You get 40 seconds in this section to reproduce the story. You don’t have to tell the story word for word. In fact, you can use your own words as long as you don’t change the meaning of the story.
The key here is to remember or write the important points such as names of characters, what they are doing in the story, and what is happening in the end of the story.
There are 3 stories given in this section.
Section F: Open Ended Questions
In this section, you are asked a question for which you speak for 20 seconds. Questions are general or opinion based questions that you can easily answer.
For example: 1. Do you like wearing formal or casual clothes more? Explain.
In this section, there are two questions asked and each question is repeated twice.
Important Tips to succeed in this test:
- Don’t fake the accent: Many students believe that if they speak just like native speakers, they can pass this test. This is a myth. The test doesn’t test you on your ACCENT but on your pronunciation and fluency. You are advised against using a fake accent. As long as you don’t mispronounce a word or show signs of mother tongue influence, you are going to be fine.
- Don’t stutter or repeat: Many students get nervous and start showing hesitation or start repeating certain words. Avoid doing that, as it may lead to poor performance score.
- Avoid monotonous tone: It is important to have correct stress and intonation in your speech as these two are important criteria in the test score. Speaking like a robot will definitely get you low score. So, don’t be too cautious.
- Speak conversationally: To pass this test, it is essential to speak as if you were speaking to your friends. i.e. speak naturally.
- Avoid long pauses: It is possible that you may miss some information or you may not hear everything clearly, but still, it is important that you don’t take long pauses or stay silent in the test.
The test can be nerve-wracking, so practice is very important. There are a plenty of videos on YouTube which help you practice for this test, so make sure you go through them before the D-Day. Finally, we are confident that if you follow the above tips, you’ll pass the test.
Visit the official Pearson website page to pratice versant tests. Best wishes,
About the Author
Neha has been teaching English for over 8 years. She has trained and mentored students of different age groups for spoken English, IELTS, campus recruitment, competitive exams like SSC, IBPS and CAT, group discussions, and interviews. Currently, she is working as a freelancer, training Indian American students for SAT, mentoring Indian students for IELTS and placements. She is passionate about teaching, blogging, and editing videos. She has recently published her book “A Word A Day”, which is available on Amazon. Her special skills include English grammar, proofreading, copy-editing, communication skills, and counseling. In her free time, she loves honing her skills, learning more courses, and spending time with her family. Her life purpose is to MAKE A DIFFERENCE.