Aptitude tests
Numerical reasoning test practice
Tables, charts and percentages under time pressure, in the formats UK finance employers use.
Sample question
| Region | 2024 (£000s) | 2025 (£000s) |
|---|---|---|
| London | 4,800 | 5,400 |
| North West | 2,100 | 2,520 |
| Scotland | 1,500 | 1,425 |
By what percentage did North West sales grow from 2024 to 2025?
Working: (2,520 − 2,100) ÷ 2,100 = 420 ÷ 2,100 = 20%.
The common slip is dividing by the 2025 figure (420 ÷ 2,520 = 16.7%). The change is always measured against the starting value.
Twelve questions on data tables, each with its own clock: 90 seconds for the first question on a table, 75 for the next. Unused time is lost.
Practise this format
Choose a format
- Numerical reasoning with six data sheets (Aon-style)True, false or cannot say, checked against six tabbed data sheets. 18 statements in 6 minutes. Right answers earn 1, wrong answers lose half a mark.
- Numerical reasoning, count-up clock (Capp-style)About a dozen questions with no time limit, but the clock counts up and your speed is recorded. Multiple choice, ranking and typed answers.
- Swift-style aptitude: verbal, numerical, diagrammatic (Saville-style)Three timed sections of 8 questions and 6 minutes each: 24 questions in 18 minutes. Shows your ability and your pace.
- Numerical and diagrammatic sections (Saville-style)Two timed sections of 8 questions and 6 minutes each. Shows how fast you were as well as how many you got right.
- Numerical reasoning (SHL-style)Up to 16 multiple-choice questions in 20 minutes. Percentages, ratios and tables, with the difficulty following your answers.
- Interactive numerical reasoning (SHL-style)Up to 10 activity questions in 18 minutes: drag bars, fill in a spreadsheet, split a pie. Partial credit for partly right answers.
- Numerical reasoning, per-question clock (Talent Q-style)Twelve questions on data tables, each with its own clock: 90 seconds for the first question on a table, 75 for the next. Unused time is lost.
Need extra time or a different format? Every timed practice has 1.25x and 1.5x options. See reasonable adjustments.
About this test
A numerical reasoning test gives you tables, charts and short passages of figures, then asks you to work out percentages, ratios, changes and averages against the clock. Everything you need is on the screen. These tests check careful, quick arithmetic and data reading, not finance knowledge, and employers use them early to screen large numbers of applicants.
Our practice is built from the public format details of the main test families. Every question is written by us and generated fresh. You can run the real timings, an untimed mode with a count-up clock, or a learn mode that explains each answer and names the usual mistake. The sources and confidence badges below show what is published and what is only reported by candidates.
How the score works
- Vendor-published
Adaptive tests score an ability estimate against a comparison group, shown as a percentile and an A to E grade, not the number you got right.
Source · This is why we show an estimated band against Kvanta users only, never a vendor-equivalent percentile.
What we know about this format
Each point carries a badge showing where it comes from. Where only candidates have reported something, the badge says so.
What do the confidence badges mean?
- Vendor-published Stated in the test publisher's own document or practice site.
- Academic From peer-reviewed research.
- Official employer Stated on the employer's own page.
- Near-official Near-official: an employer-run practice portal, or a vendor or employer-quoted press release naming the employer.
- Candidate-reported Reported by candidates. Treat as likely but unconfirmed.
- Third-party From prep sites, press or forums. Not confirmed by the employer or publisher.
- Vendor-published
Adaptive numerical test in the format we call SHL-style: up to 16 items in 20 minutes covering percentages, fractions, ratios, basic geometry and probability. All data is in the question.
Source · Publisher fact sheet, 2018.
- Vendor-published
Interactive numerical variant: up to 10 items in 18 minutes, building charts and filling in spreadsheets, with partial scoring.
Source · Publisher fact sheet, 2022.
- Vendor-published
Aon-style True/False/Cannot Say format: in one client's candidate guide, 18 statements in 6 minutes against 6 tabbed data sheets, marked +1 right, -0.5 wrong, 0 blank. Prep sites report longer versions. Only that one client's setup is published.
Source · Do not assume every employer uses these settings.
- Vendor-published
Cappfinity-style numerical: the public demo shows a count-up 'Time Taken' clock with Previous and Next buttons, and multiple choice, drag-to-rank and typed answers.
- Official employer
Talent Q-style: the Bank of England's older candidate guidance describes a mixed numerical and verbal section with 21 minutes in total on one screen timer, and tells candidates to have paper, pen and a calculator.
Source · Older guidance sheet. Check your own invitation.
- Academic
Retaking cognitive tests gives an average gain of about a quarter of a standard deviation, and gains level off after about the third sitting.
Source · Hausknecht et al. 2007; Scharfen, Peters and Holling 2018.
Numerical reasoning with six data sheets (Aon-style)
- Vendor-published
18 statements in 6 minutes in one employer's set-up
Source · Prep sites report the full version as 37 statements in 12 minutes, the same pace.
- Third-party
37 statements in 12 minutes for the full version
Source · Reported by a prep site. Kvanta runs the 18 statement set-up.
- Vendor-published
True / False / Cannot say, checked against 6 tabbed data sheets
- Vendor-published
Numbered boxes show the current statement and the ones you have answered; the test submits itself when time runs out
- Vendor-published
Marking: +1 for a right answer, -0.5 for a wrong answer, 0 for a blank
Source · Published for one employer's set-up only. Other employers may mark differently.
- Vendor-published
Calculator and paper needed; a scientific calculator is not required
- Third-party
Three statements per data sheet is Kvanta's even split of 18 statements over 6 sheets
Source · The provider does not publish how many statements relate to each sheet.
Numerical reasoning, count-up clock (Capp-style)
- Vendor-published
A count-up "Time Taken" clock with Previous and Next navigation
Source · From the provider's public demo.
- Vendor-published
Numerical items are multiple choice, drag-to-rank or typed answers
Source · Item configuration visible in the public demo.
- Vendor-published
Cognitive tests are adaptive, time-recorded or time-limited; how response time is weighted is not public
- Third-party
About twelve numerical items; calculator allowed
Source · Counts are not published by the provider.
- Candidate-reported
Optional confidence rating after each answer
Source · Kvanta asks "how sure are you?" so you can compare confidence with accuracy. Not confirmed as a provider feature.
Swift-style aptitude: verbal, numerical, diagrammatic (Saville-style)
- Vendor-published
24 questions in 18 minutes: verbal, numerical and diagrammatic sections of 8 questions and 6 minutes each
- Vendor-published
Separately timed sections built from large item banks
Source · Document is no longer online; read through a search excerpt.
- Candidate-reported
Groups of questions share one stimulus
Source · Candidate-reported. Not confirmed in the provider's published documents.
- Vendor-published
Reports show an ability score (sten, 1 to 10, against a comparison group) and a pace score (your time on completed items against the average time on the same items)
Source · Kvanta's sten is against Kvanta players and its pace line uses our own reference times.
- Third-party
Calculator hint shown on the numerical section
Source · Calculator policy is not officially documented. Check your invitation.
Numerical reasoning (SHL-style)
- Vendor-published
Up to 16 questions in 20 minutes
Source · The fact sheet says up to 16; prep sites say the average candidate sees 18 to 20 across versions.
- Vendor-published
Multiple choice on percentages, fractions, ratios, basic geometry and probability; all data given in the question; no number series or advanced statistics
- Vendor-published
The test is adaptive: the questions you see depend on how you answered
Source · Kvanta uses a simple up-one, down-one difficulty staircase over five levels. The real engine is not public.
- Third-party
Five answer options per question
Source · The provider does not publish the option count. Five is a common figure on prep sites.
- Third-party
Calculator hint shown; no penalty for wrong answers
Source · Calculator and negative-marking policy are not officially documented. Check your invitation.
- Vendor-published
Results are reported as a percentile against a named comparison group; Kvanta shows an estimated band against Kvanta players instead
Source · Kvanta never shows an SHL percentile or grade. Its band is a rough guide against our own users and appears only once enough people have taken the test.
Interactive numerical reasoning (SHL-style)
- Vendor-published
Up to 10 questions in 18 minutes
- Vendor-published
Activity-based: build charts and graphs, fill in spreadsheets
- Vendor-published
The test is adaptive
Source · Kvanta uses a simple difficulty staircase over five levels.
- Vendor-published
Interactive tests use partial scoring
Source · How partial credit is worked out is not public. Kvanta gives credit in proportion to the parts you got right.
- Third-party
Calculator hint shown
Source · Calculator policy is not officially documented. Check your invitation.
Numerical reasoning, per-question clock (Talent Q-style)
- Third-party
No overall clock. Each question has its own limit: 90 seconds for the first question on a table, 75 seconds for the following ones
Source · Reported by prep sites; no provider document found.
- Third-party
Twelve numerical questions
Source · Prep sites agree on twelve. The provider does not publish it.
- Candidate-reported
Three questions per data set
Source · Not confirmed by any source. It is Kvanta's choice to match the 90 and 75 second rule.
- Third-party
Unused time on a question is not carried forward
Source · Reported by prep sites: when the clock ends you are moved on.
- Near-official
Table of information on the left; question and answer options on the right; paper, pen and calculator needed
Source · From the Bank of England candidate guidance for the Korn Ferry Talent Q assessment.
- Third-party
Adaptive: difficulty follows your answers; up to 10 answer options
Source · Kvanta raises the number of options with the difficulty level.
Questions people ask
What is a numerical reasoning test?
It is a timed test where you read tables, charts or short passages of figures and answer questions that need percentages, ratios, changes and basic probability. All the information you need is given. It tests how accurately and quickly you handle numbers, not what you know about finance.
How many questions are there and how long do I get?
It depends on the publisher and the employer. Published examples range from up to 16 questions in 20 minutes for an adaptive test to 18 statements in 6 minutes for one Aon-style client. Your invitation email should state your own limits, and those override anything here.
Do I need a calculator?
Often yes, and many invitations say so. The Bank of England's older guidance tells candidates to have paper, pen and a calculator, and the Aon-style candidate guide says a calculator and paper are needed (a scientific one is not required). Check your own instructions and practise with the tools you will be allowed.
Is there negative marking?
Only one case is published: the Aon-style guide for one client marks +1 for right, -0.5 for wrong and 0 for blank. Other publishers do not document it. Our Aon-style preset uses that rule and the others do not.
Are the questions adaptive?
Some real tests are, so the questions you see depend on how you answered earlier ones and the score comes from an ability estimate. Our adaptive presets use a simple staircase over difficulty tiers. That teaches the feel of it, but it is not the publisher's algorithm.
Will practice improve my score?
On reasoning tests it usually does, a little. Studies of retakes find an average gain of about a quarter of a standard deviation, with most of it in the first few sittings. Practice also removes the surprise of the interface, which is often where marks are lost.
Are these the real test questions?
No. Every question is written by Kvanta and generated from a seed. We do not have access to real items and we never copy or reconstruct them from memory.
What if I need extra time or a different format?
Ask the employer before you start. Our page on reasonable adjustments explains what is typically available, and every practice here has 1.25x and 1.5x time options.
Where this appears in firm processes
- PwC UK Official employer
- Deloitte UK Official employer
- EY UK Official employer
- KPMG UK Official employer
- HSBC Near-official
- UBS Official employer
- Standard Chartered Official employer
- Aviva Official employer
- Legal & General (L&G) Official employer
- RSM UK Official employer
- Schroders Official employer
See all firm pages. Check your own invitation, because processes change each cycle.
Independent practice. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Aon, Cappfinity, Saville, SHL, Korn Ferry Talent Q and Talent Q.
Practice builds familiarity. Reasoning scores improve with practice, though the gains level off after a few sittings, and nothing here predicts a real score. Our results are shown against Kvanta users only, never as an official score.
Use Kvanta to practise and learn. In a live assessment, do not use AI tools, notes or another person unless the employer says you may. Read our approach to integrity.