SHL Test Practice
Every SHL Test Type, With Free Practice for Each
The SHL test is usually two to four timed sections from SHL's Verify range plus a personality questionnaire. Each SHL test type, what it looks like, how it is scored, and a free timed practice test for every section.
An "SHL test" is any assessment from SHL, the largest publisher of hiring tests: most often one to four timed reasoning sections from its Verify range (numerical, verbal, inductive, deductive), sometimes delivered as the interactive Verify G+, plus the OPQ personality questionnaire. The invitation email names the sections you will sit. Each one can be practised: the reasoning sections reward format familiarity, a timing plan and faster arithmetic, while the personality questionnaire only rewards knowing the format and answering honestly. Below is every SHL test type you are likely to meet, with a free practice test for each that is timed and scored as a percentile.
The SHL test types and how to practise each
| SHL test | What you do | Free practice here |
|---|---|---|
| Verify Numerical Reasoning | Answer questions from business tables and charts: percentages, ratios, changes | Numerical reasoning test, mental maths |
| Verify Verbal Reasoning | Read a passage, mark each statement True, False or Cannot say | Verbal reasoning test |
| Verify Inductive Reasoning | Find the rule in a set of shapes and pick what comes next | Abstract reasoning test |
| Verify Deductive / Interactive Deductive | Solve scheduling, ordering and grouping puzzles from rules | Logical reasoning test |
| Verify Interactive G+ | Numerical, inductive and deductive tasks done by dragging and adjusting, adaptive | All three above; see the Verify Interactive guide |
| Mechanical Comprehension | Diagrams of gears, levers, pulleys and forces | Mechanical aptitude test |
| Situational judgement | Choose the most and least effective response to work scenarios | Situational judgement test |
| OPQ32 personality questionnaire | Choose which statements are most and least like you | Work personality questionnaire (format only) |
SHL also sells calculation, checking, coding and language tests for specific roles. If your invitation names one, the email and SHL's own candidate pages describe it.
How long the SHL tests are
SHL does not publish one fixed length for every test, and employers choose versions. As a guide:
- Verify G+ (interactive): SHL's fact sheet allows 36 minutes for up to 24 adaptive questions, about 90 seconds each.
- Single Verify sections: candidates commonly report about 15 to 25 minutes per section, with 15 to 30 questions.
- OPQ32: candidates commonly report around 25 to 40 minutes, untimed in practice but meant to be done at a steady pace.
- Verification test: some employers re-test shortlisted candidates at the assessment centre with a short supervised version, to confirm the online result was yours.
Treat your invitation as the source of truth for timing.
How SHL tests are scored
SHL reasoning tests are norm-referenced: your raw result becomes a percentile against a comparison group, usually graduates or applicants for similar jobs. There is no universal pass mark; each employer sets its own cut-off and sometimes combines sections into one score. Wrong answers do not cost extra marks on the classic tests, so a reasoned guess beats a blank, but accuracy on the questions you answer is what lifts a percentile. Verify Interactive is adaptive and, according to SHL, gives partial credit, so early answers carry weight. The OPQ is not scored right or wrong; employers compare your profile with what the role needs.
A one-week SHL preparation plan
- Day 1: take SHL's own free practice tests on SHL Direct to see the real interface, then one run of each matching practice test here as a baseline.
- Days 2 to 5: two or three short timed runs a day of your two weakest sections. For numerical, warm up the arithmetic first with mental maths.
- Day 6: one full timed run of every section in your invitation, in the real time limits, on the device you will use.
- Day 7: a warm-up run only, then rest. Sit the test in a quiet room with a calculator if the section allows one, pen and paper.
Tips for each section
- Numerical: estimate before calculating; many options can be ruled out by rough size. Watch units (thousands vs millions) and the year each figure belongs to.
- Verbal: use only the passage. "Cannot say" means the passage neither confirms nor contradicts the statement, even when it is true in real life.
- Inductive: check one feature at a time (shape, rotation, count, shading, position) and test your rule against every frame, not just the last two.
- Deductive: write the rules down as a quick grid; most puzzles fall apart once two fixed positions are placed.
- OPQ: answer as your work self, consistently. Forced-choice blocks are built so an idealised profile is hard to fake and inconsistency shows.
Check how ready you are
After a few practice runs, the SHL readiness check puts your results for every section of the test in one report: your typical score (the one that matters with a single attempt on the day), the section to fix first, and a day-by-day plan up to your test date.
FAQ
What is the SHL test? An assessment from SHL, usually one to four timed reasoning sections from its Verify range (numerical, verbal, inductive, deductive) or the interactive Verify G+, often with the OPQ personality questionnaire. Employers choose the sections and set their own pass marks.
Can you practise for SHL tests? Yes. SHL publishes free practice tests on SHL Direct, and the same question formats can be practised elsewhere under a timer. Familiarity with the formats, a timing plan and faster arithmetic all raise reasoning scores. The OPQ needs only format familiarity and honest answers.
What is a good SHL test score? Scores are percentiles against a comparison group and employers do not publish their cut-offs. For competitive graduate schemes, aim to be clearly above the middle of the group, with high accuracy on the questions you answer.
Are SHL tests hard? They are designed so few people finish every question in time, which makes them feel hard. Most candidates lose marks to the clock and to misreading, not to the difficulty of individual questions, which is why timed practice helps.
Can I use a calculator in the SHL numerical test? Usually yes for the numerical sections: SHL's candidate guidance allows a calculator and pen and paper. Follow the instructions on screen for your test.
Is this the real SHL test? No. GamePrep is independent and not affiliated with SHL. The practice tests here use the same question formats with original questions written for GamePrep.
GamePrep is an independent practice platform and is not affiliated with SHL. Assessment formats evolve; treat your invitation and SHL's official practice materials as the source of truth. We provide practice only: no leaked questions or answers.
