Test Structure

The test consists of forty questions, belonging to two basic types. The first type offers the candidate a sequence, and asks them to identify an item that would continue or complete that sequence. The second type presents a set of items and asks the candidate to select the one which does not belong in the set. The 'items' in these questions are represented by a selection letters, numbers and abstract figures.

Scoring

A candidate who achieves a high score on this test demonstrates an ability to think in the abstract, and to identify connections, relationships and sequences within sets of items.

Lower scores on this test suggests that a candidate tends not to perform well with abstractions, though they may do better with a more realistic context to consider. The Verbal Reasoning test will help to identify whether this is the case. Note that the population average of scores on this test is relatively high, meaning that scores below about 50% should be considered very low.

Score Breakdown

Subjects: breaks down the candidate's scores according to the type of element used by the question. There are three basic types:

• Abstract Symbols: questions using abstract geometric forms.
• Numeric Values: questions using numeric elements.
• Ordered Characters: questions using sequences of alphabetic characters.

Types: there are two fundamental types of question within the Abstract Reasoning test, and this section identifies how the candidate scores on each of the two types.

• Identifying Commonalities: relates to the candidate's ability to identify which elements belong to a particular set, and which do not.
• Predicting Sequences: relates to the candidate's ability to anticipate the likely next item in a sequence.

Related Tests

• Verbal Reasoning: also tests a candidate's reasoning skills, but in this case applied to concrete examples rather than abstract patterns. Used in conjunction with Abstract Reasoning, this can help to show whether a candidate's reasoning abilities lie more in the practical or the theoretical domain.

Test Structure

This is a test of a candidate's understanding of mathematical concepts, and their applications in practical situations. It consists of a total of forty questions on a wide range of topics: some are purely mathematical (for example, asking the candidate to solve an equation) while others present a scenario with a mathematical component and ask the candidate to find a solution.

Scoring

Candidates who score well on this test have a strong grasp of practical mathematics, and a capacity to use numbers to solve a wide range real-world problems. They also demonstrate an awareness of common mathematical conventions, and an ability to apply those techniques in useful ways.

Candidates with low scores on this test will tend to be less effective in applying numeracy to problem-solving, or understanding issues in terms of their underlying mathematics. Note that it is possible for a candidate to achieve a relatively low overall score, but still excel in one or more specific areas of advanced numeracy. Refer to the Score breakdown for more details of these specific assessments.

Score Breakdown

The Advanced Numeracy test covers a wide variety of topics, and the Score Breakdown for Advanced Numeracy shows how effectively a candidate performed in these different areas. Note that none of the questions in the test requires truly advanced mathematical skills, but high scores in any of the sections shows a grasp of the basic concepts.

• Algebraic operations: an ability to interpret and solve problems presented in algebraic format.
• Data interpretation: an ability to extract information and deduce trends from statistical details.
• Dates and times: an ability to work with dates and times, and the differences between them.
• Geometry and Trigonometry: an understanding of basic concepts in geometry and trigonometry.
• Practical arithmetic: and ability to apply mathematical principles and find accurate solutions to practical problems.
• Probability: an awareness of the fundamental concepts underlying probability.

Related Tests

• Basic Numeracy: a simple test of a candidate's ability to perform mental arithmetic.
• Basic Numeracy (timed): a variation on the Basic Numeracy test which imposes a time limit for each question.

Test Structure

The test presents the candidate with forty arithmetic questions in sequence. The questions are designed to increase in complexity as the test proceeds, so early questions are very simple, while towards the end of the test the questions are much more challenging, incorporating multiple terms and operators.

Scoring

Candidates who score well on Basic Numeracy show a strong aptitude for mental arithmetic, and an ability to understand and manipulate numbers. Note that this test specifically addresses arthmetic only, and a high score here does not necessarily indicate effective abilities in all areas of mathematics (if a broader mathematical assessment is needed, the Advanced Numeracy test addresses that topic).

Candidates with low scores on this test demonstrate a relative lack of familiarity with basic arithmetic. Nonetheless, they may conceivably be more effective dealing with mathematical concepts, and an Advanced Numeracy test will help to assess whether that is the case.

Score Breakdown

The Score Breakdown on a Basic Numeracy test simply shows the scores achieved by the candidate on each of the four fundamental arithmetic operations. Specifically, it reports scores for addition, division, multiplication and subtraction.

Related Tests

• Advanced Numeracy: tests a candidate's understanding of a broad range of mathematical concepts and their practical applications.
• Basic Numeracy (Timed): is identical to this test, but with the addition of a timing element that limits the time available for candidates to compute their answers.

Test Structure

The Comprehension test presents a series of six passages on a wide range of topics, and asks the candidate to answer a total of forty questions about the content of those passages. Each passage remains visible while the relevant questions are being asked (the Comprehension test is intended to measure tha candidate's ability to understand the text presented, rather than their ability to memorise it).

Some of the questions relate directly to information presented in a passage, or details that can be deduced from that information. Others take a broader approach, asking the candidate to assess the reasons behind certain statements, or demonstrate their overall grasp of a passage by suggesting an appropriate title.

Scoring

A high score on this Comprehension test indicates that a candidate has an effective facility for extracting information and drawing accurate conclusions from that information.

Lower scores on this test imply that a candidate is less effective at extracting useful information, at least when presented with material in textual form.

Related Tests

• Verbal Reasoning: is similar to Comprehension in that asks a candidate to draw conclusions from passages of text, but Verbal Reasoning focuses much more closely on the candidate's ability to reason to a conclusion based on the information they are given.

Test Structure

The test consists of forty multiple-choice questions covering most aspects of computer use, including subjects such as hardware, software, networking and programming. The test is designed not only to assess a candidate's overall awareness of issues related to computing, but also to highlight any particular areas of expertise. Because of its broad approach, some of the more complex questions may be difficult to answer, even for users familiar with other areas of computer use. For this reason a 'Not known' option is provided for each of the questions in the test.

Scoring

Candidates scoring high on the Computer Literacy test demonstrate a broad base of knowledge about computers and related concepts. Because the questions in the test range widely over different topics, a high overall score indicates a similarly wide range of understanding on the part of the candidate.

Because of this wide range of question topics, it is possible for a candidate with a relatively low overall score to nevertheless do well in some of the individual subsections of the test. For example, a candidate with little technical knowledge may achieve comparatively high scores in (for example) Applications or Background.

Score Breakdown

The Computer Literacy test subdivides its scores into eight separate topics, each relating to a different area of expertise in the field of computing.

• Applications: knowledge of typical issues relating to the use of common application types, such as spreadsheets and databases.
• Background: knowledge of the history of computing, and fundamental ideas underlying the field, including broad notions such as 'defaults' and 'spam'.
• Concepts: understanding of more technical concepts such as algorithms, bytes, and hexadecimal numbers.
• Development and Programming: technical knowledge related to the creation of computer code. Questions in this section include references to syntax and algorithms.
• Hardware: understanding of the key hardware components that make up a computer system and their functions.
• Networking: knowledge of the principles behind networking.
• Security Issues: awareness of security issues, and knowledge of the most important techniques used to make a system secure.
• The Internet: knowledge of the operation of the Internet, including an awareness of its fundamental technologies.
• Trouble-shooting: ability to take appropriate action to identify and resolve problems as they arise.

Test Structure

The test consists of a series of forty multiple-choice questions addressing different aspects of the use of English. For example, some questions ask the candidate to complete a sentence in a grammatically correct way, or by choosing correct punctuation. Others ask more direct questions about concepts such as tenses, parts of speech and word use.

Scoring

Candidates who score well on the English Usage test are likely to be capable and competent communicators, using words effectively and demonstrating an ablity to use grammatical and appropriate English.

A low score on this test indicates less familiarity with the formal features of English. While a candidate showing a low English Usage score may still be an effective communicator in general terms, their use of language is likely to be idiosyncratic and informal.

Score Breakdown

The candidate's overall score is broken down into three categories, showing how they performed on different types of question within the test.

• Grammatical concepts: a measure of the candidate's ability to identify common grammatical topics such as tenses or parts of speech.
• Punctuation and abbreviations: a measure of the candidate's ability to properly use common punctuation, such as apostrophes, brackets and question marks.
• Vocabulary and word use: a measure of the candidate's ability to choose the correct word for the correct situation, and to avoid common pitfalls in the use of English.

Related Tests

• Comprehension: assesses a candidate's ability to extract meaning from information presented in a textual form.
• Verbal Dexterity: measures a candidate's knowledge of English vocabulary. Verbal Dexterity is related specifically to the meanings and relations of words, rather than their usage.
• Verbal Reasoning: tests a candidate's ability to draw conclusions and make deductions based on information presented in a series of English passages.

Test Structure

The Keyboard Skills test presents a candidate with a series of ten brief passages of text, each of which should be retyped as quickly and accurately as possible. The passages are selected to provide a variety of typing challenges, allowing the test to score accuracy in different areas. For example, among the passages are a typical business letter, a selection of technical terms, a set of part numbers, a collection of deliberately misspelled words, and a short section of Latin text.

Scoring

The most important scores made by the Keyboard Skills test are typing speed (for which see the Score Breakdown below) and accuracy (which is used as the overall score of the test).

For each of the ten passages within the test, each error a candidate makes reduces their accuracy score for that passage, to a maximum of ten per passage (if a candidate makes ten or more errors, they receive a zero score for that passage).

An overall accuracy score of 100% indicates that a candidate made no errors at all during the test. By comparison, a score of 50% would suggest an average of five errors per passage, and an accuracy of zero shows that the candidate made at least ten mistakes on each of the ten passages.

Score Breakdown

The primary score shown by the Keyboard Skills Score Breakdown is the candidate's typing speed, measured in words per minute. This measurement is rated using the following scale:

Blanks: During the test, the candidate has the opportunity to skip over any of the passages that appear too challenging. This measurement of 'Passages not attempted' indicates the percentage of the test that the candidate made no attempt to complete. If this score is not zero, it will be worthwhile investigating the reason for the skipped passage or passages.

Classes: These subsections measure how accurately the candidate entered different types of information using the keyboard:

• Business typing: measures accuracy in entering common business documents, such as letters or invoices.
• Other languages: measure accuracy in entering text in another language.
• Precise data entry: measures how accurately the candidate entered complex data. The questions relating to this measurement are designed to be difficult to enter correctly, so a strong score here indicates that the candidate is skilled in picking up and correcting potential errors.
• Punctuation: measures how accurately the candidate types non-alphabetical characters, specifically punctuation marks.

Related Tests

• Speed and Accuracy: assesses a candidate's ability to quickly process information and respond to it. Like Keyboard Skills, it measures how quickly and precisely a candidate can respond, but without the need for familiarity with the keyboard.

Test Structure

The test presents four parts. Each part begins by presenting information to the candidate in various forms. That information is then removed after a set time delay, and the candidate is asked a sequence of questions to test their memory of the information they just absorbed. Each part presents its information in a different way:

Scoring

A candidate with a high score in the Retention test shows an effective capacity to retain information, at least in the short term. Very high scores show a particularly well developed memory, or an effective ability to organise and retain information.

Lower scores on this test indicate that a candidate has a comparatively lower ability to recollect textual or visual information.

Related Tests

• Comprehension: uses a similar testing techinque to the Retention test, but allows the candidate to review the reference passage while answering questions, and thus measures comprehension directly rather than the candidate's ability to memorise information.

Test Structure

The test consists of forty questions, each with an associated graphical element. Each question asks the candidate to imagine how that element would behave in different conditions or from a different point of view. For example, some questions ask the candidate to mentally rotate an object, or imagine it from a plan view, or consider how it would appear if certain elements were removed.

Scoring

A candidate who achieves a high score on this test demonstrates an ability to understand spatial relationships, and an effective visual imagination.

Lower scores on this test suggests that a candidate has a comparatively limited ability to imagine forms in space and their relations.

Related Tests

• Abstract Reasoning: also presents a sequence of graphical forms (in combination with letters and numbers) and tests the candidate's ability to draw conclusions based on abstract sequences and groups.

Test Structure

The test consists of forty questions of various types that are specifically designed to assess how quickly and accurately a candidate can respond to stimuli. For example, a simple question might present a word or number and ask the candidate to find the identical term despite changes in formatting and style. More complex questions present more difficult challenges (for example, asking the candidate to sort items into alphabetical order, or reverse the order of a set of elements).

Time is a significant factor in this test, and this fact is reflected in the scoring mechanism. Each question is scored not merely on whether the candidate finds the correct answer, but also on how quickly they find that answer. Candidates taking longer than a set time limit can score zero on a question, even if they eventually find the correct answer.

Scoring

Candidates who score well on the Speed and Accuracy test show an ability to react quickly and precise attention to detail, which in turn implies effective powers of concentration. Candidates with lower scores show correspondingly less precision and responsiveness.

Note that very high scores are difficult to achieve on this test, and a score of 100% is very rare. Candidates scoring above 75% or so show particular strength in the areas of Speed and Accuracy.

Related Tests

• Keyboard Skills: assesses the speed and accuracy displayed by a candidate in the specific area of keyboard use. Note that while the Speed and Accuracy test is based on abstract questions, the Keyboard Skills test requires some practical typing ability; if the scores on these tests diverge, the most likely reason is that the candidate lacks familiarity with the keyboard.

Test Structure

The Verbal Dexterity test consists of forty multiple-choice questions relating to words and their meanings. Many of the questions relate directly to the definitions of words, ranging from common errors to more obscure terms. The test also incorporates questions about relations between words (for example, some questions ask for the opposite of a word, or examine its connections to another related word).

Scoring

Candidates who score well on this test show an effective understanding of English words, their meanings and usage. A high score in Verbal Dexterity represents not only a strong vocabulary, but also a grasp linguistic relations such as synonyms, opposites, and more complex connections. Scores above about 75% show a particularly effective knowledge of English usage, including quite obscure terms and relations.

A candidate with typical day-to-day English vocabulary would be expected to score in the mid-range. Candidates with low scores on this test - particularly those scoring below 50% - show a comparatively limited grasp of English usage and vocabulary.

Related Tests

The following tests may help to highlight abilities connected to language that go beyond understanding the meanings of words and examine a candidate's ability to use and understand English in an effective manner.

• Comprehension: tests a candidate's ability to extract meaning from a series of textual passages.
• English Usage: tests how effectively a candidate can use the English language, including assessments of their knowledge of grammar and word usage.
• Verbal Reasoning: tests a candidate's ability to draw accurate conclusions based on textual information.

Test Structure

The Verbal Reasoning test presents a candidate with a series of ten brief scenarios, and asks them to draw logical conclusions from the information given. In essence, this is a specialised Comprehension test, concentrating on the candidate's ability to expand on the bare information given in each scenario through powers of reasoning and logic.

Scoring

Candidates who score well on this test show an ability to explore implications and derive their own interpretations of information that lead them to accurate conclusions. They can 'read between the lines' to uncover more than appears on a mere surface reading.

Candidates with low scores on this test tend to take a more direct and literal approach. Though they may grasp the immediate meaning of a passage (a Comprehension test will help to establish this) they tend not to be so skilled at noticing less obvious implications, or drawing conclusions that are not explicitly given.

Related Tests

The following tests may help to highlight abilities connected with Verbal Reasoning. In particular, where a candidate produces a low score on Verbal Reasoning, use of these tests can help to isolate whether that results is specifically due to a relative lack of deductive ability, or to difficulties following the language of the scenarios presented.

• Abstract Reasoning: also tests a candidate's ability to draw conclusions based on reasoning, but using abstract concepts and shapes rather than passages of text.
• Comprehension: is similar in approach to Verbal Reasoning, but gives a broader view of a candidate's ability to grasp the meaning in different passages, rather than concentrating on interpretation and deduction.
• Verbal Dexterity: addresses a candidate's general ability to use and understand the English language, exploring the meanings and relations of words.