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What is a Pearson test?
A Pearson test, in recruitment and admissions, comes from one of two arms of the education company Pearson. TalentLens publishes workplace psychometrics, including the Watson Glaser critical thinking test, RANRA numerical reasoning and the Bennett mechanical comprehension test. Pearson VUE runs the delivery network behind admissions exams such as the UCAT for medicine and the LNAT for law. Most TalentLens tests are online, multiple choice and drawn from randomised item banks.
| Test types | Watson Glaser critical thinking, RANRA numerical, Bennett mechanical, SOSIE personality, Iris situational judgement |
|---|---|
| Format | Online, multiple choice, item banked; supervised or unsupervised |
| Typical time limit | Watson Glaser: 40 items in 30 to 40 minutes |
| Used by | Law and professional services firms; universities via Pearson VUE delivered admissions tests |
Who are Pearson?
Pearson are the owners of the TalentLens assessment platform who provide a range of psychometric tests including DAT Next Generation and Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test, and renowned Watson Glaser and SOSIE 2nd Generation. They also minister the LNAT, or Law National Aptitude Test.
Watson-Glaser (critical thinking)
The Watson-Glaser test evaluates your ability to analyse and make a decision. It focuses primarily on your ability to draw conclusions based on limited information. It is an opportunity for you to show creative flare and ‘outside the box’ thinking, and is often used by Law firms and other professional practices.
RANRA (Rust Advanced Numerical Reasoning Appraisal)
The RANRA often accompanies a Watson-Glaser test for the recruitment of a more senior role. Similar to the Watson-Glaser, it assesses critical thinking but uses numerical reasoning to do so.
UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test)
The UCAT is used for medicine and dentistry school admissions in the UK. It is a timed, multiple-choice test designed to assess your cognitive abilities.
Iris Situational Judgement
Targeted at graduate level, this test will present you with work-like scenarios that you will have to make decisions on. We have created a page dedicated to situational judgement where you can find more information about these types of tests.
Pearson Numerical Reasoning Assessment
This is a newer addition to the Pearson TalentLens portal. Whilst it is based on the concept of a traditional numerical reasoning assessment, there is a fresh approach to it that introduces some new concepts to numerical reasoning. We would strongly recommend you take a look at our numerical reasoning practice tests.
Practise Pearson style tests
Pearson assessments draw on the test types below. Each link takes you to free practice questions in the same format, so you can get comfortable before the real thing:
