SHL results are usually sent to the employer rather than to you, and ability test scores are normally shown as a percentile. A percentile compares your score with a group of people similar to the other applicants, so the 70th percentile means you scored higher than 70% of that group. There is no single SHL pass mark: each employer sets its own cut-off. Whether you see a report yourself depends on the employer.
Because your result is a comparison with other candidates, practice that improves your speed and accuracy shows up directly in your percentile. A free SHL-style test with worked solutions is a good place to start.
How an SHL ability score is worked out
There are usually three steps between your answers and the number the employer sees.
- Your raw score. This is based on the questions you answered correctly. Ability tests are normally not negatively marked, so a wrong answer costs you nothing more than a blank one.
- The comparison group. Your raw score is compared with a norm group: a large sample of people who have taken the same test, chosen to match the role. A graduate role is compared with graduates, a management role with managers, and so on.
- Your percentile. The comparison turns your raw score into a percentile, which is what the employer usually reads.
Some online tests adjust the difficulty of the questions as you go. Where a test works this way, your score reflects how hard the questions you answered were, not just how many you got right.
A worked example of a percentile
Say the norm group for a graduate numerical test contains 400 people, and your score is higher than 300 of them.
- Divide the number you outscored by the size of the group: 300 ÷ 400 = 0.75.
- Turn it into a percentage: 0.75 × 100 = 75.
- You are at the 75th percentile. You scored better than 75% of the comparison group.
The same raw score can produce a different percentile against a different group. If the group is made up of strong applicants for a competitive scheme, your percentile will be lower than it would be against a general population. That is why employers pick a norm group that matches the job.
What counts as a good SHL score
The 50th percentile is the middle of the comparison group, so anything above it is above average for that group. Beyond that, a good score is whatever clears the employer’s cut-off, and cut-offs vary a lot. A competitive graduate scheme with many applicants may set a high bar. A role that uses the test as one input among several may set a modest one, or look at scores together with your interview and experience rather than as a hard filter.
Employers rarely publish their cut-off. The useful aim is simply to score as high as you can, which comes down to working accurately at speed.
Percentiles, bands and stens
Reports present scores in a few common ways, and you may see more than one.
| Format | What it shows | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Percentile | Your position against the comparison group, from 1 to 99 | 60th percentile means you outscored 60% of the group |
| Band | A plain description of the range your percentile falls in | Labels such as “above average” or “well below average” |
| Sten | A score from 1 to 10, used widely for personality results | 5 and 6 sit in the middle, and 1 or 10 are the extremes |
Bands group nearby percentiles together, so two candidates close to each other may receive the same label. Stens work in a similar way: the scale has an average of 5.5, and most people fall between 4 and 7.
How personality and motivation results are reported
Personality and motivation questionnaires do not have a pass mark. Your answers produce a profile showing your preferences across a set of work styles, such as how you relate to people, how you approach tasks and how you handle pressure. The employer compares that profile with what the role needs.
The same profile can suit one job well and another less well, so a personality result is not a grade. The best approach is to answer honestly and consistently. If you want to know more about the different questionnaires SHL publishes, see what an SHL test is.
When you get your results
Scoring is automatic, so the employer can usually see your result soon after you finish. When you hear back depends on the employer’s process: some move you to the next stage within days, while others wait until the application window closes.
Some employers let candidates see a feedback report, and others do not. If you would like feedback, ask the recruiter. It is a reasonable request, and the answer will usually come from the employer rather than from SHL.
Verification tests and retakes
Some employers ask you to sit a short, supervised test later in the process, often at an assessment centre, to confirm that your online score reflects your own ability. If you sat the first test honestly, there is nothing extra to prepare: practise the same way as before.
Retake rules are set by the employer. Some will reuse your existing result if you apply again within a set period, so it pays to be well prepared the first time rather than treating it as a trial run.
How to improve your SHL results
Your percentile rises when you answer more questions correctly in the time, so the two things to work on are accuracy and pace. Learn each question format so that you do not spend time decoding instructions, then practise against the clock and review every wrong answer. Our SHL example tests walk through each question type with a worked answer.
To see where you are starting from, take a timed SHL-style practice test and check how long each question takes you.
