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Practice
Leaflet
Why are aptitude tests used?
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INTRODUCTION
PricewaterhouseCoopers make extensive use of ability tests and personality questionnaires in our recruitment
processes. These take various forms, notably tests of verbal and numerical reasoning, tests of diagrammatic
(logical) reasoning, and personality questionnaires. This leaflet contains some examples of each of these tests
and questionnaires, and some background information to assist applicants. The first section concentrates on
ability tests, while the next section relates to personality questionnaires. Additional information on these
selection tools can be found on the Internet at www.shldirect.com.
You will have been informed which of these types of test and questionnaire you will be required to complete.
An introduction to aptitude tests - why are aptitude tests used?
Employers are increasingly incorporating aptitude tests into assessment procedures - both for selection and for
development and counselling purposes. There is good evidence that tests which are professionally used and
evaluated can provide objective, reliable and relevant information concerning the likelihood of job success and
satisfaction.
You may be asked to complete some aptitude tests in the context of an extended selection or developmentprocedure. Assessment centres typically combine the information gained from aptitude tests with that obtained
from other questionnaires and exercises such as personality and interest inventories, in-trays, group exercises and
interviews to build up a comprehensive picture of the person being assessed.
Whatever the context in which you are being asked to complete some aptitude tests, you may find this leaflet
helpful. It has been designed to introduce you to three types of aptitude tests commonly used in graduate and
school leaver recruitment as well as professional and managerial selection and development. The leaflet should
help you prepare for the test session.
Tests can help you
to be fairly assessed in a competitive situation
to find out more about your own strengths and weaknesses
to select a career path for which you are suited
to be comprehensively assessed for selection, development or counselling purposes.
Tests enable the employer
to select people best suited to the demands of the job
to identify areas of weakness for staff development
to counsel staff appropriately
to place personnel appropriately within an organisation.
What sort of tests might you have to do?
The tests you are being asked to do will measure skills relevant to the job, position or responsibilities for which
you are being considered. While different jobs make different demands on individuals, extensive analyses of
many managerial and professional jobs have shown that competence in verbal and numerical critical reasoning
is a common requirement. More abstract abilities are also widely applicable within more technical roles. This
practice leaflet covers tests which require you to:
evaluate the logic of given statements
interpret data from statistical tables
infer and apply rules within symbolic systems and flowcharts.
In order to familiarise yourself with the type of questions that may be asked, read the instructions in each case,
and work through the questions as quickly and accurately as you can, bearing in mind that the tests themselves
have time constraints.
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Instructions
The verbal, numerical and diagrammatic questions which follow are multiple choice. For
each question, you are given several possible answers. When you have selected your answer,
you should fill in the appropriate circle on the answer sheet provided.
VERBAL TEST
In this test, you are given two passages, each of which is followed by several statements. Your
task is to evaluate the statements in the light of the information or opinions contained in the
passage and to select your answer according to the rules given below.
1 The main difference between nuclear and fossil-fuelled power stations is an economic one.
2 The price of coal is not relevant to discussions about the relative efficiency of nuclear
reactors.
3 If nuclear reactors were cheaper to build and decommission than fossil-fuelled power
stations, they would definitely have the economic advantage.
4 Physical stimuli usually win in the competition for our attention.
5 The capacity of the human brain is sufficient to interpret nearly all the stimuli the sensescan register under optimum conditions.
6 Eyes are able to cope with a greater input of information than ears.
MARK CIRCLE A
if the statement is patently
TRUE or follows logically,
given the information or
opinions contained in the
passage.
MARK CIRCLE B
if the statement is patently
UNTRUE or the opposed
follows logically, given the
information or opinions
contained in the passage.
MARK CIRCLE C
if you CANNOT SAY
whether the statement is true
or untrue or follows logically
without further
information.
Answer Sheet 1
Verbal Test
1 A B C
2 A B C
3 A B C
4 A B C
5 A B C
6 A B C
The big economic difference between nuclear a
nd fossil-
fuelled power stationsis that nuclear reactors
are more
expensive to build anddecommission, but che
aper to run.
So disputes over the relative efficiency of the
two systems
revolve not just aroundthe prices of coal and
uranium
today and tomorrow, but also around the way
in which
future income should be compared with curren
t income.
At any given moment we are being
bombarded by physical
and psychological stimuli competing for our atte
ntion.
Although our eyesare capable of ha
ndlingmore than 5
million bits of data per second, our
brains are capableof
interpreting onlyabout 500 bits of
data per second.With
similar disparitiesbetween each of t
he other senses and
the brain, it is easy to see that we
select the visual,
auditory, or tactile stimuli that we
wish to computeat
any specific time.
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NUMERICAL TEST
In this test, you have to use facts and figures presented in statistical tables to answer the
questions below. In each question, you are given either five or ten options from which to
choose. One, and only one, of the options is correct in each case. Note that for questions
which have 10 options you may have to fill in more than one circle to indicate your answer.
For some numerical tests of this nature you may be provided with a calculator - for some you
may be required to work without one. You may try the following questions with or without the
use of a calculator - as you wish. In addition, you may be provided with rough paper for your
working out.
Statistical Tables
POPULATION STRUCTURE 1985
Population Live Bir ths Deaths Percentage of population
at start of per 1000 per 1000 at start of year aged
year population population(million) (Jan-Dec) (Jan-Dec) under 15 60 or over
UK 56.6 13.3 11.8 19 21
France 55.2 13.9 10.0 21 19
Italy 57.1 10.1 9.5 19 19
Germany 61.0 9.6 11.5 15 20
Spain 38.6 12.1 7.7 23 17
PRODUCTION OF 15MM BUTTONS, JULY-DECEMBER
Productionin thousands
105
100
95
90
85
80
75
70
65
60
55
50
July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Total (standard and sub-standard)
button production
Standard quality button
production
SALES PRICE:
Standard
quality buttons 5.70 per 100
Sub-standard
quality buttons 2.85 per 100
MONTHS
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NUMERICAL TEST - QUESTIONS
1 Which country had the highest number of people aged 60 or over at the start of 1985?
A B C D E
UK France Italy Germany Spain
2 What percentage of the total 15mm button production was classed as sub-standard in
September?
A B C D E
10.5% 13% 15% 17.5% 20%
AB AC AD AE BC
23.5% 25% 27.5% 28% 30.5%
3 How many live births occurred in 1985 in Spain and Italy together (to the nearest
1000)?A B C D E
104,000 840,000 1,044,000 8,400,000 10,440,000
4 What was the net effect on the UK population of the live birth and death rates in 1985?
A B C D E
Decrease Increase Increase Increase Cannot say
of 66,700 of 84,900 of 85,270 of 752,780
5 By how much did the total sales value of Novembers button production vary from
Octobers?
A B C D E
28.50 142.50 285.00 427.50 No change
(Decrease) (Decrease) (Increase) (Decrease)
6 What was the loss in potential sales revenue attributable to the production of sub-
standard (as opposed to standard) buttons over the 6 month period?
A B C D E
213.75 427.50 2,137.50 2,280.00 4,275.00
Answer Sheet 2
Numerical Test
1 A B C D E
2 A B C D E
3 A B C D E
4 A B C D E
5 A B C D E
6 A B C D E
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DIAGRAMMATIC SERIES
Each problem in this test consists of a series of diagrams, on the left of the page, which follow
a logical sequence. You are to choose the next diagram in the series from the five options on
the right. Then indicate your answer by filling in completely the appropriate circle on the
answer sheet.
Time guideline: see how many questions you can answer in 5 minutes, remembering you
should work accurately as well as quickly.
A B C D E
A B C D E
A B C D E
A B C D E
A B C D E
A B C D E
A B C D E
A B C D E
Answer Sheet 3
Diagrammatic Test
1 A B C D E
2 A B C D E
3 A B C D E
4 A B C D E
5 A B C D E
6 A B C D E
7 A B C D E
8 A B C D EYou will find the correct answers
on the back page of this leaflet
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
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AN INTRODUCTION TO PERSONALITY
QUESTIONNAIRES
Questionnaires are used by employers and careers advisors to help gain a picture of how people
match different jobs. This leaflet is designed to help you understand more about questionnaires
and help you prepare for completing them.
Personality questionnaires are concerned with peoples typical or preferred ways of behaving,
such as the way they relate to others, or the way they approach and solve problems. The
benefit of a questionnaire is that the same carefully designed and fully researched questions are
asked of all people and their answers are captured and interpreted in a fair, consistent and
objective way.
Questionnaires typically explore the broad range of personality characteristics which are
generally relevant to the world of work. They are often used by organisations where
information is required about an individual, for example, in development, selection or
counselling. When questionnaires are used with other methods of assessment they can help to
ensure a more thorough exploration of how well a person is suited to a particular job.
Why do we use questionnaires?
They make our procedures fairer and more objective
We can learn more about which jobs might be suitable for you
They help show us who is right for a job
We can identify your training and development needs
What benefits are there for you?
You are assessed in a fair and objective way
You can choose work for which you are better suited and which will be more satisfying for
you
You can gain a better understanding of your personality and main sources of motivation
You can learn how you might develop in different areas
What sort of questions will I be asked?
The questions ask about your typical or preferred style of work. Your answers are then used to
produce a profile of how you see yourself compared to a group of similar individuals.
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Here are some examples of the sort of questions that will be asked.
You will be given blocks of four statements: A, B, C and D. Your task is to choose which one
you think is the most true or typical of you in your everyday behaviour, and then choose the
one which is least true or typical of you. Indicate your choices by filling in the appropriate
circle in the row marked M (for Most) and in the next row L (for Least).
The first block has been completed for you. The person has chosen, Enjoys organisingpeople as most true (or typical) and Seeks variety as being least true (or typical) of
him/herself. Now try questions 2, 3 and 4 yourself.
I am the sort of person who.......
1 A Has a wide circle of friends
B Enjoys organising people
C Relaxes easily
D Seeks variety
2 A Helps people with their problems
B Develops new approaches
C Has lots of energy
D Enjoys social activities
3 A Has lots of new ideas
B Feels calm
C Likes to understand things
D Is easy to get on with
4 A Enjoys organising events
B Sometimes gets angryC Is talkative
D Resolves conflicts at work
How do I complete a questionnaire?
Often, personality questionnaires are completed using paper and pencil. Typically, you will be
asked to fill in circles to indicate your answers as in the examples here. Sometimes, however,
computers are used. In this situation, you wont need to know how to operate a computer.
Everything you have to do will be explained at the session and you will be given a chance to
practice using the computer and ask questions before you start. Whether you use paper and
pencil or a computer, you will be asked the same kinds of question, and only be allowed to
choose one Most and one Least option for each set of statements.
SHL Group Limited, 2007
M A B C D
L A B C D
M A B C D
L A B C D
M A B C D
L A B C D
M A B C D
L A B C D
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Final points about personality questionnaires.
The questions are concerned with how you typically behave at work. Thinking about a typical work
situation may help you answer. If you have little formal work experience, think about how you behave
in similar situations such as voluntary work, school, college, or when doing other tasks, for example
housework and hobbies.
Although there is no time limit, you should work quickly rather than pondering at length over any one
question. This helps you to give your most natural answer, the one which best reflects how you are.
Make sure you answer all of the questions.
People who try to guess what is wanted are often incorrect and may give an impression of themselves
which doesnt fit in with other information. Many questionnaires contain questions which help to check
whether someone is describing themselves honestly and consistently, so try to be as accurate as
possible when answering the questions.
Feedback will be offered, usually in the form of a narrative report.
We may want to discuss our results with you. If you are offered this opportunity, use it to find out as
much about yourself as you can. This may be helpful to you in understanding yourself and your
strengths and limitations better.
The questionnaire is about your personality style, that is, the way you go about things. It is not about
ability, and there are no right or wrong answers. Just answer as you are.
Dont worry if some questions do not seem relevant. We will be focusing on those areas most relevant
to your situation.
The results will typically form only part of an assessment, and will be interpreted alongside otherinformation about you.
We will respect the confidentiality of your results.
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WHAT CAN YOU DO TO GIVE YOUR BEST PERFORMANCE?
Dont be discouraged if you found the questions difficult: there are several things you can do to
improve your performance.
Verbal Tests:
Read newspapers, reports, business journals.
Do verbal problem solving exercises, e.g. crosswords.
Numerical Tests:
Read financial reports in newspapers.
Study tables of data.Practise your mental arithmetic.
Diagrammatic Test
Solve puzzles in newspapers and magazines involving diagrams.
Play games involving sequence or strategies eg. chess, draughts.
And finally, be prepared for the test session
Get a good nights sleep before the tests.
Give yourself plenty of time to get to the assessment.
If you wear glasses or a hearing aid, be sure to take them with you and please let us know in
advance if you require any special facilities to help you complete these tests.
At the session
Listen carefully to the instructions.
Dont be afraid to ask questions.
Read each question carefully before answering.
Work quickly and accurately - most tests have time limits.
REMEMBER - the outcome of most assessments is based on the combination of data from
different sources. Even if you dont feel confident about your performance in the tests, you
may have other strengths which will be taken into account. Employers often offer the
opportunity to obtain feedback on test performance. This may help you to understand your
own relative abilities and may aid you in your career thinking.
Verbal Test
1 A B C
2 A B C
3 A B C
4 A B C
5 A B C
6 A B C
Numerical Test
1 A B C D E
2 A B C D E
3 A B C D E
4 A B C D E
5 A B C D E
6 A B C D E
Diagrammatic Test
1 A B C D E
2 A B C D E
3 A B C D E
4 A B C D E
5 A B C D E
6 A B C D E
7 A B C D E
8 A B C D E
ANSWERS TO THE APTITUDE TEST PRACTICE
QUESTIONS.
SHL Group Limited, 2007
The Pavilion, 1 Atwell Place, Thames Ditton, Surrey KT7 0BP Telephone: 0208 335 8000 Facsimile 0208 335 7000 www.shlgroup.com
The reproduction of this blue and yellow practice leaflet by photocopying process duplicating machine or any other method including computer installations is breaking the
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