Updated April 2026 · 11 min read · Holistic assessment provider
| Provider | Sova Assessment |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Format | Single-platform holistic assessment combining cognitive, personality, SJT, motivation |
| Duration | ~60-90 minutes total |
| Used by | Vodafone, Network Rail, NHS, Direct Line Group, AstraZeneca (some pipelines), Hilton |
| Defining feature | Single sitting covers cognitive, personality, SJT, and motivation in one platform |
Sova differentiates itself by bundling everything into one continuous assessment experience. Where SHL or Cut-e split cognitive, personality, and SJT into separate stages run on different days, Sova has the candidate complete all elements in one ~60-90 minute sitting. The benefit for employers: faster decisions, single completion data point. The benefit for candidates: less friction, but more pressure to perform across multiple modes in one window.
Sova is modular — employers configure which sections appear. A standard graduate Sova battery includes:
Numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, abstract/logical reasoning. Each cognitive sub-test is roughly 6-8 minutes. Numerical uses standard chart-and-table data interpretation. Verbal uses True/False/Cannot Say or argument evaluation. Abstract uses shape sequences and matrix completion.
Forced-choice or rating scale items measuring Big Five traits plus role-specific competencies. The forced-choice variant ranks four statements per item from "most like me" to "least like me," reducing the impact of socially-desirable answering.
Workplace scenarios with 4-5 response options to rank or rate. Aligned to the employer's specific competency framework — Sova works with the employer to map scenarios to their values.
Self-report on what drives you (autonomy, recognition, pace, structure, purpose). Compared against role profile. Less commonly graded, more often used to predict retention and engagement.
Some Sova batteries include a recorded video question or short written essay. Used for client-facing or communication-heavy roles.
Sova reports a single integrated score plus sub-scores for each section. The integrated score is weighted based on the role profile — e.g., a sales role weights motivational fit higher; an analyst role weights cognitive higher. Cutoff thresholds are set per employer per role.
| Role family | Typical Sova focus |
|---|---|
| Sales / commercial | Motivational fit + SJT + verbal reasoning |
| Analyst / quant | Numerical + abstract + cognitive overall |
| Operations / project management | Personality + SJT + verbal |
| Customer-facing / contact centre | Personality + SJT + motivational fit |
Vodafone uses Sova across its global graduate scheme. Network Rail for engineering and operations grad programmes. NHS for several leadership and management graduate pathways. Direct Line Group, Hilton, AstraZeneca (selected pipelines), British Airways, and Wales & West Utilities. The trend is towards more employers adopting Sova because of the single-sitting efficiency.
Plan the full 90 minutes. Sova's defining feature is endurance. Block 90 uninterrupted minutes, fully charged battery, water on the desk. Many candidates underperform because they treat it as a 20-minute test and fade by section three.
Cognitive sections require speed practice. The numerical, verbal, and abstract sub-tests are short by design — 6-8 minutes each — so per-question time is tight. Practise under SHL-style time pressure.
Personality consistency matters. Sova's reporting flags inconsistent personality answers (a "social leader" trait paired with "introverted preferences" later). Pick a coherent professional persona and answer consistently within it.
SJT alignment. Read the employer's published values before starting. For Vodafone, that's their "Spirit" framework; for NHS, the NHS values (compassion, respect, quality, working together). SJT answers should align with stated company values, not generic "good employee" answers.
TestSolve handles the cognitive sections of Sova (numerical, verbal, abstract). Press F8 during a cognitive question and the answer arrives on your phone in 4-6 seconds. The personality, motivational, and pure-SJT sections require human judgement — TestSolve does not provide answers because there are no objectively correct responses, though our SJT engine can suggest alignment with common competency frameworks. Current accuracy on Sova cognitive: Numerical 94%, Verbal 96%, Abstract 76%. Try free with 3 captures.
Related: SHL test guide, Situational judgement tips, NHS assessment.
TestSolve delivers AI-powered answers to your phone in seconds. Invisible to all test platforms.
Try a free solve Buy question packagesNumerical reasoning on Sova tests is almost always table-based: two or three small tables of financial, sales, or operational data, followed by a question that requires a multi-step calculation and a unit conversion.
Q. A retail chain sells three product lines. Units sold last quarter were 660 (Line A), 1,140 (Line B) and 310 (Line C). Average selling price was £1.00, £1.00 and £1.00 respectively. Total revenue to the nearest £ was:
A) £1,780 B) £1,950 C) £2,048 D) £2,110
A. Sum the units: 660 + 1,140 + 310 = 2,110. Answer: D.
The actual Sova question adds distractors: prices in pence rather than pounds, mixed currencies, unit ambiguity (per pack vs per item). Candidates who rush the unit check pick C or B despite nailing the arithmetic.
Standard Sova Verify numerical assessments give 18 questions in 18 minutes — about 60 seconds per question. That sounds generous but each question has 3–5 numbers to read, a calculation (often multi-step), and a unit conversion.
If you're past 75 seconds and still unsure, flag and move on — you can't recover four lost minutes from one stubborn question.