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SHL-style drills

SHL-style numerical reasoning (classic Verify format)

18 questions on tables and charts in 17 minutes, five options each and your own calculator

Used by Jefferies (Unverified), Fidelity International (Unverified), PwC (Unverified), Standard Chartered (Unverified)

Length

The format

  • QuestionsA table or chart, then a question with five options
  • Time17:00 on one countdown
  • AnsweringFive options, A to E
  • Moving onNext, with no going back
About 57 seconds a question if you want to reach the end

Have ready

  • A calculator of your own, as none appears on screen
  • Pen and paper for working
  • 17 quiet minutes, as the clock can't be paused

How to approach it

  • Read the question first, then find only the figures it needs
  • Check the units and any rounding before you pick an answer
  • Close options are usually common slips, such as dividing by the wrong year
  • Wrong answers cost nothing, so make your best guess when one stalls you
More optionsExtra time, examples, shortcuts
Extra time
  • Examples firstUntimed questions with worked answers before the clock starts
  • Keyboard shortcutsA to E pick an answer and Enter moves on
Single-key shortcuts can clash with some screen readers, so switch them off if they get in the way

Other SHL-style drills

Format notes

What this drill copies from the published format and how sure we are of each value, checked 29 September 2026

Format notes
ParameterValueLabel
QuestionsThe provider's newer numerical tests are shorter, and this drill copies the classic one18, or 9 in the short practiceReportedSource 1 for QuestionsSource 2 for Questions
TimePrep sites give 17 to 25 minutes depending on the role, so this drill uses the tighter end and +50% extra time comes to about 2517 min on one countdown, or 9 min in the short practiceUnverifiedSource 1 for TimeSource 2 for Time
DataTables of figures for each questionOfficialSource for Data
ChartsOur addition for variety, as prep sites show bothSome questions use a bar chart instead of a tableUnverified
OptionsOne prep site says four or five options, and this drill always gives five5 per question, lettered A to E, one rightUnverifiedSource for Options
CalculatorNone on screen, your own is allowed, with pen and paperOfficialSource for Calculator
DifficultyThe classic tests draw questions from a bank, and the mix of one-step and multi-step questions here is our ownEasier and harder questions mixed, in no set orderUnverified
Per-question timerAny per-question limit would be stated on the instructions pageNoneOfficialSource for Per-question timer
At time-outAnswers stop at 00:00 and anything not reached scores nothingOfficialSource for At time-out
Stepping awayThe clock keeps runningOfficialSource for Stepping away
Examples firstExample questions before the clockOfficialSource for Examples first
Going back or skippingOnly one prep site says you can't skip or review earlier questionsNot allowed, so Next needs an answerUnverifiedSource for Going back or skipping
Wrong answersNot published for these tests, so this drill never takes marks awayScore zero, with no penaltyUnverified
Extra timeOnly when the employer agrees itOfficialSource for Extra time
Extra time hereOur option for practice, not part of the published formatStandard, +25% or +50%Unverified
Short practiceOur own quick run, not a published versionAbout half the questions in about half the timeUnverified
Who uses it

What the evidence says about each employer, checked 29 September 2026

Independent practice in the style of SHL's published format. Not affiliated with or endorsed by SHL