Aptitude tests measure how you think with new information, and their question types repeat. Learn the verbal, numerical and logical methods with worked examples, then build speed with a simple practice plan.
Many jobs, scholarships, training programmes and entrance procedures begin with a timed test of reasoning. These tests do not ask what you have memorised from a textbook. They ask how well you can think with new information: understand a passage, work with numbers, follow a rule, or find a pattern, all under time pressure. Because the questions come in a small number of familiar types, they are among the most learnable of all tests. This guide explains the three main types, verbal, numerical and logical, shows worked examples with the reasoning behind each answer, and gives you a practice plan.
Aptitude tests measure how you reason, not what you have memorised, and the question types repeat. Learn the common types, practise them in short daily sessions, and track your mistakes. Use only the information given, work out the time you can spend per question, skip hard questions and return, and always check that your answer matches what was asked.
An aptitude is a natural or developed ability to do something. An aptitude test is designed to measure abilities, such as reasoning and problem solving, that predict how well you may learn or perform in a role. Reasoning means using logic and the information you are given to reach a conclusion. These tests are used by many employers, training schemes, scholarship providers and educational institutions as one part of their selection process, alongside applications and interviews.
The format is usually multiple choice (you choose the best answer from several), the tests are timed, and you often have less time than you would like. This is deliberate: the test measures both accuracy and speed. Because the answer is always in the question, success depends on method and practice more than on advanced knowledge.
| Type | What it tests | Typical questions |
|---|---|---|
| Verbal reasoning | Understanding and using language and written information | Synonyms and antonyms, analogies, sentence completion, reading passages with true or false statements |
| Numerical reasoning | Working accurately with numbers and data | Percentages, ratios, averages, number series, tables and charts |
| Logical reasoning | Following rules and drawing valid conclusions | Syllogisms, conditional statements, ordering, coding and decoding |
| Abstract (non-verbal) reasoning | Finding patterns in shapes and sequences | Which shape comes next, which one does not belong |
Some tests also include spatial questions (rotating or folding shapes in the mind) or situational judgement questions (choosing the best action in a work situation). The core skill in all of them is the same: read carefully, find the rule, and apply it.
Time pressure is the most common difficulty. Before you start, divide the total time by the number of questions. For example, 20 questions in 25 minutes gives 75 seconds per question. Some questions will take 30 seconds and others two minutes, so treat the number as an average.
Verbal reasoning tests how well you understand and use words and written information. Both vocabulary and careful reading matter.
A synonym is a word with a similar meaning, and an antonym is a word with the opposite meaning. For example, brief is a synonym of short, and abundant is an antonym of scarce. If you do not know a word, use clues: look for a familiar root, prefix or suffix. For example, the prefix un- usually means "not" (unhappy), and bene- relates to "good" (benefit).
An analogy shows that two pairs of words have the same relationship. The skill is to name the relationship exactly.
Doctor : Hospital :: Teacher : ? The relationship is "a person who works in a particular place". A doctor works in a hospital, so a teacher works in a school.
Hot : Cold :: Day : ? The relationship is "opposites". The opposite of day is night.
Choose the word that best completes the sentence. Look at linking words such as although, because and however, because they show whether the missing word agrees with or contrasts with the rest of the sentence.
"Although the test was difficult, she remained ______ and finished every question." The word although signals a contrast with "difficult", so a suitable word is calm (not "worried").
Find the word that does not belong with the others. In "apple, banana, carrot, mango", three are fruits and carrot is a vegetable.
These questions give a short passage and ask whether each statement is true, false or cannot say. The vital rule is: use only the information in the passage, not your own knowledge or opinions.
Passage: "The library opens at 9 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends. It is closed on public holidays. Members may borrow up to five books at a time."
Statement 1: "The library opens earlier on weekdays than on weekends." True, because 9 a.m. is earlier than 10 a.m.
Statement 2: "Non-members can borrow books." Cannot say, because the passage only says what members may do and does not mention non-members.
Statement 3: "The library is open on public holidays." False, because the passage says it is closed.
To build verbal skills, read widely every day (news, articles, books), note new words with their meanings in a small notebook, and practise reading short passages quickly while asking, "What exactly does this say?"
Numerical reasoning tests whether you can work accurately with numbers, fractions, percentages and data. The mathematics is usually at a school level; the challenge is speed and care. Learn the following basics so well that you can use them without thinking.
| Fraction | Decimal | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 1/2 | 0.5 | 50% |
| 1/4 | 0.25 | 25% |
| 3/4 | 0.75 | 75% |
| 1/5 | 0.2 | 20% |
| 1/8 | 0.125 | 12.5% |
| 1/10 | 0.1 | 10% |
It also helps to know squares and tables well, for example 12² = 144, 13² = 169, 15² = 225 and 20² = 400.
Find a percentage of a number. What is 15% of 240? Take 10% (24), then 5% (12), and add: 24 + 12 = 36.
Reduce by a percentage. A jacket costs 80 and is reduced by 25%. A 25% reduction is one quarter: 80 ÷ 4 = 20, so the new price is 80 − 20 = 60.
Percentage change. A value rises from 50 to 65. Change = 15. Percentage change = 15 ÷ 50 × 100 = 30% increase. Always divide by the original value.
Percentage of a total. 40 out of 160 is 40 ÷ 160 × 100 = 25%.
A common trap: an increase of 10% followed by a decrease of 10% does not return to the starting value. Starting at 200: 200 × 1.10 = 220, then 220 × 0.90 = 198.
Sharing in a ratio. Share 120 in the ratio 3 : 5. Total parts = 3 + 5 = 8. One part = 120 ÷ 8 = 15. So the shares are 3 × 15 = 45 and 5 × 15 = 75. Check: 45 + 75 = 120.
Inverse proportion. If 5 workers finish a job in 8 days, how long will 10 workers take, at the same rate? The total work is 5 × 8 = 40 worker-days. With 10 workers: 40 ÷ 10 = 4 days.
Average (mean). Marks of 70, 80, 90 and 60. Sum = 300, divided by 4 = 75.
Speed. The formula is speed = distance ÷ time. A car travels 180 km in 3 hours: 180 ÷ 3 = 60 km/h. For time, use time = distance ÷ speed: 150 km at 50 km/h takes 3 hours.
Average speed over a whole journey. A traveller goes 240 km in 4 hours, then 60 km in 1 hour. Total distance = 300 km; total time = 5 hours; average speed = 300 ÷ 5 = 60 km/h. Use total distance over total time, not the average of the two speeds.
Simple interest. The formula is interest = principal × rate × time. For 1,000 at 5% per year for 3 years: 1,000 × 0.05 × 3 = 150.
A number series follows a rule. Test the common rules: a constant difference, a constant multiplier, or differences that themselves form a pattern.
| Series | Rule | Next term |
|---|---|---|
| 3, 6, 12, 24, ? | Multiply by 2 | 48 |
| 2, 5, 10, 17, 26, ? | Differences are 3, 5, 7, 9, so the next difference is 11 | 37 |
| 100, 90, 80, 70, ? | Subtract 10 | 60 |
Many tests give a table or chart and ask several questions about it. Read the title, the units and the labels first. Then answer using the data, step by step.
| Month | Sales (units) |
|---|---|
| January | 120 |
| February | 150 |
| March | 180 |
| April | 144 |
1. What was the percentage increase from February to March? Increase = 180 − 150 = 30. 30 ÷ 150 × 100 = 20%.
2. What was the percentage decrease from March to April? Decrease = 180 − 144 = 36. 36 ÷ 180 × 100 = 20%. (The original value here is March, so the base is 180.)
3. What was the average monthly sales? Total = 120 + 150 + 180 + 144 = 594. 594 ÷ 4 = 148.5 units.
Notice that the two 20% figures have different bases (150 and 180), which is exactly the kind of detail that tests are designed to catch.
Logical reasoning tests whether you can follow rules and reach conclusions that must be true. Two words are useful. Deductive reasoning moves from general rules to a certain conclusion: if the rules are true, the conclusion must be true. Inductive reasoning moves from examples to a likely general pattern: the conclusion is probable, not certain.
A syllogism is a short argument made from statements, and you must decide which conclusions follow. The key is to accept the statements as true, even if they seem strange, and decide only what must follow.
Statements: All teachers are graduates. Some graduates are writers.
Conclusion A: "Some teachers are writers." Does not follow. The writers might be graduates who are not teachers. It is possible, but not certain.
Conclusion B: "Some graduates are teachers." Follows. If all teachers are graduates, then at least those teachers are graduates (assuming there are teachers).
A helpful tip is to draw circles (a Venn diagram) for each group and test whether your picture could be changed without breaking the statements. If it can, the conclusion does not have to be true.
Take the statement: "If it rains, the match is cancelled." Two inferences are valid and two are common traps.
| Further information | Valid conclusion? |
|---|---|
| It rained. | Yes: the match was cancelled |
| The match was not cancelled. | Yes: it did not rain |
| The match was cancelled. | No: it may have been cancelled for another reason |
| It did not rain. | No: the rule does not say what happens without rain |
A is taller than B. B is taller than C. D is shorter than C. Who is the tallest and who is the shortest?
Write the chain: A > B > C > D. The tallest is A and the shortest is D.
Letters or numbers are changed by a rule, and you must apply the rule to a new word.
If CAT is written as DBU, how is DOG written? Compare each letter: C to D, A to B, T to U. Each letter moves one place forward in the alphabet. Applying the same rule: D to E, O to P, G to H, so DOG is written EPH.
These questions show shapes or figures in a sequence and ask what comes next, or which one does not belong. Because the figures are visual, a calm method is important: examine one feature at a time.
An arrow points up, then right, then down, then left. Each step turns the arrow 90 degrees clockwise. What comes next? After left, the next position in the cycle is up again.
Several rules often work together, for example rotation and shading. After you find a rule for one feature, check that it works for every step before you trust it.
| Week | Focus | Daily practice |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Basics: fractions, decimals, percentages, tables; vocabulary routine | 20 minutes of mental maths and 5 new words |
| Week 2 | Verbal reasoning types and numerical word problems | 20 to 30 minutes of untimed practice, learning the methods |
| Week 3 | Logical and abstract reasoning | 20 to 30 minutes, then start short timed sets |
| Week 4 | Full timed practice tests and review | One complete timed test, then 30 minutes reviewing every mistake |
Keep an error log, as you would for exams (see our guide to Study Skills and Exam Technique). For each mistake, write the question type and the cause: did you misread, make a calculation slip, not know the method, or run out of time? The pattern will show you where to practise next. First learn the methods without a clock; add the time limit only when the methods feel comfortable. You can also test yourself with the quizzes in the EDUSAMBAM Assessment Arena.
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Using outside knowledge in true/false/cannot-say questions | Use only the information in the passage |
| Dividing by the wrong base in percentage change | Always divide by the original value |
| Averaging two speeds instead of using total distance over total time | Calculate total distance and total time first |
| Accepting a conclusion that merely could be true | Choose only conclusions that must be true |
| Spending too long on one question | Set a time limit, mark it and move on |
| Practising only the types you enjoy | Spread practice across all types, with extra time on weak ones |
| Skipping the last line of the question | Read the whole question before choosing |
| Starting timed tests too early | Learn the methods first, then add the clock |
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Aptitude | A natural or developed ability to do something |
| Deductive reasoning | Reasoning from general rules to a conclusion that must be true |
| Inductive reasoning | Reasoning from examples to a likely general pattern |
| Analogy | A comparison showing that two pairs of items share the same relationship |
| Syllogism | A short argument made of statements, from which a conclusion is drawn |
| Synonym / Antonym | A word with a similar meaning / a word with the opposite meaning |
| Number series | A list of numbers that follows a rule |
| Ratio | A comparison of two or more quantities, such as 3 : 5 |
| Distractor | A wrong option designed to look attractive |
Reasoning tests can seem mysterious, but they are built from a small number of repeating ideas. When you learn the types, practise the methods and review your errors, speed and accuracy improve together, and your confidence follows. The skills also stay useful long after the test: reading carefully, working with numbers, and thinking clearly about what follows from what are valuable at work and in everyday decisions. Start with one short session today, perhaps a few number series or a short passage, and build the habit from there.
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