The current TalentLens range: Watson-Glaser III critical thinking, NDIT numerical interpretation, Bennett BMCT-II mechanical reasoning, SOSIE, Raven’s Adaptive and DAT Next Generation. Identify the test in your invitation and find relevant practice.
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.
Which Pearson test you sit depends on the employer and the role: an entry-level position will not be given the same assessment as a graduate or managerial one.
Four things to know before you sit one. Timings and difficulty vary with the level of the role.
Match the name in your invitation to the assessment below. Timings marked “approx.” are completion estimates; other published durations are limits for the named version.
| Assessment | What it measures | Questions | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watson-Glaser III | Critical thinking | 40 | 30 min |
| Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test (BMCT-II) | Mechanical reasoning and spatial perception | 55 | 25 min |
| Numerical Data Interpretation Test (NDIT) | Interpreting numerical workplace information | 21 | 30 min |
| SOSIE 2nd Generation | Personality and values | See invitation | See invitation |
| Raven’s Adaptive | General cognitive ability through non-verbal problems | Adaptive | See invitation |
| DAT Next Generation | A suite of cognitive ability assessments | Varies by test | See invitation |
Counts and timings vary by role level and by the version an employer licences. Check the instructions on the screen before you start. Facts checked 11 September 2026.
Pearson’s TalentLens catalogue includes different editions and regional offerings. These are current product names; published limits apply only to the named version.
A visual guide to the skills and response formats covered on this page. Your invitation tells you which assessments to prepare for.
Illustrations by Practice Aptitude Tests · not official test screenshots
Does the evidence support it?
Evaluate the reasoning, not your opinion.
Assess assumptions, conclusions and arguments in written information.
View guidanceWhat is the percentage increase?
Find the missing shape
If you know which company invited you, start there: the employer guide tells you which Pearson assessment sits at which stage of that firm's process.
Not listed? Browse all employer guides.
These results come from our own practice test in a format covered on this page. They are not official Pearson results, a benchmark for our entire Pearson practice pack, or an employer pass mark.
Results from our numerical reasoning test.
Source: Practice Aptitude Tests
Based on 1280 completed practice sittings, all time. Checked 16 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.
One question tells you the style. A pack gives you the pace: Varies by test a question, marked, with the working shown.
Pearson’s TalentLens publishes the workplace tests employers set: the Watson Glaser critical thinking appraisal, used by law firms and professional practices to see how you draw conclusions from limited information; the Numerical Data Interpretation Test (NDIT), which assesses workplace numerical interpretation; the Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Test for technical roles; the SOSIE values and personality questionnaire; Raven’s Adaptive, a non-verbal test of lateral thinking; and the DAT Next Generation suite of ability assessments.
Pearson VUE is different: it is the test-centre network that delivers admissions exams such as the UCAT and the LNAT. Check the product name in your invitation; the table above says which, and where to practise it.
What candidates ask us most often
No. Pearson VUE is the delivery network that runs exams such as the UCAT for medicine and the LNAT for law in test centres; TalentLens is Pearson’s assessment publisher, whose tests employers set in recruitment. If your invitation is from an employer it is almost certainly a TalentLens test, and this page covers those.
Yes. TalentLens is the assessment arm of Pearson, so a TalentLens invitation, a Pearson invitation and a Watson Glaser invitation can all mean the same test. Our old TalentLens page now lives here.
The Watson Glaser, almost always. It is the standard critical thinking test in law and professional services, and for senior roles the RANRA numerical appraisal is sometimes set alongside it.
The UK Watson-Glaser III has 40 items and a 30-minute limit. Pearson lists other versions globally, so confirm the edition and any agreed adjustments in your invitation.
Pearson is a trademark of its respective owner. Practice Aptitude Tests is not affiliated with Pearson and our practice tests are not endorsed by them.
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