Ratios, percentages, number sequences, data interpretation, financial analysis and currency conversion, in the formats employers actually set. Every question below comes with the full working, not just the answer.
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A numerical reasoning test measures how well you interpret data and draw correct conclusions from it under time pressure. Employers use it to sift graduate applicants before interview. You are given tables or charts and asked to calculate percentages, ratios, rates and trends, then choose the best answer from four options. Working at a steady pace matters as much as accuracy.
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| Score | What it suggests |
|---|---|
| 17 to 20 | Comfortably above the bar for most graduate schemes |
| 13 to 16 | Around the typical pass mark. Worth practising for speed |
| 9 to 12 | Below most employer thresholds. Focus on method before speed |
| 8 or fewer | Work through the worked solutions above before retrying |
Employers set their own thresholds and many sift on the top percentage of applicants rather than a fixed mark, so treat these as a guide.
One test tells you the style. A pack gives you the pace: batches under time pressure, marked, with the working shown.
Every numerical test draws on the same handful of question types. Each guide below explains the format, the trap it sets, and how to practise it.
Percentage change, reverse percentages and compound change. The trap is the base: most wrong options come from dividing by the wrong number.
Practise percentage questionsTables of revenue, headcount and costs. The skill is finding the two figures that matter in a table built to bury them.
Practise data interpretation questionsBar, line and pie charts. Read the axes before the shapes: scales and units are where the traps live.
Practise graph interpretation questionsFind the rule, complete the sequence. The arithmetic is simple; the pattern is what hides.
Practise number series questionsConvert between currencies and units at a given rate. Direction errors cost the marks, not arithmetic.
Practise currency conversion questionsSimplify, share and scale quantities. Keep the order of the ratio fixed and the parts straight.
Practise ratio questionsA numerical reasoning test measures judgement applied to numbers: whether you can draw correct conclusions from data quickly, not whether you can do arithmetic. The maths rarely goes beyond what you covered by age sixteen. The difficulty is more information than you need, less time than feels comfortable, and answer options built from the mistakes people commonly make.
Employers use it because the skill transfers. Someone who can read a table under pressure and spot which figure matters is doing the same thing an analyst does with a sales report or a manager does with a budget.
Most employers score you against other candidates, not against a fixed pass mark: your raw score becomes a percentile. Competitive graduate schemes commonly sift at around the 70th to 80th percentile, and some banks and consultancies go higher. Speed is worth as much as accuracy, because most tests are designed so few candidates finish, and guessing usually pays: negative marking is rare, but check the instructions.
Results from our numerical reasoning test.
Source: Practice Aptitude Tests
Based on 784 completed practice sittings, all time. Checked 12 September 2026.
The 75th percentile marks the boundary of the top quarter of recorded scores; tied scores can share that boundary. These are our practice results, not employer pass marks.
We use all-time completed, scored attempts at this practice test. Repeat attempts count separately, so the sample is sittings rather than unique people.
The average is the mean score across those sittings. The 75th percentile comes from their recorded score distribution. The “checked” date is when we retrieved the figures, not the period when the tests were taken.
Sharing these figures? Please credit Practice Aptitude Tests and link to this page.
Numerical reasoning tests are standard across graduate recruitment in finance, consulting, engineering, law, accountancy and the civil service. Most employers do not write their own: they license from a small number of test publishers, and the format varies noticeably between them, so find out which publisher your employer uses before you prepare seriously. It is usually stated in the invitation email, and it changes what good practice looks like. Our test publisher guides cover each format, and the employer guides cover specific companies’ processes.
The methods behind the questions above, from our team
What candidates ask us most often
No. Unsupervised online tests rely on your honesty, and many employers re-test shortlisted candidates under supervision, so a score you cannot reproduce tends to surface at the worst moment. Use practice tests to build the skill instead.
Usually yes, and many online tests provide one on screen. The arithmetic is rarely the hard part, so estimate first and eliminate options before calculating. Check your invitation email; where a calculator is not permitted, the arithmetic is written to stay manageable by hand.
Practise under the real time limit from the beginning, starting with one untimed test read alongside its worked solutions. Review the questions you guessed right as carefully as the ones you got wrong, and skip mental arithmetic drills; the bottleneck is reading the question, not calculating. Our numerical preparation guide covers the full sequence.
GCSE-level arithmetic covers it - percentages, ratios, fractions and reading values from tables and charts. There is no algebra, geometry or anything you would call advanced maths. The difficulty comes from the time limit and from options built to match common mistakes, not from the calculations themselves.
Rated 4.8 out of 5 across 1,669 reviews. A selection:
This test was helpful for improving my numerical and data interpretation skills. The questions were clear and based on graphs and tables, which made it good practice for real exams. Some questions required careful reading, which helped improve accuracy and speed.
The test was engaging and balanced with a good mix of data interpretation, percentage change, and ratio-based questions. I appreciated the realistic business and weather-related scenarios. The graphs were clear, but a few values needed sharper detail for faster solving.
This test was a great way to practice under realistic conditions. The format, timing, and types of questions helped me get used to the pressure and structure of actual recruitment tests. I appreciated the clear layout and useful feedback after completion. Highly recommend!
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