Numerical reasoning
Read business tables and charts, work out percentages, ratios and totals, then enter the result on a chart.
Practice interactive numericalThe European Commission SHL test
European Commission internal competitions start with an adaptive cognitive reasoning assessment: 24 questions in 36 minutes covering numerical, inductive and deductive reasoning. Its format matches SHL’s Verify Interactive G+, so G+ practice is the closest preparation.
- Questions
- 24
- Time limit
- 36 minutes
- Reasoning
- Numerical, inductive, deductive
- Pass line (AD7, AD5)
- 60th percentile
By the Game Assessment Prep research teamUpdated September 28, 2026How we research
Delivery costs
Worked numerical reasoning example
A distributor compares the cost of its delivery routes. Each route runs 20 days per month. Fuel is the only variable cost. Fixed monthly costs already include driver pay.
| Route | Fuel per day | Fixed monthly cost | Deliveries per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| North | $60 | $2,400 | 120 |
| Central | $90 | $1,800 | 180 |
| South | $45 | $2,700 | 150 |
Set each bar to the total cost per delivery, in dollars. Include both fuel and fixed costs.
Worked answer · Cost per delivery
North$30
Central$20
South$24
North: (20 × $60 + $2,400) ÷ 120 = $30 per delivery.
What the competition notices describe
The cognitive reasoning assessment is the first stage of the Commission’s 2026 internal competitions. The notices are published to staff, so the details below come from staff-association and training-provider summaries of them.
- Competitions
- AD7 (COM/AD/107/2026), AD5 (COM/AD/108/2026) and AST3 (COM/AST/109/2026) internal competitions
- Length
- 24 questions in 36 minutes, on one continuous clock
- Content
- Numerical, inductive and deductive reasoning in a single test
- Adaptive
- Yes. The questions you get depend on your earlier answers.
- Provider
- An external company with expertise in psychometric tests, in the AD7 notice’s words. The notice names neither the company nor the test. The Commission staff association Generation 2004 identifies it as SHL Interactive G+.
- Practice assessment
- Candidates can take a practice assessment before the test. It requires creating an account.
- Result
- A percentile against a benchmark population
- Pass line
- At or above the 60th percentile in the AD7 and AD5 notices. Check your own notice for your competition.
- Next stages
- In the AD7 and AD5 notices: an EU knowledge multiple-choice test, a written test, eligibility checks and an oral test
- Test dates
- AD7 candidates have taken it. EU Training expected AD5 testing in September 2026 and AST3 in late September or early October 2026.
Why SHL Verify Interactive G+ is the closest practice
The AD7 notice says an external company with expertise in psychometric tests carries out the assessment. It names neither the company nor the test. Generation 2004, the Commission staff association, identifies it as the SHL Interactive G+ cognitive assessment. SHL’s own Verify Interactive G+ fact sheet describes the same shape: an adaptive test of numerical, inductive and deductive reasoning with up to 24 questions in 36 minutes and activity-based answers.
Some prep sites call it the EPSO SHL test. It belongs to the Commission’s internal competitions; EPSO’s open competitions use different tests.
Practice each reasoning area on its own first, then put them together under the full clock.
Inductive reasoning
Find the rule in shape patterns and letter–number sequences, then build the next step.
Practice interactive inductiveDeductive reasoning
Apply every rule to group people, rank items and solve calendar and scheduling problems.
Practice deductive reasoningPace: 90 seconds a question
That is the average, and questions vary a lot in length. Candidate feedback collected by Generation 2004 says finishing all 24 questions appears neither expected nor realistically possible. Some pattern questions take seconds, while some questions on percentages, budget splits or scheduling constraints can take four to five minutes.
Learn the controls untimed
Interactive answers mean setting chart values, placing items and building figures. Take the practice assessment offered to candidates, and learn each control in a short drill so the clock goes to reasoning on the day.
Practice switching
Numerical, inductive and deductive tasks share one clock. Practice moving between them without losing time to resetting your method.
Review one mistake at a time
After each timed attempt, find the step that went wrong: a percentage base, a missed pattern change or a broken scheduling rule. Drill that, then retest.
Applying through an EPSO open competition?
EPSO’s open competitions use different tests. The AD5 graduate competition has multiple-choice verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning tests, plus EU knowledge, digital skills and a written test. Our European Commission guide explains the EPSO, CAST and Blue Book routes.
European Commission recruitment guideCommon questions about the Commission SHL test
What test does the European Commission use in its internal competitions?
The 2026 AD7, AD5 and AST3 internal competitions open with an adaptive cognitive reasoning assessment: 24 questions in 36 minutes covering numerical, inductive and deductive reasoning. The AD7 notice says an external company with expertise in psychometric tests carries it out, and names neither the company nor the test. The Commission staff association Generation 2004 identifies it as SHL Interactive G+, and its format matches SHL’s published specification for Verify Interactive G+. Some prep sites call it the EPSO SHL test, but EPSO’s open competitions use different tests.
How many questions are in the Commission’s cognitive assessment?
24 questions in 36 minutes, which is an average of 90 seconds per question. The three reasoning areas share one continuous clock. Candidate feedback collected by Generation 2004 says finishing all 24 questions appears neither expected nor realistically possible, and that some calculation questions can take four to five minutes.
What score do I need to pass?
The AD7 and AD5 notices require a result at or above the 60th percentile of the benchmark population. Only candidates who reach that line continue to the EU knowledge test and the written test. Check the notice for your own competition.
Is it the same as the EPSO reasoning tests?
No. EPSO’s open AD5 graduate competition uses multiple-choice verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning tests. The internal competitions use this single adaptive assessment of numerical, inductive and deductive reasoning instead.
How should I practice for it?
Start with short untimed drills for each reasoning area to learn the answer controls, then take a full timed practice test. Also take the practice assessment offered to candidates, which requires creating an account. Our Verify Interactive G+ practice has 4 short drills and a 24-task, 36-minute timed test with worked explanations.
Is Game Assessment Prep affiliated with SHL or the European Commission?
No. Game Assessment Prep is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by SHL, EPSO or the European Commission. All practice questions and explanations are original.
Try the G+ worked examples
Free numerical, inductive and deductive examples, no account needed.
Sources
- COM/AD/107/2026 AD7 internal competition: applications open · EU Training
- Analysis of internal competition COM/AD/107/2026 (quotes the notice) · Generation 2004
- New cognitive testing in the AD7 internal competition · Generation 2004
- New AD5 internal competition published (COM/AD/108/2026) · Generation 2004
- AST3 internal competition (COM/AST/109/2026) information session · Generation 2004
- August 2026 EU careers rundown: internal competitions and the cognitive assessment · EU Training
- Verify Interactive G+ fact sheet · SHL
- Graduates (Administrators – AD5) · EU Careers
Independent practice from Game Assessment Prep. Not affiliated with or endorsed by SHL, EPSO or the European Commission. All practice questions and explanations are original. Details checked September 28, 2026; follow your notice of competition and invitation.