SHL Numerical Reasoning Test

SHL Verify aptitude tests allow employers to recruit candidates for offered positions. The Verify range' tests can be used alone or combined with others, depending on the employer's request and the characteristics of the position. On this page you will find a complete presentation of SHL Verify Numerical Test, with plenty of free explained examples.

What Skills Are Candidates Tested On?

The SHL Verify Numerical Aptitude Test measures candidates' numerical cognitive abilities. It measures their ability to make the right decisions or make correct inferences from numerical or statistical data, presented in various forms. In particular, it assesses their ability to address the problems presented in the form of statements, to perform calculations and to evaluate numerical information presented in graphs and tables.

SHL Verify Numerical reasoning test evaluates candidates applying for jobs of all levels requiring the ability of numerical reasoning. Positions for which different numerical reasoning skills may be required include finance, IT, production or sales. Examples of the skills required in these numerical occupations include (but are not limited to) analyzing and evaluating numerical data from a variety of sources of information, such as budgets, costs, trends, and margins.

This test is particularly suitable when the following tasks take part in the required function:

• The quick understanding and analysis of data presented in tables and graphs.
• The knowledge of the different mathematical concepts to be used in a quick and accurate manner (basic operations, percentages, etc.).
• The proper drawing of conclusions from analyses and mathematical data presented in different forms.

How Do I Prepare for SHL's Numerical Reasoning Test?

The SHL Verify Numerical Reasoning Test corresponding to the manager/graduate level is an online test consisting of 18-questions for a maximum of 25-minutes, that is, 72 seconds per question. While this may seem to be sufficient, the questions within this test require a high understanding of the the statement in order to be able to answer correctly. Therefore, a question of this type can take much longer than a minute and twelve seconds, depending on your understanding of the issue, and your ability to calculate quickly in order to reach the right result. However, it is important to know that it is possible to improve your response time by training for answering SHL-type questions, as proposed in our comprehensive preparation. 

There are several levels for the SHL Verify Numerical Reasoning Test, depending on the comparison group and the position for which the candidate applies. The questions level, test duration and questions number vary depending on the test. The above presentation corresponds only to the numerical reasoning test at the Manager/Senior Executives/Graduates level. Similarly, the simulation we have created corresponds to this level as well, which is the highest level. A Verify Numerical Reasoning Test corresponding to the other levels, as shown in the table below, will have less complicated questions.

Proposed levels:

This test uses the Item Response Theory (IRT), which reduces the time necessary to complete the test, and also allows you to take the test while being unsupervised. However, a candidate who has passed the test and continued through the next stages of the recruitment process will often be offered an additional shorter test to ensure that the results obtained match his or her actual abilities.

The questions are proposed in the form of a multiple-choice questionnaire, with five proposals for each question. This test is only available online. In addition, unlike other numerical tests (e.g., cut-e numerical), it is impossible to navigate between the test questions, that is, once a question has been asnwered, you can no longer go back. This means you will have to take certain choices in order to optimize your time management. Indeed, being stuck on a test question for several minutes will penalize you given that you won't be able to complete all the questions of the test, due to the lack of time. In this case, it will be more useful for you to guess the answer intuitively rather than to get stuck, as the wrong answers are not penalized in this test.

How Are the Test Questions Presented?

 SHL Verify Numerical Reasoning Test exercises consist of several types of questions:

• Tables/histogram/curved graph/circular diagram: questions of this type usually offer tables or graphs composed of comparisons between different models/companies/teams/etc. You will usually be asked to perform basic arithmetic and percentage calculations. In addition, a statement with additional information always accompanies the chart or graph, making the exercise a bit more complex.
• Percentages: percentages are an integral part of this test and are present in most of the questions. They come in different forms, such as percentage increases or reductions and more.
• Time/surfaces/quantities: this type of question can cover different topics and is usually combined with basic arithmetic calculations and/or percentages. Although often offered in the form of a fairly short statement, they can be difficult to resolve.
• Fractions: questions of this type require a good understanding of calculations containing different kind of operations.

In general, a test of 18 questions will be presented as follows:

Example with a graph:

25% of all motors from Production Team A had defects, 6% of motors from Production Team B had defects, 9% of motors from Production Team C had defects, 15% of motors from Production Team D had defects, and 13% of the motors from Production Team E had defects.

Which Production Team made the most motors without defects?

1. Team A
2. Team B
3. Team C
4. Team D
5. Team E

Example with a table:

The table shows the average production data for three products over the last month. The difference between the costs and the sale price is the company profit for one unit.

If a new production method allows the labor costs of Product C to be reduced to $3.45 per unit while increasing the maximum production to 250 units per month, what percentage increase in profit would the company see from that product?

1. 119%
2. 200%
3. 252%
4. 288%
5. 322%

Sample percentage question:

Jack typed 80 words per minute when he enrolled in a typing course. His typing speed increased by 3% two weeks into the course. At the end of the course, Jack was able to type his entire 1,680 word document in 20 minutes.

What was the percent of increase in his typing speed from the beginning of the course to the end?

1. 3%
2. 4%
3. 5%
4. 6%
5. 7%

Example of time question:

A new computer will load 17% faster than the old computer. It took the old computer 22 seconds to loads one graphic and 9 seconds to load a paragraph of text.

If you are loading a document with 2 graphics and and 1 paragraph, how long will it take the new computer to load:

1. 25.73 seconds
2. 31.00 seconds
3. 43.99 seconds
4. 53.00 seconds
5. 62.01 seconds

Sample fraction question:

A baker filled a measuring cup with 3/4 water. He poured 1/2 of the wather into the batter, and then spilled 1/8 cup of water on the floor. How much water will the baker need to add to what is left in the cup to have 50% more than what he started with? 

1. 1/8 water
2. 3/8 water
3. 1/4 water
4. 1/2 water
5. 7/8 water

Answer and explanation:

The correct answer is E.

Let us calculate how much water he has left in the cup:

He wants to get 50% more than he had at the beginning:

The difference between the two:

Tips and Tricks

• Read the instructions correctly! It is not uncommon for candidates to make errors because of poor reading or misunderstanding of the statement. This kind of mistake can be easily avoided if you take the right time to read the statement and instructions related to each exercise and question.
• Review your arithmetic and percentage basics with our comprehensive study guides included in our SHL Verify Numerical reasoning test simulation.
• Practice as much as you can! Our comprehensive simulation allows you to practice answering the same types of questions as the SHL Verify test. Doing our preparation will allow you to arrive ready and confident to  the test. In addition, being trained on the same kind of questions as the original test will greatly improve your response speed, as well as your understanding of the different question statements.
• The different proposals in each question are not written randomly, you may obtain them by making a wrong calculation. So, do not rush if you come across a result written in one of the proposals! All of them can be obtained, which makes the test much more difficult and is a cause of failure for many candidates.
• Do the evaluation in a quiet place where you are not disturbed during of the test.
• If you are using a laptop, we recommend you to connect a mouse before you start the evaluation. In this way you won't be slowed down.
• Get all the necessary equipment (calculator, paper sheets, pencil, etc.) before you start the evaluation.
• Make sure you have a compatible Internet browser and a good Internet connection.
• Work quickly and accurately, but without haste. Although the test is time-limited, solving the exercises with stress and haste will cause you to make mistakes that could have been avoided.

How Are the SHL Test Results Presented?

SHL Verify test results are presented in a full profile report, including the number of correct responses, as well as a percentile indicating the candidate's level based on all individuals in the same comparison groupthat passed the test and were applying for the same function and with the same characteristics (position, age, etc.). The test report is not sent to the candidate but only to the recruiter.