How the Saville numerical test works
Each question shows business data, such as sales by region, costs by month or survey results, as a table or chart, with a question and a set of answer options. The work is choosing the right figures and then finding a percentage, ratio, difference or total with them.
In Saville’s combined Swift tests the numerical section takes 4 to 6 minutes, reported as 8 questions in 6 minutes in Swift Analysis Aptitude. Each section has its own clock, and unused time does not carry over. The full Numerical Analysis test takes 16 to 24 minutes, depending on the level.
It is not adaptive: everyone gets a randomised set of equally difficult questions, scored on one scale and compared with people in similar roles.
Saville does not say on its public pages whether you may use a calculator. Prep sites report that calculators are allowed, so have one ready and follow the on-screen instructions.
How to answer Saville numerical questions
Most marks are lost on reading the data, not on the arithmetic. Work in this order:
- Read the question before the data, so you know which row and column you need.
- Check the units in the headings: thousands, millions or percentages.
- Write down the two or three figures you need before you calculate.
- Estimate first. When the options are far apart, a rough answer is enough to pick the right one.
- For a percentage change, divide the change by the starting value, not the new one.
Worked example
A table shows a company’s sales in two regions. North: £240,000 in 2024 and £276,000 in 2025. South: £180,000 in 2024 and £171,000 in 2025. Question: by what percentage did total sales change from 2024 to 2025? Options: A 5.0%, B 6.0%, C 6.4%, D 6.9%, E 15.0%.
Total sales were £420,000 in 2024 and £447,000 in 2025, a rise of £27,000. Divide by the starting total: 27,000 ÷ 420,000 = 6.4%, option C. Dividing by the 2025 total instead gives 6.0%, option B. South’s fall alone is 5.0%, option A, and North’s rise alone is 15.0%, option E.
Tips for the real Saville numerical test
- Plan to sit Swift Analysis on a computer: Saville says it cannot be taken on a phone, and recommends a screen resolution of at least 1366 by 768 on a PC.
- Take Saville’s free Numerical Analysis practice test. It gives feedback on each answer and is the quickest check that your device works.
- Keep to about 45 seconds a question in Swift Analysis. One question you cannot crack is worth a guess, not two minutes.
- Have a calculator, pen and paper on the desk before you start.
- Stay in the test window. Leaving it or pressing Back means a reset through Saville support, and your answers so far are lost.
Practise Saville Numerical Analysis on CogniPrep
Our Numerical Analysis game gives you 11 questions from a pool of 18 business tables and charts, each with five options and its own 44-second clock. A question that runs out counts as wrong, and there is no Back button. Your score out of 100 is mostly accuracy, with the rest for speed and for getting the harder questions right. The real Swift section runs one clock for the whole section rather than one per question, so you can spend longer on some questions and less on others.