SHL Numerical Ability practice
Prepare for the multiple-choice numerical test. Build accuracy in short drills, then practise answering 16 questions in 20 minutes.
View your results and progress7 short drills · Full timed test · Worked explanations
| Team | Units | Staff-hours |
|---|---|---|
| North | 240 | 40 |
| South | 270 | 30 |
What percentage higher is South’s output per staff-hour than North’s?
- A.20%
- B.25%
- C.40%
- D.50%
- E.60%
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Match the name on your assessment invitation.
Choose a practice drill
Practise a topic in eight questions, with an explanation after each answer. Try each drill once with eligible access; a Numerical Ability pass covers all replays and full tests.
| Team | Units | Staff-hours |
|---|---|---|
| North | 240 | 40 |
| South | 270 | 30 |
What percentage higher is South’s output per staff-hour than North’s?
- A.20%
- B.25%
- C.40%
- D.50%
- E.60%
Tables & charts
Read tables and charts, compare rates and combine data from different sources.
A price rises by 20%, then falls by 10%. What is the overall change?
- A.2% rise
- B.8% rise
- C.10% rise
- D.12% rise
- E.No change
Percentages & fractions
Work through percentage changes, fractions, weighted totals and reverse percentages.
Blue : White = 3 : 5
A mix has blue and white paint in a 3:5 ratio by volume. How much white paint is in 48 litres?
- A.18 litres
- B.24 litres
- C.28 litres
- D.30 litres
- E.40 litres
Ratios & proportions
Use proportions, mixtures, shared totals and changing ratios.
- Unit cost
- $80
- Selling price
- $100
A product costs $80 and sells for $100. What is profit as a percentage of the selling price?
- A.16%
- B.20%
- C.25%
- D.40%
- E.80%
Business calculations
Calculate costs, margins, revenue and productivity under changing conditions.
4 blue tokens · 2 white tokens
Two tokens are drawn at random without replacement. Each remaining token is equally likely to be drawn. What is the probability that both are blue?
- A.1/6
- B.1/5
- C.4/15
- D.2/5
- E.4/9
Basic probability
Find the chance of simple events, including draws with and without replacement.
A 1 m border runs inside all four edges. What area remains in the middle? Rectangle area = width × height.
- A.12 m²
- B.16 m²
- C.20 m²
- D.24 m²
- E.30 m²
Basic geometry
Calculate lengths, areas and perimeters from diagrams and stated dimensions.
A price rises by 20%, then falls by 10%. What is the overall change?
- A.2% rise
- B.8% rise
- C.10% rise
- D.12% rise
- E.No change
Mixed numerical drill
Combine all six topics in one short set, with feedback as you go.
Full timed practice
Try a free example
No account needed. Compare the rates, then choose an answer.
| Team | Units | Staff-hours |
|---|---|---|
| North | 240 | 40 |
| South | 270 | 30 |
What percentage higher is South’s output per staff-hour than North’s?
Prepare for the multiple-choice format
Numerical Ability tests how you interpret data and solve numerical problems. The question may be a business table, a chart or a short word problem. Read what the question asks before calculating, check the units and base value, and use the answer choices to check whether your result is reasonable.
Study guide & worked examplesSHL specifies up to 16 questions in 20 minutes. Our original practice uses five choices and covers the published numerical skill areas. SHL Numerical Ability fact sheet.
Common questions
Is this the same as Interactive Numerical Reasoning?
No. Numerical Ability uses multiple-choice questions, with a maximum of 16 questions in 20 minutes. Interactive Numerical Reasoning uses chart-building tasks, with a maximum of 10 tasks in 18 minutes. We have separate practice tracks and passes for these formats. Check the name on your invitation before choosing.
Can I use a calculator?
SHL generally permits calculators for numerical assessments unless your invitation says otherwise. A calculator is available in our drills and timed practice. Practise setting up the calculation first: a calculator will not choose the right denominator or interpret a condition for you.
What can I try, and what does a pass cover?
Where your access includes a trial, each of the seven short drills has one free attempt. A Numerical Ability pass unlocks unlimited replays of those drills and full timed practice during the selected period. Other assessment categories, including our interactive SHL Numerical track, require their own pass. Saved answers and explanations remain available after a pass ends.
Does the full test adapt, and can I go back?
Our full practice adjusts the next question’s difficulty after each answer while covering all six topics. It is forward-only: submitting or skipping advances to another question. You see feedback only after finishing. These are our practice rules, not a reproduction of SHL’s adaptive algorithm, item calibration or interface.
How should I use the practice goals?
Use them to build consistent accuracy under time pressure and identify weak topics. The goals are demanding editorial targets, not an official SHL pass mark, percentile or prediction of an employer’s decision. Review mistakes, practise the relevant topic and compare complete timed sittings.
Are these actual SHL questions?
No. All questions and teaching examples are original. We cover numerical skills described in SHL’s specification, but are independent of SHL and do not reproduce its live test content.
Independent preparation, not affiliated with SHL. Practice results are not official SHL scores or employer pass predictions.