How the Sova numerical test works
Each question shows a set of business data, usually a table, bar chart or graph, with a question and multiple-choice options. You choose an answer and press Next. Next does not move you on until you have answered, and each part of a Sova assessment starts with a practice question that does not count.
The unusual part is time. The test is reported to have no time limit, yet your response time is recorded and built into the score, so a slow right answer is worth less than a quick one. Sova also flags unusually fast or slow responses.
The test adapts. Answer a run of questions correctly and you are moved to a harder set; get them wrong and you drop to an easier one. Sova sells the test at a foundation and an advanced level, so the difficulty depends on the role.
It usually comes as one part of a single Sova sitting with other tasks, branded as the employer rather than as Sova.
How to answer a Sova numerical question
Use the same order on every question:
- Read the question first and note exactly what it asks for: a value, a change, a share or a ratio.
- Find the one or two figures you need in the table or chart. Most questions use a single row or series.
- Check the units in the headers, such as £m against £000, before you calculate.
- Work it out on the calculator, writing down any intermediate figure.
- Match your answer to the options, then press Next. Do not reread the whole table once you have an answer.
Worked example
A table shows quarterly revenue by region. West made £16.0m in Q1 and £18.4m in Q2. The question asks: by what percentage did West’s revenue grow from Q1 to Q2? The options are 2.4%, 13.0%, 15.0%, 18.4% and 87.0%.
The increase is £18.4m − £16.0m = £2.4m. Percentage growth is measured from the starting value, so it is 2.4 ÷ 16.0 = 0.15, or 15.0%.
The traps are built in: 13.0% divides by the Q2 figure instead (2.4 ÷ 18.4), 2.4% confuses the £m increase with a percentage, and 87.0% is Q1 as a share of Q2.
Tips for the real Sova numerical test
- Keep moving. There is no clock to warn you, but every second on a correct answer is recorded.
- Do not rush into errors either. A wrong answer earns nothing, however fast it was.
- Take the first questions carefully. Getting them right routes you into the harder set, where the level you reach counts.
- Have your own calculator, a pen and paper on the desk before you start.
- Use the unscored practice question at the start to get used to the screen.
- Set aside enough time to finish the whole Sova sitting in one go, as Sova asks.
Practise Sova Numerical Reasoning on CogniPrep
Ours gives you 16 questions drawn from a bank of 45, each with a table, bar chart or line series and five options. There is no clock on screen, but your time is recorded. Questions come in blocks of four, starting at medium difficulty: three or more right moves you up a level, one or none moves you down. There is no Back and no skip. You get a score out of 100 built from accuracy, speed on correct answers, the level you reached and how steady your pace was, plus a percentile against CogniPrep players. The question count is ours, because Sova does not publish one.