Logical Reasoning Test Practice
Shapes and sequences instead of words and numbers. Employers rate it as the best single predictor of how fast you learn.
Logical Reasoning Practice Tests
Inductive Reasoning
Identify the rule(s) governing a sequence of shape frames and select the correct next frame. Mirrors the SHL Verify Inductive Reasoning test format.
scales ix (Inductive Reasoning)
Nine objects are shown and eight of them obey a hidden rule. Find the one that breaks it. Five minutes, rapid-fire, negative marking. Mirrors the Aon cut-e scales ix test.
scales cls (Inductive Reasoning)
Two groups of grids each follow a different hidden rule. Work out the rules, then decide which group an unmarked grid belongs to. Mirrors the Aon cut-e scales cls logical test. Twelve minutes, negatively marked, so skip rather than guess.
Deductive Reasoning
Given a set of premises, judge whether each conclusion definitely follows, possibly follows, or does not follow. Mirrors the SHL Verify Deductive Reasoning test.
switchChallenge (Deductive Logic)
A row of symbols is rearranged into a new order by hidden operator "codes". Work out the missing code that produces the output. Six minutes of gamified deductive logic. Mirrors the Aon smartPredict switchChallenge (scales sx).
Elements Logical
Work out the rule governing a sequence of abstract figures and pick the frame that comes next. Individually timed questions that get harder while you keep answering correctly. Mirrors the Talent Q Elements Logical test.
Logiks Abstract
Complete the 3x3 matrix by selecting the shape that fits the pattern. Modelled on Raven-style matrices, this mirrors the abstract section of the Cubiks Logiks General test.
Abstract Reasoning
Spot the rule across a sequence of shape frames and choose what comes next. Mirrors the abstract items in the PI Cognitive Assessment (PICA) - the strongest single predictor of learning speed.
What Logical Reasoning Measures
Rule finding
Almost every item comes down to identifying one or two rules operating at once, then applying them one step further. The rules themselves are simple; spotting which one is in play is the test.
Working memory
You have to hold several candidate rules in mind while you check each against the sequence. This is why performance drops so sharply when candidates are tired or rushed.
Resistance to red herrings
Every item contains features that vary without meaning anything. Deciding what to ignore is as important as deciding what to track.
Question Formats
Inductive reasoning
Infer the rule from a series of examples and choose what comes next. This is the SHL Inductive test and the Aon scales ix and scales cls tests. It is the most widely used of the five.
Deductive reasoning
Apply rules you have been given to reach a conclusion that must be true. Covers syllogisms, seating and ordering puzzles, and the Aon switchChallenge, where you apply a stated operator to a display under heavy time pressure.
Abstract reasoning
Identify the rule running across a matrix or a row of shape frames and select the missing frame. Used by Cubiks Logiks Abstract and by the abstract section of the PI Cognitive Assessment.
Diagrammatic reasoning
Follow an input through a flowchart of operators and work out the output, or work backwards to find the missing operator. This is the Saville Diagrammatic Analysis format, and it is common in engineering and technology recruitment.
Spatial reasoning
Rotate, fold, reflect or match shapes in your head. It appears as its own section in the Criteria CCAT and inside broader cognitive batteries rather than as a standalone test.
How to Prepare
Check one feature at a time
Run a fixed checklist: shape, count, shading, rotation, position, size. Working through it in the same order every time is faster than staring at the whole frame hoping the rule appears.
Rotation and reflection are the usual suspects
They are the two most common rules and the two most often confused. If a shape looks rotated, check whether it is actually mirrored before you commit.
Eliminate rather than search
Finding one feature that rules out three of five options is normally quicker than proving the correct answer outright, and it is far more reliable under time pressure.
Know whether your test is adaptive
Aon scales ix and Korn Ferry Elements adapt: a correct answer makes the next item harder. Getting questions wrong late on is expected and is not the disaster it feels like.
Set a hard time limit per item
If no rule has surfaced in about 20 seconds, guess and move. On these tests one abandoned question costs far less than two rushed ones later.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning tests?
Inductive tests give you examples and ask you to infer the general rule, so you are reasoning from specific cases to a pattern. Deductive tests give you the rules and ask you to apply them to reach a conclusion that must follow. Inductive tests are the more common of the two in graduate screening.
What is an abstract reasoning test?
A test that uses shapes and symbols with no verbal or numerical content, asking you to identify the pattern across a sequence or matrix and select the missing element. In practice, abstract, inductive and non-verbal reasoning are used almost interchangeably by different vendors for very similar tests.
Can you improve at logical reasoning tests?
Yes. The underlying ability moves slowly, but scores move quickly, because most of the early gain comes from knowing the rule vocabulary. Once rotation, reflection, alternation, progression and addition or subtraction of elements are familiar, you spend your time applying rules rather than discovering that they exist.
How are adaptive logical reasoning tests scored?
Adaptive tests such as Aon scales ix adjust difficulty as you go and score on the difficulty of the items you answered correctly, not on the raw number right. That is why two candidates can answer the same number correctly and receive different scores, and why a run of hard questions near the end is a good sign.
Which employers use logical reasoning tests?
They are heavily used in engineering, technology, consulting and finance, where the roles involve unfamiliar problems rather than a fixed body of knowledge. Airbus, Siemens, Thales and WSP screen with game-based and reasoning assessments, and Aon cut-e tests are common across European graduate hiring.
Provider guides
Ready to start practising?
Real time limits, full scoring and percentile feedback on every test.