The SHL Verify assessments are a series of tests released by SHL. This series is called the “Verify” assessments because it must be taken twice: once online and once in person. Test-takers must go through this process as an assurance to the administrators of the assessment that the scores are genuine.
SHL Verify assessments serve companies during the hiring process by evaluating the aptitude of candidates in a variety of areas. After the first online test, which is sent to candidates after they have submitted a job application, candidates will retake the test at one of the company’s offices during assessment day or a final interview.
This series has tests that appeal to every line of work and every level of experience. SHL has created a versatile selection of assessments, including:
Calculation The Calculation test was developed to assess entry-level candidates and their fundamental mathematical abilities. Along with performing basic operations, candidates must be able to spot calculation and data errors quickly. Twenty multiple-choice questions must be completed in ten minutes.
Checking The Checking assessment is a very brief assessment with a run time of four to five minutes. This abrupt testing time is in place to highlight a candidate’s accuracy when under a time crunch. The questions will present two sets of data and ask the candidate to identify discrepancies or similarities. There is a total of twenty-five questions.
Deductive Reasoning The Deductive Reasoning test is an adaptive assessment meaning it gets increasingly difficult as you progress through the questions. This test examines the candidate’s ability to appraise arguments and use a general observation to come to a plausible conclusion. The format is structured to provide a brief passage of information followed by a statement. The statement must be evaluated against multiple answer choices. With a total of 20 questions, candidates will be allotted eighteen minutes to complete the test.
General Ability The general ability test is also dubbed the G+ test. It’s another adaptive assessment with thirty questions in total. These multiple-choice questions can be sectioned off into groups of ten; each group representing a different skill being surveyed. These different sections are deductive, inductive, and numerical reasoning. Candidates must complete the G+ in thirty-six minutes.
Inductive Reasoning The Inductive Reasoning assessment is an adaptive, non-verbal test. It examines inductive reasoning skills by providing candidates with a series of shapes and objects in a specific pattern. Along with reasoning, the test evaluates the candidate’s ability to identify patterns and come to conclusions using arbitrary data. There are eighteen questions which must be completed in twenty-four questions.
Mechanical Comprehension The Mechanical Comprehension assessment was developed for people whose jobs require them to have an understanding of mechanical principles. This includes occupations that work with machinery and industrial equipment. The Mechanical Comprehension test will have questions inquiring about pulleys, levers, and gears and comes in two varying levels of difficulty. One is a ten-minute, fifteen question assessment and the other is a fifteen-minute, twenty question assessment.
Numerical Ability The numerical aptitude tests were developed in two forms, both assess general mathematical aptitude, but one ventures into the analysis of data as well. These two versions are the numerical ability and numerical reasoning assessment. The former contains sixteen questions and the candidates are allotted twenty minutes while the latter has a twenty-five-minute time limit with eighteen questions. Both versions require the use of basic mathematical operations during the examination of graphs and tables; however, the numerical reasoning test is generally regarded as more difficult than the numerical ability test.
Verbal Ability The verbal aptitude assessments come in two versions: the verbal ability test and the verbal reasoning test. The latter has a greater focus on comprehension and using written information to form conclusions. The Verify verbal reasoning assessment has a nineteen-minute time constraint with thirty questions while the verbal ability test contains eighteen questions with a fifteen-minute time limit. Beyond these minuscule differences, verbal reasoning and ability tests follow identical formats and assess similar areas of aptitude.
How Are the SHL Verify Assessments Scored?
The SHL Verify assessment results are recorded in a score report that is sent to the administrators of the test after it has been completed. This score report will include a percentile, sten, and raw score.
A raw score is the number of correct answers out of the total questions on the assessment. The raw score is compared to a norm group. Your norm group will be a collection of scores from thousands of other people at the same level of experience and in the same field as you. This process generates the percentile score. A percentile score will sit on a scale of zero to one hundred. It informs the administrator where you stand in comparison to the other candidates and people on the same career path. For example, if Applicant A’s percentile score is 89, this means they performed better than 89% of the other applicants. The percentile score is the most significant number in the report and carries the most weight.
Finally, there is the sten score. The sten score is a more averaged version of the percentile score and is measured on a scale of one to ten. With a median of five, each increment of one represents an increase or decrease of the standard deviation by ten units.
Applicants will not see their final scores; only the company sees these. After the assessment has been submitted, candidates will be “Verified” or “Not Verified”. This essentially means passed or failed. This should give you an idea of what your end results are.
How Can I Prepare for the SHL Verify Assessments?
Your preparation for an SHL Verify Assessment will depend largely on which test you are taking. Luckily, there are some common study methods for all of these assessments.
The most common and beneficial way to practice for these assessments is by using online tests. These assessments will mock the testing atmosphere by recreating the time limits and the content. This is an effective way to find a pace and boost your accuracy.
Some people find running through sample questions to be a better way to study. Sample questions assign the focus to the content rather than the time limits. So, if you think the material on the test is going to pose a bigger problem, it might be worth investing more time in the sample questions.
The study method you choose depends on which you think will work best for you. Either way, you must devote enough time to prepare. Best of luck!
