Civil Service Numerical Test study guide

Learn the calculations and data checks, then work through four examples.

Worked examples

Answer each example before opening the explanation. These teaching examples are separate from the practice question bank.

Tables & data checking

Read the title, units, row and column headings. Identify which values the question needs before calculating. Check whether totals already include a subgroup.

Common mistake: Adding a total and one of its components counts that component twice.

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Applications processed

The table shows all applications processed by two offices during one week.

Weekly applications
Office	Approved	Returned
North	240	60
South	180	20

What percentage of all applications processed by both offices were returned?

Percentages & change

For percentage change, divide the difference by the original value. For successive changes, multiply the factors. To reverse a change, divide by its factor.

Common mistake: A percentage-point difference is not the same as percentage growth.

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A training budget

After an 8% reduction, a department’s annual training budget is £46,000.

What was the budget before the reduction?

Ratios, rates & proportions

Align the units first. Build ratios from comparable quantities. For a combined rate or average, combine the underlying totals before dividing.

Common mistake: A simple average of two rates can be wrong when their group sizes differ.

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Case review capacity

Both teams process cases at the constant rates shown. Each reviewer works for the same number of hours.

Team capacity
Team	Reviewers	Cases per reviewer per hour
A	6	8
B	4	12

What is the combined average number of cases processed per reviewer per hour?

Charts & trends

Check the axis, units and legend. Separate a level from its change. Calculate from the relevant observations rather than the apparent steepness of a line.

Common mistake: The tallest bar need not show the largest proportional increase.

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Online requests

The chart shows completed online requests in each month.

Completed requests

requests

Requests

Completed requests — exact values (requests)
Category	Requests
April	800
May	1,000
June	1,200

By what percentage did completed requests increase from April to June?

What to expect in the real test

Official test and our practice compared
Feature	Official test	Our full practice
Questions	Numerical information and five answer options	Original charts, tables and numerical questions
Timing	Untimed; most people take 15–45 minutes	Untimed; no speed penalty
Length	Adaptive and variable	24 questions, six per skill
Navigation	Answer before continuing; no skipping or going back	The same forward-only sequence
Difficulty	Calibrated adaptive item selection	Editorial difficulty adjusts after each answer
Feedback	A result after the test	Explanations and skill results after completion

Short drills have eight questions and show feedback after each answer. Full practice uses a fixed learning length, not the official stopping rule. Official candidate guidance.

A practical study plan

Learn the rules. Work through the examples above. Explain why the wrong options are wrong.
Try each skill. Complete one short drill per topic. Save unfamiliar methods and mistakes to revisit.
Practice your weak areas. Use replays to check your reasoning on less familiar material. Do not rush to match a countdown: the real test is untimed.
Complete a full sitting. Work independently without intermediate feedback. Answer every question before continuing.
Review the evidence. Compare skill accuracy, difficulty and prior exposure. A high score on remembered answers is different from a high score on new questions.

Understand your score

The official score accounts for the questions and their difficulty, then compares performance with a reference group. It is not simply the percentage answered correctly. A percentile of 60 means outperforming 60% of that reference group, not answering 60% correctly.

Our practice reports your accuracy, topic results and the editorial difficulty of questions you reached. Demanding practice goals help guide further study. They are not official grade cutoffs, percentiles or a guarantee of passing. Do not compare accuracy alone across adaptive sittings that presented different difficulty levels.

The job level and the recruiter’s selection threshold affect progression. Passing the minimum standard does not guarantee an interview. Official scores may be banked for six months for the relevant test and grade grouping, subject to the exceptions in the government guidance.

Cabinet Office explanation of its adaptive testing

Before test day

Check the assessment name, application deadline and any instructions in your invitation.
Use the official practice test to learn the actual interface. Its deliberately easy examples introduce the controls; they do not set the difficulty of the real questions.
Prepare a reliable connection, quiet space, calculator, paper and pen. Allow at least an hour for each test.
Answer independently. Ask the recruitment team about any needed accessibility adjustments before your deadline.

Official practice links, adjustments and test guidance

Choose a practice drill

Independent original preparation. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the UK Civil Service. Our question bank, difficulty labels and practice targets are not official test material or calibrated applicant norms.