The SHL-style graduate aptitude test is designed both for graduates and upper-level management positions. This psychometric assessment assesses all three skills: verbal, numerical, and logical reasoning. In certain fields, you may also be required to prove your spatial and/or mechanical abilities. If you’re applying for a highly skilled position, it’s important that business owners know you’re up for the task. While far from perfect, these psychometric tests allow employers to quantify just how capable and intelligent job applicants are relative to one another.
If you’re preparing for an SHL aptitude test, then there are a few things that you should know. Make sure you read our summary below before heading out to the assessment centre.
What Is an SHL Aptitude Test?
An SHL exam is essentially an IQ test adapted for the professional world. On the test, you’ll be given a series of detailed multiple-choice questions you’ll have to answer within the given time limit. The time limit on the graduate aptitude test is supposed to be particularly severe. In most cases, you won’t even have enough time to finish answering all of the questions on the section.
The material on the assessment may vary depending on the position and the company, but in general, you won’t be expected to demonstrate specialized knowledge. Your high school degree should be more than sufficient except for in certain context-specific math questions, which will require at least a rudimentary knowledge of the industry.
How Do You Prepare for a SHL Aptitude Test?
SHL aptitude tests are similar to the SATs and ACTs. Like on college entrance exams, these online psychometric tests can be tricky. While you can review your old notes and look up concepts you’ve forgotten, you’ll be most efficient if you focus your efforts on the exam itself. Spend as much time as you can reviewing old questions and refining your test-taking strategies.
Top Tips for Acing Your SHL Online Test:
Need to prepare for your SHL ability test as soon as possible? Here are our best tips.
Learn to Skim: You’ll be racing against the clock on a psychometric exam. It’s crucial that you move as quickly as you possibly can. Learn how to skim and scan through text to pick up the most important pieces of information.
Don’t Go Back: On most tests, teachers will instruct you to skip difficult questions for later. This is not the case though on psychometric exams. On SHL tests, you need to just keep moving forward. Since you’ll be taking the assessment online, you’ll only be able to move forward and backwards one page at a time, and you’ll have to wait for the page to load every time you flip. You’ll be better off making an educated guess and moving on.
Take a Break: You’ll need to stay focused when the clock is running, but you should feel free to take a break in between sections. When instructions appear, you’ll have the green light to get up, stretch, and get a glass of water. Take a few moments to refresh so you’ll be at your best when you come back.
Last Thoughts
The SHL Graduate/MGMT Aptitude Test is pretty tricky. That is, after all, the point. Employers want to know that they’re getting the best of the best. That being said, concentration and a bit of practice will help you boost your score and land the job of your dreams.
