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How to pass SHL tests

To pass "SHL tests" candidates should study the subject areas of the questions that SHL tests will consist of. Candidates must also be able to solve these types of problems quickly; speed is an essential part of the SHL test.

Preparing for SHL tests

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Practice is the best preparation when it comes to SHL tests. Candidates preparing to sit an SHL assessment test should prepare by working through as many practice tests as they can find online. Candidates can also prepare for both SHL's numerical and verbal reasoning tests in the following ways.

SHL Numerical Reasoning Test

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To effectively prepare for the SHL numerical test, candidates should study GCSE level maths text books and revision guides, concentrating on their speed and efficiency.

Candidates should specifically prepare to answer questions involving:

  • Percentages
  • Ratios
  • Inflation Rates
  • Balance Sheets
  • Graphs/Data Interpretation

SHL Verbal Reasoning Test

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For the SHL verbal reasoning tests, candidates should attempt to read as many newspapers and magazines as possible, concentrating specifically on commercial awareness issues. Candidates should attempt to analyse articles and practice deciphering difficult information quickly.

Restarting the SHL test

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SHL tests have been designed to automatically restart if a candidate's computer loses power, suffers mechanical failure, or is accidentally turned off during a live test.

Consequently, do not worry if your computer loses power during your test. You will be given another chance to take the test from the beginning when you have logged back in to the test system.

Practice for SHL tests

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nausherwan
alex82

this video is not working any more ;-) hope some one can help on this ;-(

Astro

Today I tried the SHL practice tests. They are REALLY stupid. The "logic" of their "reasoning" tests is NOT logic. As for the numerical "reasoning" test, SHL's strategy is to give you questions involving A LOT of numbers to solve in a very short time. The numerical questions are NOT hard but are practically IMPOSSIBLE to solve within the alloted time.

Even I can make questions like that. For example: John buys everyday 4% tomatoes, 6% cucumbers, 50% apples, 20% radishes, 15% lemons and 5% oranges. If the quantity of tomatoes bought yesterday is 7% more than the quantity of radishes bought the day before yesterday, which is 3% less than the quantity of cucumbers bought today, which is 5 kilograms, what is the quantity of apples bought by John yesterday?

How much time do you think you have for such a question? Well, (take a deep breath), AT MOST one minute!

Is this SHL's idea of "intelligence" or "hard work"???? Is this the result of SHL "30 years of experience" (as they brag on their website) ?????

As far as I am concerned, this is PURE STUPIDITY. Nevertheless, I'll do what I can to become better at such tests, as many companies (banks, accountancy firms) use SHL-like tests.

Has anyone had problems with this kind of tests? Has anyone completed these kind of tests correctly and on time?

I'd really like to have some feedback from you guys on such tests.

Whishing you a very good year, Astro

Damarus

Apart from efinancial careers and the SHL website what OTHER websites/practice tests are there online??!?!

thiagoborn

IBM do something very similar they call IPATO.

thiagoborn

I think is possible to finish, if you are a calculatorman!

But the SHL is not a kind of test that is possible to finish in short time, We must skip some and do others. They want to know your reactions "in the front", they mix simples with hard ones. They want evaluate our way to think and how We can go over the humps. I know the first impression that we got after do the test. I am really fast thinker, and after all I was just tired, and had been more 8 to be finished.

We don't need judge ourselves after the test. We can study and understand something really important, We were bad educated! We need to start think in another way, there are many situations that we can't figure out with simple mathematic rules. There are many situations that we have to figure out estimating or understanding the behavior of the things.

Here in Brazil they changed the way to get in to a university, and I can tell "what you are thinking"! They gave to us a kind off SHL test!

I did a test at IBM and was the same. We must change our way o think. That is the deal. It's just practice.

We don't need calculate how far is the step over a puddle of water.

Best Regards. Thiago

Cam_Tor

Hi,

I was hopeless at these questions and found them really difficult. However practice really does makes perfect. I founds lots of questions on assessmentday.co.uk (I think). Yes, it's £5 but they have verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning questions. You can do them as often as you like, they give you the answers in a pdf and they will rank you in terms of a percentile relative to others who have taken the test (which is a good indicator). Having the answers is particularly good for the verbal test because they justify why an answer is "true", "false" and "cannot say". Sometimes the difference between the latter two is not always clear.

Don't worry about running out of time. Work fast but do not make mistakes. I didn't complete the numeracy test for PwC strategy consulting but still made the assessment centre. KPMG's test was RIDICULOUSLY hard and I finished about 75% of it, but likewise I made it through.

Get used to shortcuts for typical questions (e.g. using 4 instead of 4,000,000; knowing that to calculate what % 45 is of 56 all you do is 45/56; using the Xy function for compound growth). Practice using a calculator at speed and functions on the calculator which will make workings outs more efficient.

Lastly, companies use these tests as assessment tools because they measure basic numerical and logical competency. If you struggle (after practice) with these and don't make it through, then it could be a clear indicator that you may not be suitible for the job you are applying for.

GOOD LUCK!

Astro

Thank you Cam_Tor and thiagoborn for encouragement and tips, I guess you are right: practice makes perfect.

Astro

Thank you Cam_Tor and thiagoborn for encouragement and tips, I guess you are right: practice makes perfect.

Astro

Thank you Cam_Tor and thiagoborn for encouragement and tips, I guess you are right: practice makes perfect.

Stealth

hey, just a quick question. If you do the SHL tests for the verbal are you meant to answer all the questions in 15mins or just the ones you can do, and skip the one's you cant??

much help will be great!

edward 5

what are the percent of question we are suppose to answer in psycho tests in order to make through it. I mean sort of cut offs

Cam_Tor

@stealth: I would try and answer all questions rather than miss them out, but be extra careful if there is a strong hint that you could be negatively marked (i.e. wrong answers = -1), often you can't go back to previous questions. The general rule of thumb is work shiftly and accurately but if you really can't answer then make an educated guess.

@varun5: Depends on the company and the job (and sometimes the competition)