Updated April 2026 · 18 min read · Used by 10,000+ companies in 150+ countries
| Full name | Saville and Holdsworth Limited |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Thames Ditton, United Kingdom |
| Languages | 40+ |
| Used by | 10,000+ companies including 75% of FTSE 100 and 50% of Fortune 500 |
| Platform | SHL Verify & SHL Verify Interactive (adaptive, mobile-first) |
| Test delivery | Online, unsupervised (with optional verification stage) |
SHL is the world's largest psychometric test provider. If you've applied to a major corporation — in the UK, Europe, India, or globally — there's a strong chance you'll face an SHL assessment. The company creates cognitive ability tests, behavioural assessments, personality questionnaires, and job simulations used across every major industry.
SHL currently runs two versions of its cognitive tests. Understanding which one you'll face is critical because the formats differ significantly.
SHL Verify G+ (Standard) is the traditional multiple-choice format. You select answers from a fixed set of options. It contains 30 questions across numerical, inductive, and deductive reasoning, with a 36-minute time limit. Question difficulty stays consistent throughout.
SHL Verify Interactive G+ is the newer adaptive format that SHL is rolling out to replace the standard version. It uses drag-and-drop, calendar scheduling, chart manipulation, and other interactive tasks instead of simple multiple-choice. It has 24 questions in 36 minutes. Crucially, it's adaptive — if you answer correctly, the next question gets harder. If you answer incorrectly, it gets easier. This means the test evaluates you faster with fewer questions.
The version you receive depends entirely on the employer. Your invitation email or the test instructions page will indicate which format to expect. If the instructions mention "interacting" with questions or "activity-based tasks," you have the Interactive version.
Evaluates your ability to interpret data from tables, charts, and graphs, then calculate answers. Standard format: 16 questions in 20 minutes (75 seconds each). Interactive format: 10 questions in 18 minutes (108 seconds each — more time because questions are harder). The interactive version uses five question types: pie charts, line charts, column charts, number ranges, and ranking tasks. You may need to drag data points on a chart or adjust values rather than selecting A/B/C/D. A calculator is provided on-screen.
Tests reading comprehension using the True/False/Cannot Say format. You read a passage and evaluate whether statements are supported, contradicted, or undeterminable from the passage alone. Standard format: 30 questions in 17-19 minutes. The most common mistake is confusing "False" with "Cannot Say" — False requires a direct contradiction in the passage, while Cannot Say means the passage simply doesn't address the topic. See our verbal reasoning guide for the complete framework.
Non-verbal pattern recognition using shapes, sequences, and matrices. Standard format: 18 questions in 24 minutes. Interactive format: 15 questions in 18 minutes. In the interactive version, you may need to construct the answer yourself rather than choosing from options — for example, completing a letter/number sequence by typing or selecting elements. The six main pattern types are rotation, movement, colour/shading change, size change, addition/removal, and combination rules. See our inductive reasoning guide.
Tests logical reasoning through rules, constraints, and scheduling problems. Interactive format: calendar scheduling, meeting room allocation, and ranking tasks. Standard format: syllogisms and logical arguments. Often combined with inductive and numerical in the General Ability (G+) test.
Levers, pulleys, circuits, gears, and fluid dynamics. 15 questions in 10 minutes. Used for engineering and technical roles.
Speed arithmetic and error-spotting. 40 questions in 8 minutes (12 seconds per question). Tests rapid accuracy for administrative and data-entry roles. Interactive calculation: 12 questions in 10 minutes.
SHL uses normative scoring. Your raw score is compared against a reference group — typically graduates or professionals in your region and role type. You receive a percentile score: the 70th percentile means you outperformed 70% of the comparison group.
Employers set their own cutoff thresholds. Typical benchmarks based on candidate reports:
| Employer type | Typical cutoff |
|---|---|
| Graduate schemes (general) | 50th-60th percentile |
| Big Four (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG) | 70th-75th percentile |
| Investment banking | 70th-80th percentile |
| Top-tier consulting | 80th+ percentile |
A competitive score is generally 80th percentile or above. The adaptive Interactive test can evaluate your ability more precisely, so your percentile may differ from what you'd score on the standard test.
Many employers now use a two-stage process: an unsupervised online test followed by a shorter supervised verification test taken at an assessment centre or under webcam proctoring. The verification test is designed to confirm your unsupervised score. If your verification score is dramatically lower, it raises a red flag. The verification test typically has fewer questions and a tighter time limit.
SHL assessments are used across virtually every industry. Major employers include:
Big Four: Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG
Banking: Barclays, HSBC, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Deutsche Bank
Tech & Consulting: Amazon, Accenture
FMCG & Energy: Unilever, Shell
India IT: Cognizant (uses AMCAT/SHL), Wipro, Infosys, TCS, HCL
Public sector: UK Civil Service, NHS
2 weeks before: Take a baseline practice test (SHL offers free samples at shl.com/shldirect). Identify your weakest section — numerical, verbal, or inductive — and focus there.
1 week before: Do 2-3 timed practice sessions. Build speed, not just accuracy. Get comfortable with the time pressure. If you're taking the Interactive format, practice drag-and-drop and chart manipulation tasks.
Day before: One light practice session. Prepare your test environment: quiet room, stable internet, calculator (physical backup alongside on-screen). Close all other browser tabs and applications.
Test day: Read the question before looking at the data. Use answer options to guide estimation. Skip questions taking more than 90 seconds and return later (standard version only — the Interactive version doesn't allow skipping). There's no negative marking in SHL tests, so never leave a question blank.
TestSolve captures your screen when you press F8, classifies the question type (numerical, verbal, inductive, SJT), routes it to a specialised AI engine, and delivers the answer to your phone in a few seconds. The phone delivery means nothing appears on your test screen — completely invisible to SHL's browser monitoring, which tracks tab switching, clipboard activity, and focus events. None of these are triggered by an F8 keypress.
Current accuracy rates: Numerical reasoning 94%, Verbal reasoning 96%, Data interpretation 93%, SJT 90%, Inductive reasoning 72%. Every answer includes a confidence score and full step-by-step explanation.
As of 2026, SHL has introduced the Verify G+ General Ability Test, an adaptive assessment that evaluates candidates' cognitive abilities across numerical, verbal, and inductive reasoning domains. This test comprises 36 questions to be completed within 30 minutes, with question difficulty adjusting in real-time based on the candidate's performance. ([prepacademy.org](https://prepacademy.org/test/shl-verify?utm_source=openai))
Recent candidate experiences highlight the rigorous nature of SHL assessments. For instance, a candidate interviewed in January 2026 for a Consultant position at SHL Global described a multi-stage process involving individual interviews, a group interview, and a role-play assessment. The role-play required reviewing information within 30 minutes and then simulating a consultant-client interaction. ([glassdoor.com](https://www.glassdoor.com/Interview/SHL-Services-Interview-Questions-E2369310.htm?utm_source=openai))
Candidates have found that practicing under timed conditions is crucial for success in SHL tests. One candidate noted that the challenge lies not in the complexity of the questions but in the limited time available, emphasizing the importance of quick thinking and decision-making. ([prepforassessment.com](https://prepforassessment.com/shl-tests-explained-2026-tips-question-types-and-more/?utm_source=openai))
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