Numerical Reasoning Test Practice
Tables, charts and percentages against a one-minute clock. The maths is GCSE level. The time pressure is not.
Numerical Reasoning Practice Tests
Numerical Reasoning
Interpret financial tables and charts to answer data-driven questions. Mirrors the SHL Verify Numerical Reasoning test format.
scales numerical (Numerical Reasoning)
Find the right figures across tabbed tables and charts, then judge statements about them. Twelve minutes with negative marking, so knowing when to skip matters as much as calculating. Mirrors the Aon cut-e scales numerical test.
Numerical Analysis
Interpret revenue tables, budget charts, and business data to answer arithmetic and trend questions. Part of the Saville Swift Analysis battery.
Elements Numerical
Interpret tables of business data and answer questions from a long list of options, so guessing rarely helps. Each question is individually timed, with more time for the first question on a new table. Difficulty adapts to your performance. Mirrors the Talent Q Elements Numerical test.
Logiks Numerical
Rapid mental arithmetic, number series, percentages and short word problems. Mirrors the numerical section of the Cubiks Logiks General test - quick calculation, no data tables.
Numerical Reasoning
Interpret data tables and charts to answer arithmetic and trend questions within a contextualised job simulation. Select the correct answer from five options. Mirrors the numerical component included in many Cappfinity assessments.
Numerical Reasoning
Rapid mental arithmetic, number series and percentages mirroring the numerical items in the PI Cognitive Assessment (PICA). No data tables - quick calculation under time pressure.
What Numerical Reasoning Measures
Data interpretation
Finding the two or three figures that actually answer the question and ignoring the rest of the table. Most items include distractor columns that look relevant and are not.
Speed with accuracy
Typical tests allow 60 to 90 seconds per question. Employers care about the combination: a fast candidate who makes errors scores no better than a slow careful one.
Estimation and judgement
Answer options are usually spaced far enough apart that a sound estimate identifies the right one. Recognising when an estimate is safe is a large part of the skill.
Question Formats
Percentage change
Given a figure in two periods, express the movement as a percentage. This is the single most common question type in graduate numerical testing, and it is where reversing the base value costs the most marks.
Ratios and proportions
Split a total in a given ratio, or compare ratios across categories. Frequently combined with a currency conversion or a per-head figure in the same question.
Tables and charts
A single data set feeds three or four questions. Reading the units, the footnotes and the year headings correctly matters more than the arithmetic does.
Number sequences
Identify the rule linking a series and give the next term. Used by Criteria, Wonderlic and Predictive Index rather than by the classic data-table providers.
Mental arithmetic at speed
Chains of simple sums against a shrinking clock, as in the Aon digitChallenge. No data to interpret, just sustained accuracy under time pressure.
How to Prepare
Drill the four calculations that cover most questions
Percentage change, percentage of a total, ratio splits and simple averages account for the large majority of items. Rehearse them until you no longer think about the method.
Read the question before the table
Absorbing a data set you never use is the most common way to lose 20 seconds. Find out what is being asked, then go and get only those numbers.
Check the units every time
Thousands against millions, and the wrong year column, cause more wrong answers on these tests than the arithmetic does.
Never leave a question blank
Most numerical tests do not penalise wrong answers, so an educated guess is strictly better than a skip. Mark it, guess, move on.
Practise under the calculator rules you will face
SHL and Saville normally allow one. The Criteria CCAT and the Wonderlic normally do not. Practising with a calculator for a test that bans it builds the wrong habit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a numerical reasoning test?
It is a timed test of how well you interpret numerical data and reach a correct conclusion from it. You are given tables, charts or figures and a multiple-choice question, and you have roughly a minute to answer. It is not a maths exam: no algebra, no formulas to recall, just accurate interpretation under time pressure.
How long is a numerical reasoning test?
Most sit between 15 and 35 minutes. SHL Verify numerical is commonly 18 minutes for 18 questions. Saville Numerical Analysis is typically 24 minutes. Aon scales numerical is shorter but adaptive, so the difficulty rises as you get items right.
Can you use a calculator in a numerical reasoning test?
It depends on the provider. SHL, Saville, Korn Ferry and Cubiks tests normally permit a basic calculator and are written on the assumption you have one. The Criteria CCAT, the Wonderlic and the Predictive Index Cognitive Assessment do not allow one. Always check the invitation email, because it will say.
What is a good score on a numerical reasoning test?
Scores are reported as percentiles against a comparison group rather than as a raw mark, so a good score depends on who you are compared against. For competitive graduate schemes, the pass mark commonly sits somewhere around the 50th to 70th percentile of a graduate norm group, which usually means answering most questions correctly.
How do I get faster at numerical reasoning?
Practise the calculation types rather than doing whole tests repeatedly. Percentage change, ratio splits and averages should be automatic before you worry about pacing. Then practise with a timer running, because the skill you actually need is deciding quickly when an estimate is good enough.
Which employers use numerical reasoning tests?
Nearly all large graduate employers in finance, consulting, law, engineering and the public sector. Barclays, HSBC and Santander screen with them, the Big 4 firms use them, and the Civil Service uses a numerical test supplied by Talogy. The vendor differs but the underlying format is very similar.
Provider guides
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