TipTopJob Blog

What is a Numerical Reasoning Test?
Numerical reasoning tests evaluate a candidate’s ability to manipulate numbers and analyse numerical data. Numerical reasoning tests consist of both word problems and graph/table questions.

How Long Are CEB's SHL Numerical Tests?
There is no one answer to this question. The length of a Gartner CEB's SHL numerical test varies based on employer. It can contain anywhere from 10 to 50 questions.
Is the Gartner CEB SHL Numerical Reasoning Test a Timed or Untimed Test?

Gartner CEB's SHL numerical test is a TIMED test! This is extremely important to know before taking the exam. The time clock often adds to the difficulty of the exam. But, don’t worry. You often are not expected to complete all the questions within the time limit.

Are All Garner CEB’s SHL Numerical Reasoning Tests the Same?
No! The CEB numerical reasoning test you will face will be tailored to the level of job you are applying for. This means if you are applying for a managerial position, you will take a different numerical reasoning test than that taken by a graduate. Here are some practice Gartner CEB SHL numerical reasoning tests based on level:
• Senior management
• Graduate/management
• Entry level

How Is the Gartner CEB’s SHL Numerical Reasoning Test Scored?
CEB's SHL numerical reasoning test is a multiple-choice test. Your score is based on the number of correct answers you receive. This means it is better to guess on questions than to leave them blank.

What Is an SHL Pass Score?
The SHL pass score, which can also be called a cut score or pass mark, is the score a candidate must obtain to continue on to the other stages of the assessment. Each employer can choose if they would like to use a pass score as well as determine what they would like it to be. It is important to note that pass scores are used differently on CEB’s SHL verify tests and on those SHL CEB tests given at an assessment centre. SHL verify tests are a shorter version of the exam given to candidates online before the assessment centre. The verify test is used as a tool for recruiters to sift out the best candidates—those who should move on to the assessment centre. Thus, most of these tests have a pass score. The pass scores vary based on the employer and job type.

How Can I Prepare for Gartner CEB’s SHL Numerical Test?
First and foremost, CEB’s SHL encourages candidates to practise in advance! This means you should not just wing it on exam day. Before you sit the exam, make sure you understand basic mathematical operations. Brush up on your calculator skills; using the calculator efficiently can save you valuable time on your test. Practise estimating numbers when solving the questions. This can be a helpful shortcut. For a full list of study tips, tricks, solving methods, and online practice tests, check out JobTestPrep’s Gartner SHL numerical practice packs.

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Thank you to JobTestPrep, our partner, who has supplied this fantastic article. It was contributed by Jennifer Feldman. She is a speech and language expert and blogger at JobTestPrep. She specialises in writing about the employment hiring process. 

The World Bank Group (WBG) is an international financial institution, providing aid to developing countries through loans and financial advice. Working for WBG in the Analyst Program combines financial and business acumen with the goal of eliminating world poverty. With such an important role in global development, the World Bank is looking to hire the best of the best. To do so, it uses a challenging deductive reasoning test and thorough personality test to assess applicants.

Last year, World Bank received over 10,000 applications but shortlisted more than 3,000. The first hired group was comprised of only 17 candidates. This year, it is looking to hire only 12–35 people, meaning competition is fierce.

If you are applying to the World Bank Group Analyst Program, then you can get prepared for the Deductive Reasoning and Behavioural Tests here with our partner, JobTestPrep.

JobTestPrep can prepare you with the 2017 edition of our World Bank Group Analyst Program preparation package.

CLICK HERE to go through to the website, where you can begin the tests.

Our partner, JobTestPrep, offer practice tests online to help you prepare for upcoming psychometric tests you may have and they also now allow you to check which tests may be most relevant to you categorizing them by profession. By clicking here, you can learn more about the different assessment tests for each.

This month, their featured product is a "personality test". Employers use these to help them choose the most suitable candidate for a position. You can find out more about these here.

JobTestPrep have put together a collection of material so you can practice according to specific needs. The PrepPacks follow the styles and characteristics of different job levels, test types, and leading test providers. Have a look here for some Aptitude Tests Preparation tips.

Some of their current best sellers include:
Matrigma Tests
Deductive Reasoning Tests
Aptitude Tests: Graduate/MGMT
Verbal Reasoning: Graduate/MGMT
Graduate/MGMT Numerical Reasoning
Numerical & Verbal Tests: Graduate/MGMT
Inductive Reasoning Tests
Aptitude Tests: Senior Management

You can find out more about these popular tests here.

If you are in the process of finding a new job and have a personality, psychometric or aptitude test approaching, it is worth taking some time to properly prepare and practice. We wish you the best of luck! 

CEB SHL produces a variety of psychometric tests, including numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, and inductive reasoning. These psychometric tests are given to a variety of applicants, from fresh graduates to executive managers.

In recent years, employers have started to use psychometric tests more frequently, with the understanding that investing the time in screening candidates saves money in the long run. For instance, it has been proven that candidates are more likely to stay in a position if they underwent an intensive application process. Thus, CEB SHL has come to fill employer's needs, serving as one of the more popular assessment companies amongst employers of all sizes, from global firms to SMEs. It is likely you will encounter a CEB's SHL test on one of your upcoming assessments.

What Should You Know before Taking CEB's SHL Tests?

1.CEB’s SHL offers a variety of tests. Each test differs according to the industry, position, and level. This means the verbal reasoning test given to applicants for senior management positions will be more difficult than the one given to graduates. Take a look at these practice tests for different professional levels:
Entry-Level
Graduate/ Management
Senior Management

2.Most of CEB's SHL tests are computerised, either taken online or at your employer’s office. That being said, you may still encounter a paper-based version of some of the assessments.

3.Something unique about CEB’s SHL tests is that they use the verification method. Candidates first take an unsupervised online test. They then are required to take a shorter, supervised version of the test to ensure their results are reliable. Learn more about this process and practise taking CEB's SHL–style tests.

4.CEB's SHL tests have time constraints. This can be stressful for candidates. Luckily, many tests are designed so you don’t necessarily need to complete the exam within the allocated time.

5.The scores of your CEB's SHL tests are relative, meaning your results are tallied relative to other people with similar backgrounds to you.

Read more on our website in our Career Centre.

Throughout the recruitment process there are a number of ways you can be tested by a prospective employer. Such tests allow the employer to identify and recognise your potential and they help you to identify and develop your specific skills to match job requirements. Here is a quick introduction to some of the tests you may come across in your recruitment and selection process.

Ability And Aptitude Tests

Ability and aptitude tests measure specific skill sets and the resultant score gives an indication of existing ability or potential to learn skills required for the job. They evaluate a particular ability such as numerical, verbal, diagrammatic etc. Often the tests are multiple-choice and administered under exam conditions. Practicing tests will help to increase your familiarity with them and can be found on the Internet. These tests get more difficult towards the end, so it is important not to rush them, to think carefully and to go back to those you cannot answer.

Psychometric And Personality Tests

Psychometric and Personality tests assess individual preferences in behaviour, attitude and values by your responses to questions or statements. These tests are un-timed and have multiple answers with each of the questions relating to different aspects of your personality, such as team-working ability, leadership preferences. The tests must be answered honestly as they are trying to fit you into a job role and if you try to guess what the employer wants, you may find yourself in a job that does not suit you!

For any of these tests the key is to remain positive! Your job offering is not solely based on these tests - they are only used as one part of the recruitment process which is good but they should be treated and approached like any other assessment you encounter. Prepare thoroughly, follow the instructions carefully and read the question! Always ask for feedback as this can give you an opportunity to develop your weak areas for the future!

You can practice aptitude tests with our partner on their website.

And you can find more articles about Psychometric testing on our website here.

If you’re reading this then you’re probably applying for (or at least thinking about it) to a nursing or midwifery related course. Courses are available at over 70 universities, but many of them will ask you to sit a literacy and numeracy test before accepting your application. In this guide we’ll go over some of the universities and their tests in detail, to give you an idea of what you’ll need to know and how to prepare.

From the get go, to get a place on a nursing course you’ll need to have C grades at GCSE in English and Maths, but many universities are now asking applicants to take nursing-specific English and Maths tests to make sure that they have the necessary skills. The tests are usually administered at a selection day or similar event. 

Just for TipTopJob readers, we’ve outlined some of the different tests used by different universities, and the keys to success. Read through the information, and make sure you practice for the tests by using JobTestPrep’s specially created nursing numeracy and literacy test pack. 

Applicants to Coventry, Leeds, King’s College London, UWE, Salford, Anglia Ruskin, London South Bank, Greenwich, Middlesex will need to pass the aptitude tests before being accepted onto a course.

Applicants to nursing at Coventry University will be invited to a selection event which includes nursing numeracy and literacy tests. The numeracy test here is a mental arithmetic test and focuses on the four basic mathematical functions. Questions might be straight-up Maths, or they might take the form of a word problem based on a nursing scenario. The English test will ask you to write a short piece on why you want to become a nurse. The keys to success here are: spelling and grammar; being able to present your points in a concise manner; and a clear writing style.

Applicants to Leeds won’t be tested on literacy, but will need to pass a numerical exam (also at a selection event). You’ll be tested on addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, decimals, fractions and percentages. You’ll also be asked to perform basic drug calculations, and some questions might require you to convert weights and volumes between the imperial and metric systems. No calculators allowed, but you can use a pen and paper to work out your answers.

King’s College also invite their nursing applicants to a selection event in order to complete literacy and numeracy tests, and an interview. To get to the interview stage, you’ll first need to pass the tests. For the literacy test, you’ll have 20 minutes to answer questions on a nursing-related text. The test examines how well you can read, understand and apply information in a piece of text in a nursing context. The timing is pretty tight, so you’ll have to work quickly but carefully.

The numeracy test is also timed, and tests similar skills to those tested in the other universities’ maths tests. The crucial difference here is that the test is timed – you’ll have to get through 15 questions in 20 minutes.

UWE, Middlesex, Greenwich, Salford and Anglia Ruskin and many other universities also put their applicants through similar tests to the ones we’ve outlined above. While the timing and format of the tests may differ slightly, the content is fairly standard. Some universities (such as London South Bank) also ask you to take a situational judgement test, which is designed to examine whether you have the right personality, attitude and abilities for a career in nursing. The test is in a multiple choice format and is based on scenarios that might happen in the day-to-day life of a nurse.

We’ve included some examples of questions from the nursing tests. If you find these questions daunting and you need to brush up on some of the skills you might not have used since school, then try the practice tests at JobTestPrep. They have a whole range of nursing numeracy and literacy test packs, designed to help guide you through the process. 

Check out some example questions here.

Visit our recruitment test partner to find out more about these tests and practice aptitude tests for ONLY £29.