Numerical reasoning tests are the most common aptitude assessment used by employers worldwide. Over 10,000 companies use tests from providers like SHL, Kenexa, and Cubiks — and the numerical section is almost always included.
The good news: numerical reasoning isn't maths. You don't need algebra, calculus, or advanced equations. It's about reading data, understanding what's being asked, and calculating quickly under pressure.
Every numerical reasoning test evaluates three core skills: data interpretation (reading tables, charts, and graphs correctly), calculation speed (percentages, ratios, averages, currency conversions), and logical application (knowing which operation to use when). Companies like Deloitte, Barclays, and JP Morgan use these tests because they predict job performance in roles that involve analysing data, budgets, and reports.
These appear in almost every numerical test. You'll see questions like "What was the percentage increase in revenue from Q1 to Q2?" or "If costs decreased by 15%, what is the new total?" The key skill is identifying the base number. Percentage increase = (new - old) / old × 100. Percentage of a number = number × percentage / 100. Practice these until they're automatic.
You'll be presented with a data table — typically 4-6 columns and 5-8 rows — and asked to extract, compare, or calculate from the data. The trick is reading the column headers and units carefully. A common trap: the table shows figures in "£ thousands" but the answer options are in actual pounds.
Bar charts, line graphs, pie charts, and sometimes combinations. For bar charts, read the axis scales carefully — they don't always start at zero. For pie charts, remember that 25% = 90 degrees. For line graphs, look at the trend direction and any inflection points.
Questions like "If 3 machines produce 450 units in 6 hours, how many units do 5 machines produce in 8 hours?" The key: break it into steps. Find the rate per machine per hour first, then scale up.
Common in banking and finance assessments at firms like Goldman Sachs, HSBC, and Deutsche Bank. You'll convert between currencies using given exchange rates, calculate profit margins, or work out commission percentages.
In an SHL numerical reasoning test, you get approximately 35-40 seconds per question. That's not much time to read a data table, understand the question, calculate, and select your answer. Here's how to manage it:
Read the question first, then the data. Don't spend 20 seconds studying the table before you know what's being asked. The question tells you which row and column to look at.
Use the answer options. If the options are 12%, 15%, 18%, and 24%, and your rough calculation gives you something around 15%, you don't need to calculate to three decimal places. Estimation is faster than precision.
Skip and return. If a question is taking more than 60 seconds, mark your best guess and move on. One hard question isn't worth three easy ones.
Misreading units. The table says "millions" but you calculate in thousands. Or the chart axis is in percentages but you treat them as absolute numbers. Always check the units before calculating.
Using the wrong base number. "What percentage of total sales came from Region A?" requires dividing Region A's sales by the TOTAL, not by another region. It sounds obvious, but under time pressure people grab the wrong number.
Rounding too early. If you round intermediate calculations, errors compound. Keep full precision until the final step, then round to match the answer options.
The best way to improve is timed practice. Here are reliable sources:
SHL's own practice tests at SHL Direct give you the exact format you'll face. JobTestPrep offers employer-specific practice packs. AssessmentDay has free numerical tests with worked solutions. For Cognizant, Wipro, and TCS candidates in India, the AMCAT practice portal provides format-specific preparation.
The categories above describe what tests look like. These four worked examples show how to solve them under a 60-second time budget — the typical pace on SHL Verify Numerical at 18 questions in 18 minutes.
Question: Acme Logistics reported revenue of £4.20 million in Q1 and £4.83 million in Q2. By what percentage did revenue increase?
Setup: Percentage change = (new − old) / old × 100.
Calculation: (4.83 − 4.20) / 4.20 = 0.63 / 4.20 = 0.15 → 15%.
Speed tip: The difference 0.63 vs the base 4.20 has a clean 0.15 ratio because 0.63 = 0.15 × 4.20. When numbers look engineered (round results out of two clean inputs), trust the cleanliness — that's how test designers build single-step items. Roughly 20% of percentage-change questions have this structure.
Question: A supplier quotes £288 including 20% VAT. What is the price excluding VAT?
Common trap: Calculating 20% of £288 (= £57.60) and subtracting it. That gives £230.40 — wrong. The 20% was applied to the pre-tax price, not the inclusive total.
Correct setup: Pre-tax price × 1.20 = £288. So pre-tax price = £288 / 1.20 = £240.
Verification: £240 × 1.20 = £288. ✓
Speed tip: For 20% VAT, divide by 1.2 (or equivalently, multiply by 5 and divide by 6). For 17.5% historical VAT, divide by 1.175. For 5% reduced rate, divide by 1.05. Memorise these dividends.
Question: A factory produces components in a 3:5 ratio across two production lines. If Line A produces 4,200 units per day, what does Line B produce per week (5-day week)?
Setup: Line A : Line B = 3 : 5. So Line B = Line A × (5/3) = 4,200 × 5/3 = 7,000 units/day.
Weekly total: 7,000 × 5 = 35,000 units/week.
Common trap: Multiplying 4,200 by 5/3 to get the weekly value directly, forgetting to multiply by 5 days. The unit conversion is where multi-step questions catch most candidates.
Speed tip: Write out the conversion chain before calculating: "daily Line A → daily Line B → weekly Line B". Two arrows, two operations. If you mentally collapse them you lose track.
Question: Sales were £6.0 million in 2022. They grew by 12% in 2023, then declined by 8% in 2024. What were sales in 2024?
Setup: 6.0 × 1.12 × 0.92.
Calculation: 6.0 × 1.12 = 6.72. Then 6.72 × 0.92 = 6.1824 → £6.18 million (rounded to two decimals).
Common trap: Net change is NOT 12% − 8% = 4% growth. That would give £6.24 million — close enough to a wrong answer in the option list to mislead. Compound percentage changes don't add linearly. A 12% rise followed by an 8% fall produces approximately (1.12 × 0.92 − 1) = 3.04% net growth, not 4%.
Speed tip: When a question chains percentages, never add or subtract them. Always multiply the multipliers (1.12, 0.92, etc.) and then convert back to a percentage at the end if needed.
The on-screen calculator is usually slower than mental arithmetic for simple operations. Memorising a small set of shortcuts lets you skip the calculator on roughly 40% of questions.
10% trick. 10% of any number = move the decimal point one place left. 5% = half of 10%. 15% = 10% + 5%. 20% = double of 10%. 25% = quarter. 50% = half. These cover most "what's X% of Y" questions in under three seconds.
Difference-of-percentages shortcut. If sales went from 240 to 252, the difference is 12 and the percentage change is 12/240 = 5%. Notice that 12 is 5% of 240 directly. Practice this until you can spot clean ratios at a glance.
Multiplying decimals by switching the decimal. 0.25 × 80 = 25 × 0.80 = 20. Whichever operand is easier to mentally multiply, swap the decimal placement.
Ratio simplification. 4,200 ÷ 3 doesn't need a calculator — 42 ÷ 3 = 14, so 4,200 ÷ 3 = 1,400. Strip the zeros, divide the simple part, restore the zeros.
When NOT to use mental math. Long division beyond 2 digits, percentages with awkward bases (e.g., 13% of 247), and any compound calculation with more than two steps. Reach for the calculator when the cost of a slip exceeds the time saved.