What does Verbal Ability actually measure?

[1ive2die]

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I have always wondered what real-world skill the VA section actually measures. Is it your ability to write, your ability to speak, or is it just your knowledge of language in general? Isn't your writing already measured on the PCAT in the writing section? Also if VA measures your ability to speak and knowledge of the language, is your PCAT VA score also correlated with interview success?

I know, pretty weird question but I've always wondered. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[pharmschooler]

I have always wondered what real-world skill the VA section actually measures. Is it your ability to write, your ability to speak, or is it just your knowledge of language in general? Isn't your writing already measured on the PCAT in the writing section? Also if VA measures your ability to speak and knowledge of the language, is your PCAT VA score also correlated with interview success?

I know, pretty weird question but I've always wondered. Anyone have any ideas?

The person I know who did best on the written portion absolutely tanked the verbal ability...English was not their first language.

I think VA measures knowledge of language in general and familiarity with graduate-level vocabulary. I doubt it's correlated with interview success, because much of interview success is about the ability to express yourself and your ideas and your general "likeability".