SAMPLE ABILITY TESTS
Good companies go to great lengths to match the right people to the right jobs. Since we spend between a quarter and a third of our time at work, it’s important that our abilities and interests fit the requirements of the role.
Companies are increasingly choosing to employ ability tests, personality questionnaires and situational judgement tests in their screening process to increase efficiency and find people with the right potential for a role. Candidates will often face three types of job assessments: inductive reasoning, verbal reasoning, and numerical reasoning. To achieve high scores and impress potential employers, we recommend that candidates study and practice these tests. Give our practice tests a try below!
If you would like to take a full-length practice test to help prepare for an upcoming assessment, call us at 0844 292 0800 to set up a test.
TEST 1 – INDUCTIVE REASONING
Inductive tests are designed to assess your ability to identify underlying patterns in information and predict outcomes using that information. These tests measure the ability to work flexibly with unfamiliar information and find solutions, and challenge you to think both conceptually and analytically.
TEST 2 – NUMERICAL REASONING
This test is designed to measure your ability to understand and reason with numerical data. In order to better simulate job situations, the use of a calculator is allowed. You are asked to use the facts and figures presented in variable statistical tables to answer questions designed to access your skills of numerical evaluation.
TEST 3 – VERBAL REASONING
This test is designed to find out how well you are able to evaluate the logic of various kinds of arguments. It consists of a series of passages, each of which followed by several statements. Your task is to evaluate each statement and decided which it is true or untrue, or whether there is insufficient information to make a judgement.
PRACTICAL GUIDES TO DIFFERENT ASSESSMENT TYPES
As they say, practice makes perfect – and if you are a visual learner, you may find these videos from best-selling author and career coach Richard McMunn to be quite helpful in completing various types of job assessments. Try your hand at practicing some of the questions he presents in these videos, and you’ll be all the more prepared for your next candidate assessment.
INDUCTIVE REASONING
Inductive reasoning assessments measure your general mental abilities through identifying patterns and consistencies among various images and predicting what is next in the sequence. These types of tests are popular in application processes because they are believed to be great predictors of job performance and your ability to complete work activities to a high standard. Inductive reasoning tests also level the playing field, as no prior knowledge is needed to achieve a high score. However, this does not mean you are guaranteed to score highly on your first try – like any test, inductive reasoning requires practice to improve your response time and familiarise yourself with various methods. Try out some examples with the video below.
Inductive Reasoning Tips:
- Inductive reasoning tests will ask you to assess patterns and find the next pattern in the sequence. To solve, pick one particular element of the pattern and notice how it changes across the sequence. Then compare this to the answers you have available and narrow down the answer through process of elimination.
- You may also be asked to select a figure from the sequence which is the ‘odd one out.’ Analyse commonalities between the shapes in the sequence, and deduce which shape is unlike the others.
- Practise, practise, practise! The best way to get accustomed to this type of test is through question drills. Over time, you will become more attuned to patterns and sequences.
NUMERICAL REASONING
Numerical reasoning tests measure not only your ability to complete various types of maths, but also to deduce conclusions from the extensive information you are presented with. These more complex problems might manifest in the form of bars, graphs, or charts, and they often take multiple steps to solve. To tackle numerical reasoning problems you need to be able to work quickly and efficiently under pressure, which often takes practice to master. In a job setting these skills are vital at every experience level, whether it be graduate positions or upper management. Why not begin with a few tester questions below?
Numerical Reasoning Tips:
- Numerical reasoning tests will measure how quickly you can answer mathematical questions. To prepare, practice before the real test with questions under timed conditions.
- You will be measured on accuracy and can lose points for incorrect answers – so do not make random guesses!
- The best way to prepare is by practising many different types of sample questions before the real test. Be sure to review your addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, percentages, ratios, degrees, and number sequence patterns.
VERBAL REASONING
Verbal reasoning tests explore one’s ability to navigate arguments logically to make objective decisions. You could be tasked with differentiating between strong and weak arguments, identifying when assumptions have been made, deducing answers based on the facts provided, interpreting whether a given conclusion is logical, or inferencing conclusions based on the information in the passage. The skills measured by this assessment are especially useful in predicting how you will analyse scenarios, evaluate arguments, and draw conclusions from data when you are on the job. Give it a try with the video below!
Verbal Reasoning Tips:
- When taking a verbal reasoning test, you will be presented with three ways to answer: ‘true,’ ‘false,’ or ‘cannot say.’ Choose ‘true’ if the statement can be verified by something explicitly or implicitly mentioned in the text. Choose ‘false’ if there is evidence in the text which contradicts the statement. Choose ‘cannot say’ if there is not enough evidence in the text to prove the statement is true or false.
- Answer based solely on the information provided in the text, regardless of what you know as fact.
- Do not spend too much time reading the whole passage several times over; scan the passage for words or phrases that are relevant to the question.