The quickest way to understand an aptitude test is to try some questions. Below is an example question for each of the main types employers use, with the answer and how to work it out. They cover numerical, verbal, logical, abstract, diagrammatic, spatial and mechanical reasoning, plus situational judgement and error checking. Each one is written in the style of real employer tests, so you can see what you will face before you sit one.
Once you have worked through them, try a full free aptitude test under timed conditions. Single questions show you the format. A timed test shows you the real challenge, which is keeping up accuracy against the clock.
Numerical reasoning example
Numerical questions give you a table or chart and ask you to calculate from it. The maths is school level: percentages, ratios and averages.
Quarterly sales by region
| Region | Q1 sales (£) | Q2 sales (£) |
|---|---|---|
| North | 48,000 | 54,000 |
| South | 62,500 | 60,000 |
| East | 35,000 | 42,000 |
Question 1. Which region had the largest percentage increase in sales from Q1 to Q2?
A) North B) South C) East D) All increased by the same percentage
Answer: C, East.
- North: (54,000 − 48,000) ÷ 48,000 = 6,000 ÷ 48,000 = 12.5% increase.
- South: sales fell from 62,500 to 60,000, a 4% decrease.
- East: (42,000 − 35,000) ÷ 35,000 = 7,000 ÷ 35,000 = 20% increase.
East’s rise in pounds (7,000) is only a little larger than North’s (6,000), but East started from a smaller base, so its percentage rise is much bigger. Always check whether a question asks for an amount or a percentage.
Question 2. By what percentage did total sales across all three regions change from Q1 to Q2, to one decimal place?
A) 6.7% increase B) 7.2% increase C) 10.5% increase D) 12.5% increase
Answer: B, a 7.2% increase.
- Q1 total: 48,000 + 62,500 + 35,000 = 145,500.
- Q2 total: 54,000 + 60,000 + 42,000 = 156,000.
- Change: 156,000 − 145,500 = 10,500.
- Percentage change: 10,500 ÷ 145,500 = 0.0722, which is 7.2%.
Option A is the classic trap. It divides the change by the new total (10,500 ÷ 156,000) instead of the starting total. Percentage change is always calculated from the starting figure.
Verbal reasoning example
Verbal questions give you a short passage and a statement. You decide whether the statement is true, false, or whether you cannot say from the passage alone.
The company introduced a hybrid working policy in the spring. Staff in the finance and HR teams may now work from home up to two days a week, provided their manager agrees a fixed pattern in advance. Customer service staff are not covered by the policy, because the phone system can only be used from the office. The policy will be reviewed after six months.
Statement 1. Finance staff can work from home on any two days they choose, without agreement.
Answer: False. The passage says the manager must agree a fixed pattern in advance.
Statement 2. Customer service staff cannot currently work from home under this policy.
Answer: True. The passage says they are not covered by it.
Statement 3. The policy was introduced because staff asked for it.
Answer: Cannot say. The passage gives no reason for the policy. It might be true, but nothing in the text supports it.
The rule is to use only what the passage says. Your own knowledge, however reasonable, does not count.
Logical reasoning example
Logical or deductive questions give you a set of facts and ask what must follow from them.
All engineers on the project have passed the safety course. Some people who passed the safety course work night shifts. Sam is an engineer on the project.
Which statement must be true?
A) Sam works night shifts. B) Sam has passed the safety course. C) Sam does not work night shifts. D) Everyone who passed the safety course is an engineer.
Answer: B. Sam is an engineer on the project, and all of them have passed the course, so Sam must have passed. Whether Sam works nights cannot be decided: only some course graduates do, and we are not told which. D reverses the first statement, which is a common error.
Number sequence example
Number sequences appear in many cognitive ability tests. You find the rule and apply it.
Question. What comes next? 3, 7, 15, 31, ?
Answer: 63. Each number is double the one before, plus 1. So 3 × 2 + 1 = 7, 7 × 2 + 1 = 15, 15 × 2 + 1 = 31 and 31 × 2 + 1 = 63. If simple differences do not work (here they are 4, 8, 16), check whether they themselves follow a pattern, or try multiplying.
Abstract reasoning example
Abstract questions use shapes instead of words or numbers. Here is one described in text.
- Frame 1: an arrow pointing up, with one dot below it.
- Frame 2: an arrow pointing right, with two dots.
- Frame 3: an arrow pointing down, with three dots.
- Frame 4: an arrow pointing left, with four dots.
Question. What does frame 5 look like?
Answer: an arrow pointing up, with five dots. Two rules run at once. The arrow turns 90 degrees clockwise each frame, so after left it points up again. The dots increase by one each frame. Track each element separately and you will rarely be fooled.
Diagrammatic reasoning example
Diagrammatic questions give you symbols that each change an input in a set way.
- ★ reverses the order of the letters.
- ● moves the first letter to the end.
Question. The input ABCD passes through ★ and then ●. What is the output?
Answer: CBAD. After ★, ABCD becomes DCBA. After ●, the first letter D moves to the end, giving CBAD. Work through the operators one at a time, in order, and write each stage down.
Spatial reasoning example
Spatial questions ask you to picture shapes in your head, often by folding or rotating them.
A flat net is made of six squares. Squares 1, 2, 3 and 4 sit in a row, left to right. Square 5 sits directly above square 2, and square 6 directly below square 2. The net is folded into a cube.
Question. Which face is opposite face 1?
Answer: face 3. In a row of four squares that wraps around a cube, alternate squares end up opposite each other, so 1 is opposite 3 and 2 is opposite 4. The squares above and below the same square become the top and bottom, so 5 is opposite 6.
Mechanical reasoning example
Mechanical questions test everyday physics, such as gears, levers and pulleys.
Gear A has 20 teeth and turns clockwise. It meshes with gear B, which has 10 teeth. Gear B meshes with gear C.
Question. When gear A makes one full turn, how many turns does gear B make, and which way does gear C turn?
Answer: B makes 2 turns, and C turns clockwise. Twenty teeth pass the contact point when A turns once, and B needs only 10 for a full turn, so it turns 20 ÷ 10 = 2 times. Meshed gears turn in opposite directions, so B turns anticlockwise and C turns clockwise, the same way as A.
Situational judgement example
Situational judgement tests describe a workplace situation and ask how you would respond. There is no calculation, but some answers are clearly more effective than others.
You notice that a colleague has sent a client a report containing an incorrect figure. Your manager is on leave this week.
Which is the most effective response?
A) Say nothing, as it is not your report. B) Tell your colleague straight away so they can correct it with the client. C) Email the client yourself with the right figure. D) Wait and raise it with your manager when they return.
Answer: B is most effective, and A least. B fixes the problem quickly and lets your colleague keep ownership of their work. C fixes the figure but goes over your colleague’s head. D leaves the client with wrong information for a week. A ignores a problem that affects the business.
Error checking example
Error checking tests ask you to compare information quickly and spot differences.
- Original: Order 40718, Qty 125, £2,365.40, Leeds LS1 4AP
- Copy: Order 40178, Qty 125, £2,365.40, Leeds LS1 4AP
Question. Is the copy correct? If not, where is the error?
Answer: the order number. The 7 and 1 have swapped places, a transposition error. Check long numbers in small groups of two or three digits rather than reading them as a whole.
How to get the most from example questions
- Time yourself. Many employer tests allow around a minute per question, and some allow less.
- Work out why you got one wrong. Was it a misread question, a calculation slip or the wrong method? Each has a different fix.
- Practise the type you will actually face. Find out from the employer which tests are in the process.
If you are new to these assessments, start with what an aptitude test is. For preparation and on-the-day advice, read how to pass an aptitude test, and to understand what your result means afterwards, see aptitude test scores and pass marks explained.
Practise with a full test
Example questions are a good start, but the real test is about speed and consistency. Take a timed aptitude practice test to see how you perform across a full set of questions, with an explanation for each answer.
