Psychometric tests are made up of short, self-contained questions, and most of them follow a handful of familiar formats: number problems built on a table, short passages with statements to judge, shape or number sequences, workplace scenarios and personality statements. Below is an example of each main type, with the answer and the reasoning that gets you there.
Each example is written in the style of the questions employers use. When you have worked through them, try a free psychometric test to answer a full set against the clock.
Numerical reasoning example
Numerical questions give you a table or chart and ask you to pull out the right figures and do one or two calculations. A calculator is usually allowed.
| Region | Q1 sales (£) | Q2 sales (£) |
|---|---|---|
| North | 18,400 | 21,160 |
| South | 24,000 | 22,800 |
| West | 15,600 | 18,096 |
Question 1. Which region had the largest percentage increase in sales from Q1 to Q2?
A) North B) South C) West D) North and West equally
Answer: C, West.
- North: 21,160 − 18,400 = 2,760. Then 2,760 ÷ 18,400 = 0.15, an increase of 15%.
- South: 22,800 − 24,000 = −1,200. Sales fell, by 1,200 ÷ 24,000 = 5%.
- West: 18,096 − 15,600 = 2,496. Then 2,496 ÷ 15,600 = 0.16, an increase of 16%.
North had the larger increase in pounds, which is the trap. The question asks for the percentage increase, and West’s is higher.
Question 2. What share of total Q2 sales came from the South region, to one decimal place?
A) 33.3% B) 36.7% C) 38.2% D) 41.0%
Answer: B, 36.7%. Total Q2 sales are 21,160 + 22,800 + 18,096 = 62,056. South’s share is 22,800 ÷ 62,056 = 0.3674, which is 36.7%. Option A is what you get if you assume each region has an equal share.
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. Use only what the passage says, not what you know or assume.
From March, staff at the Leeds office may work from home on up to two days a week, provided their manager agrees the pattern in advance. Staff in customer-facing teams must be in the office on Mondays, when call volumes are highest. The policy will be reviewed after six months, and any changes will be announced to all staff at least four weeks before they take effect.
Statement 1. Customer-facing staff at the Leeds office can choose to work from home on a Monday.
Answer: False. The passage says customer-facing staff must be in the office on Mondays.
Statement 2. The policy was introduced because staff asked for more flexibility.
Answer: Cannot say. The passage does not give a reason for the policy. It may sound likely, but nothing in the text supports it.
Statement 3. Staff will get at least four weeks’ notice of any change to the policy.
Answer: True. The last sentence says changes will be announced at least four weeks before they take effect.
Logical reasoning examples
Logical reasoning covers several formats. Two of the most common are number series and deductive questions.
Number series. What is the next number? 3, 7, 15, 31, ?
Answer: 63. Each number is double the one before, plus 1: 3 × 2 + 1 = 7, 7 × 2 + 1 = 15, 15 × 2 + 1 = 31, and 31 × 2 + 1 = 63. A quick check is the gaps, which double each time (4, 8, 16, then 32).
Deductive reasoning. All members of the audit team have passed the data protection course. Some members of the finance team are in the audit team. Which statement must be true?
A) All members of the finance team have passed the course. B) Some members of the finance team have passed the course. C) Nobody outside the audit team has passed the course. D) Everyone who has passed the course is in the audit team.
Answer: B. The finance team members who are also in the audit team must have passed, so at least some of the finance team have. A goes too far, because the other finance staff may not have passed. C and D are not stated: the rule tells you about audit team members, not about everyone else.
Abstract reasoning example
Abstract questions use shapes, so they are easiest to show as pictures. Here is one described in words.
A sequence shows four squares. In each square there is a single dot in one corner, and the square is either white or grey.
- Frame 1: dot in the top-left corner, white square.
- Frame 2: dot in the top-right corner, grey square.
- Frame 3: dot in the bottom-right corner, white square.
- Frame 4: ?
Answer: dot in the bottom-left corner, grey square. Two rules run at once. The dot moves one corner clockwise each step, and the shading alternates between white and grey. Track each rule separately, predict the answer, then find it among the options.
Situational judgement example
Situational judgement questions describe a realistic work problem and ask you to choose or rate possible responses.
You and a colleague are preparing a client report due tomorrow morning. At 4pm you notice that your colleague’s section contains figures from last year rather than this year. Your colleague has left for the day and is not answering their phone.
Which is the most effective response?
A) Leave it, because it is your colleague’s section. B) Correct the figures yourself without telling anyone. C) Correct the figures, then email your colleague and your manager to explain what you changed and why. D) Ask your manager to delay the report.
Answer: C. It fixes the problem before the deadline and keeps everyone informed, so your colleague can check your changes. A lets a known error reach the client. B fixes it but leaves your colleague unaware. D is an overreaction when the fix is within your reach.
Mechanical reasoning example
Gear A has 12 teeth and turns clockwise at 60 revolutions per minute. It meshes directly with gear B, which has 36 teeth. In which direction does gear B turn, and how fast?
Answer: anticlockwise, at 20 revolutions per minute. Two meshing gears always turn in opposite directions. Gear B has three times as many teeth, so it turns at a third of the speed: 60 × 12 ÷ 36 = 20.
Error checking example
Compare the original record with the copy. Is the copy correct?
- Original: INV-40871, 14/03, £2,385.60
- Copy: INV-40817, 14/03, £2,385.60
Answer: no. The last two digits of the invoice number have been swapped (71 has become 17). Swapped digits are one of the most common errors these tests plant, so check numbers digit by digit rather than reading them as a whole.
Personality questionnaire example
Personality questionnaires ask how far statements describe you. For example:
“I prefer to plan my work in detail before I start.”
Strongly disagree / Disagree / Neutral / Agree / Strongly agree
There is no right answer. One person’s careful planning is another person’s ability to adapt quickly, and different roles suit different preferences. Answer honestly and consistently, because many questionnaires ask about the same preference in several ways.
How to get the most from these examples
Working through examples teaches you the formats. To build speed, practise full sets under timed conditions and review every mistake afterwards. Our guide on how to pass a psychometric test explains how to do that, and what a psychometric test is covers how the results are scored.
When you are ready, sit a timed psychometric practice test and read the worked solutions for anything you get wrong.
