SHL Numerical Ability study guide

Learn to pick the right numbers, set up the calculation and choose an answer under time pressure.

Practice a mixed drillTry four worked examples

Eight-question drills · 16-question full practice · Calculator allowed here

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Numerical Ability

Select a multiple-choice answer. SHL allows up to 16 questions in 20 minutes and uses adaptive delivery. This guide prepares you for that format.

SHL Numerical Ability specification

For a numerical test, SHL generally permits a calculator unless your instructions say otherwise. Have paper ready and check your invitation before starting. SHL candidate guidance.

Work through four examples

Choose an answer before opening the explanation. These original examples are free to read and separate from the scored practice bank.

1. Compare rates, not totals

Three service teams completed the jobs shown below in the same week. Each completed job counts as one job. Total staff-hours combine the hours worked by everyone on a team.

Completed service jobs in one week
Harbor180Orchard216Summit252Completed jobs
Completed jobs and total staff-hours for the same week
TeamJobsTotal staff-hours
Harbor18030
Orchard21624
Summit25242

Orchard’s completed jobs per staff-hour were what percentage higher than Harbor’s?

  1. A.20%
  2. B.25%
  3. C.33.3%
  4. D.50%
  5. E.150%
Show answer and explanation

D. 50%

  1. Harbor completed 180 ÷ 30 = 6 jobs per staff-hour. Orchard completed 216 ÷ 24 = 9.
  2. The increase in the rate is 9 − 6 = 3 jobs per staff-hour.
  3. Compare the increase with Harbor’s rate: 3 ÷ 6 × 100 = 50%.

The 20% increase in total jobs ignores the hours worked. The question asks about productivity, so calculate each rate first.

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2. Reverse the operations in order

A camera rental kit costs $270 after a 10% member discount and then an $18 voucher. There are no taxes or other charges.

What was the price before the discount and voucher?

  1. A.$280.80
  2. B.$300.00
  3. C.$316.80
  4. D.$320.00
  5. E.$330.00
Show answer and explanation

D. $320.00

  1. Undo the last change first: $270 + $18 = $288. This is the price after the percentage discount.
  2. A 10% discount leaves 90% of the original price. Original price = $288 ÷ 0.90 = $320.
  3. Check forward: $320 × 0.90 − $18 = $270.

Adding 10% to a discounted price does not restore the original. Work backward from the final amount, reversing one operation at a time.

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3. Update the counts after a draw

A box contains 8 blue visitor badges, 6 green visitor badges and 6 orange staff badges. One badge is drawn at random, then a second is drawn without replacing the first. Each remaining badge is equally likely to be drawn.

What is the probability that both badges are visitor badges?

  1. A.21/50
  2. B.49/100
  3. C.91/190
  4. D.7/10
  5. E.13/19
Show answer and explanation

C. 91/190

  1. There are 8 + 6 = 14 visitor badges among 20 badges. The chance of a visitor badge first is 14/20.
  2. After a visitor badge is removed, 13 visitor badges remain among 19. The second probability is 13/19.
  3. Both draws must be visitor badges: (14/20) × (13/19) = 182/380 = 91/190.

Without replacement, both the favorable count and the total change. Using 14/20 twice would describe a different experiment.

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4. Find the area that is actually charged

A rectangular display panel is 2.4 m wide and 1.5 m high. An unprinted border is 0.15 m wide along all four edges. Printing costs $40 per square metre of printed area, with no other charges. Rectangle area = width × height.

Display panel and unprinted border
2.4 m1.5 mPrinted areaBorder: 0.15 m on every edge

What is the total printing cost?

  1. A.$100.80
  2. B.$108.00
  3. C.$121.50
  4. D.$144.00
  5. E.$25.20
Show answer and explanation

A. $100.80

  1. The border removes 0.15 m from each side. Printed width = 2.4 − 2 × 0.15 = 2.1 m.
  2. Printed height = 1.5 − 2 × 0.15 = 1.2 m. Printed area = 2.1 × 1.2 = 2.52 m².
  3. Multiply the charged area by the price: 2.52 × $40 = $100.80.

Subtract the border twice from each dimension. Charging for the full panel would include the area that is not printed.

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Practice the skill behind the mistake

SHL’s scope includes arithmetic, fractions, percentages, proportions, basic probability and geometry, plus interpreting numerical data. You do not need number sequences, advanced geometry, statistics or measurement-conversion drills. SHL Numerical Ability specification.

Tables & charts

Read the title, period, axes and units. Identify the exact rows or series needed, then compare like with like.

Watch for: A larger total does not necessarily mean a higher rate. Check the denominator and any scale such as “thousands.”

Practice tables & charts

Percentages & fractions

Translate fractions and decimals into the same form. Percentage change = (new − original) ÷ original × 100. Reverse a percentage by dividing by the remaining multiplier.

Watch for: A rise from 20% to 25% is 5 percentage points, but a 25% relative increase. Successive percentage changes must be multiplied.

Practice percentages & fractions

Ratios & proportions

Add the ratio parts before splitting a total. A 3:2 split of 150 gives 150 × 3/5 = 90 and 150 × 2/5 = 60.

Watch for: The first part is 3/5 of the total, not 3/2. Establish what the ratio compares before using it.

Practice ratios & proportions

Business calculations

Separate revenue from cost and total cost from cost per item. Write the relationship needed before entering numbers into a calculator.

Watch for: Margin uses revenue as its base; markup uses cost. Use the definitions in the question and round only at the requested stage.

Practice business calculations

Basic probability

For equally likely outcomes, divide the number of favorable outcomes by the total. For consecutive draws, update the counts according to the replacement rule.

Watch for: Do not assume events are independent. “At least one” can be simpler to calculate as 1 minus the probability of none.

Practice basic probability

Basic geometry

Label the required dimensions and apply the supplied formula. Separate an outer area from a border or cutout before calculating a cost.

Watch for: Length, area and volume are different quantities. Keep the units consistent and do not infer a dimension from a drawing’s appearance.

Practice basic geometry

Use the clock without rushing the setup

Sixteen questions in 20 minutes gives an average of 75 seconds each. It is a pacing reference, not a separate limit per question. Save time on straightforward items so that you have room for a multi-step problem.

  1. 1. Identify the requested result

    Is it a total, a rate, a difference, a proportion or a probability? State the unit before calculating.

  2. 2. Set up one clear calculation

    Choose the relevant values and denominator. Estimate the likely size of the answer, then use the calculator for the arithmetic.

  3. 3. Check and submit

    Check the base, sign, units and rounding. Avoid recalculating a sound setup repeatedly just because a distractor looks familiar.

  4. 4. Keep moving when stuck

    In our practice, submitting or skipping moves you forward permanently. Do not plan to return later. Follow the navigation rules shown in your real assessment.

A practical study order

  1. 1. Start with a mixed drill

    Complete eight questions and review every uncertain answer, including correct guesses. Label each error: reading the data, choosing a method, arithmetic or rushing.

  2. 2. Work on the recurring mistake

    Choose the relevant skill drill. Write a one-line setup before calculating. After the explanation, solve the question again without looking at the answer.

  3. 3. Practice switching between skills

    Return to mixed questions. Identify the calculation from the question itself: what result is needed, which values matter and which operation connects them. Prefer unfamiliar questions when available.

  4. 4. Take the full timed practice

    Set aside 20 uninterrupted minutes plus review time. Compare your accuracy and pacing across topics, then return to the weakest one. Remembered answers alone do not show that a skill has improved.

Rehearse the full 20 minutes

Our full practice adjusts question difficulty as you answer, covers all six skills and shows correctness only at the end. This is our practice model, not SHL’s adaptive algorithm. Review accuracy, time and topic results to decide what to practice next. The result is not an official SHL percentile or a hiring prediction.

View full timed practiceSee all practice options

A Numerical Ability pass covers this assessment’s full tests and drill replays. Each drill has one free attempt where your access includes a trial. Completed reviews stay available.

Common questions

Is this the same as SHL Interactive Numerical Reasoning?

No. Numerical Ability uses multiple-choice answers and allows up to 16 questions in 20 minutes. Interactive Numerical Reasoning asks you to build responses in charts and allows up to 10 tasks in 18 minutes. Use the name and format in your invitation to choose your practice.

Can I use a calculator?

A calculator and paper are allowed in this practice. SHL’s candidate guidance permits calculators for numerical or calculation tests unless you are instructed otherwise. Follow your own invitation and assessment instructions; do not assume a particular calculator will be supplied.

Is the practice adaptive?

Our practice starts at Intermediate and aims for a harder question after a correct answer or an easier one after an incorrect or skipped answer, while keeping topic coverage balanced. These are editorial practice levels, not SHL’s calibrated difficulty. The selection rule does not reproduce SHL’s adaptive algorithm or scoring.

Can I skip or return to a question here?

This practice moves forward only. You can change a selection before submitting it. After submitting or skipping, you cannot return to the question during the sitting; the worked review is available at the end. Check your real assessment’s navigation instructions separately.

What is a good practice score?

Use the result to find topics you can answer accurately under time pressure. Our demanding training targets are provisional practice goals. A raw score here cannot be converted to an official SHL percentile or an employer’s pass decision.

What does a Numerical Ability pass cover?

It covers this assessment’s drill replays and full timed tests. Where your access includes a free trial, each short drill has its own first attempt. Saved answers, explanations and progress remain available after a pass expires. Interactive Numerical and other assessments have separate passes.

Official SHL references

SHL lists Numerical Ability as a replacement for legacy Verify Numerical Reasoning. Use your current invitation and official practice to confirm the format.

Independent preparation from Game Assessment Prep. Not affiliated with or endorsed by SHL.