How the ACE test works
ACE is a computer adaptive power test. It adjusts the difficulty of each question to how you are doing, so the test settles on the level you can sustain. Almost nobody gets everything right, and a run of hard questions is a sign you are doing well.
The employer chooses at least two of three areas: numerical, spatial and verbal. Numerical questions are word problems answered with a whole number. Spatial questions are figure matrices with six options. Verbal questions include word analogies and logic grids where you place people or items using a few clues.
The General version, with all three areas, is 12 questions at standard precision, with a 30-minute limit and about 20 minutes on average. The high-precision version is 24 questions in up to 75 minutes. A calculator, pen and paper are allowed, and Master says the calculator is expected; AI tools are not. You need a computer, as tablets and phones are not supported.
A skipped question still counts as answered, so it costs you as a wrong answer would. A high result may be checked later with ACE Confirm, a supervised test of up to 15 minutes set at the level you reached.
How to approach ACE questions
Use the time: ACE measures the level you reach, not how fast you get there.
- Numerical: read what the answer has to be, such as whole boxes or whole weeks, before you calculate. That tells you whether to round up or down.
- Matrices: find the rule along the rows and the rule down the columns separately, then pick the option that obeys both.
- Analogies: say the first pair’s relationship as a sentence, then test each option in the same sentence.
- Logic grids: draw a small grid on paper and cross out what each clue rules out. Use only what is stated.
- Never skip to save time. A reasoned guess is never worse than a skip.
Worked examples
Numerical. A cable drum holds 450 metres. A job needs 38 lengths of 25 metres. How many whole drums must be ordered? 38 × 25 = 950 metres. Two drums give 900 metres, which is not enough, so the answer is 3.
Analogy. Seed is to tree as egg is to: nest, bird, shell, yolk or feather? A seed grows into a tree, and an egg grows into a bird. The answer is bird.
Logic grid. Ana, Ben and Cy finished a race first, second and third. Ben finished ahead of Ana. Cy did not finish first. Ana did not finish last. Since neither Ana nor Cy was first, Ben was first. Ana was not last, so she was second, and Cy was third.
Tips for the real ACE test
- Ask which version you are sitting. 12 questions in 30 minutes and 24 in 75 minutes need different pacing.
- Have a calculator, pen and paper ready before you start. Master expects you to use them.
- Budget about two and a half minutes a question on the standard version, and use them on the hard ones.
- Take it on a laptop or desktop in a quiet room; phones and tablets are not supported.
- Do not use AI tools or outside help. A high score may be checked with ACE Confirm, and a result you cannot repeat is marked unconfirmed.
Practise ACE on CogniPrep
Our ACE game is 12 adaptive questions in 30 minutes, mixing typed whole-number problems, six-option matrices, five-option analogies and logic grids. It starts a step below the middle and moves up or down after each answer. There is an on-screen calculator, you cannot go back, and a skip counts as wrong and makes the next question easier. Your result is the level you reached, shown as a score out of 100; speed is not scored. The questions and difficulty steps are our own, not Master’s calibrated bank.