Free Aptitude Test Questions and Answers

An aptitude test measures how well you reason with information you have not seen before: a table of numbers, a short passage, a series of shapes, a set of rules. Employers use these tests because they predict how quickly you will learn a new job.

Below is a free mixed sample test of 20 questions covering numerical, verbal, abstract, logical and situational judgement items. All questions are our own practice items, written in the style of the big test publishers.

How to use this page: cover the answers, allow yourself about 60 seconds per question (90 for numerical, no limit for situational judgement) and write your answers down. Then check each one against the Answer and Why lines.

Numerical reasoning (questions 1–6)

Numerical tests give you a table or chart and ask for percentages, ratios, totals and changes. The maths is simple; the difficulty is picking the right numbers fast and avoiding traps such as the wrong base for a percentage. A calculator is usually allowed.

Use this table for questions 1 to 4.

Quarterly sales by region (EUR thousands)

Region Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
North 240 260 312 300
South 180 225 216 270
East 150 150 165 198
Total 570 635 693 768

Question 1

By what percentage did North's sales increase from Q2 to Q3?

  • A. 16.7%
  • B. 18.0%
  • C. 20.0%
  • D. 52.0%

Answer: C

Why: Percentage change = (new − old) ÷ old × 100.

  • Change: 312 − 260 = 52
  • 52 ÷ 260 = 0.20, so 20.0%

Option A is the classic trap: 52 ÷ 312 uses the later quarter as the base.

Question 2

What share of total Q4 sales came from the South region, to one decimal place?

  • A. 33.3%
  • B. 37.5%
  • C. 39.1%
  • D. 35.2%

Answer: D

Why: Share = part ÷ whole, both from the same column.

  • South Q4: 270; total Q4: 768
  • 270 ÷ 768 = 0.3516, which rounds to 35.2%

Question 3

Which region had the largest percentage growth from Q1 to Q4?

  • A. South
  • B. North
  • C. East
  • D. North and East grew by the same percentage

Answer: A

Why:

  • North: (300 − 240) ÷ 240 = 60 ÷ 240 = 25%
  • South: (270 − 180) ÷ 180 = 90 ÷ 180 = 50%
  • East: (198 − 150) ÷ 150 = 48 ÷ 150 = 32%

North had the highest sales, but the question asks about percentage growth, not size.

Question 4

What were South's average quarterly sales over the year?

  • A. EUR 211,500
  • B. EUR 222,750
  • C. EUR 225,000
  • D. EUR 237,000

Answer: B

Why:

  • 180 + 225 + 216 + 270 = 891 (thousand)
  • 891 ÷ 4 = 222.75 thousand = EUR 222,750

Watch the units: the table is in thousands.

Question 5

A jacket is on sale for EUR 80 after a 20% discount. What was the original price?

  • A. EUR 96
  • B. EUR 104
  • C. EUR 100
  • D. EUR 120

Answer: C

Why: After a 20% discount you pay 80% of the original.

  • 0.80 × original = 80
  • original = 80 ÷ 0.80 = 100

Check: 100 − 20% of 100 = 80. Option A (96) adds 20% to 80, which uses the wrong base.

Question 6

What number comes next in the series?

3, 6, 11, 18, 27, ?

  • A. 36
  • B. 39
  • C. 40
  • D. 38

Answer: D

Why: The gaps are 6 − 3 = 3, 11 − 6 = 5, 18 − 11 = 7, 27 − 18 = 9. They rise by 2 each time, so the next gap is 11: 27 + 11 = 38.

For more table and chart items, see our numerical reasoning practice questions.

Verbal reasoning (questions 7–10)

You read a short passage and decide whether each statement is True (follows from the passage), False (contradicted by the passage) or Cannot Say (not enough information). Use only the passage, not your own knowledge.

Read this passage for questions 7 to 10.

Since January, Harwell Logistics has allowed office staff to work from home for up to two days per week. Warehouse and driving staff are not covered by the policy, because their duties require them to be on site. In a survey carried out in June, 72% of office staff who responded said the policy had improved their work–life balance. The company has not yet decided whether to extend the policy to three days per week; it says any change will depend on the results of a productivity review due at the end of the year. Office staff who want to work remotely must agree their remote days with their line manager in advance.

Question 7

Warehouse staff at Harwell Logistics may work from home one day per week.

  • A. True
  • B. False
  • C. Cannot Say

Answer: B

Why: Warehouse staff are not covered by the policy and their duties require them to be on site. That contradicts the statement, so it is False.

Question 8

Most office staff who responded to the June survey said the policy had improved their work–life balance.

  • A. True
  • B. False
  • C. Cannot Say

Answer: A

Why: 72% of respondents said so. 72% is more than half, so "most" is supported, and the statement is limited to respondents, just like the passage.

Question 9

The productivity review will recommend extending remote work to three days per week.

  • A. True
  • B. False
  • C. Cannot Say

Answer: C

Why: The passage only says a decision depends on the review. Nothing indicates what the review will conclude.

Question 10

Office staff can choose their remote days without consulting anyone.

  • A. True
  • B. False
  • C. Cannot Say

Answer: B

Why: Remote days must be agreed with the line manager in advance, which contradicts the statement.

The line between False and Cannot Say is where most points are lost; our verbal reasoning practice questions drill exactly that.

Abstract reasoning (questions 11–14)

Abstract (inductive or diagrammatic) reasoning shows a series or grid of figures and asks you to find the rule. Every figure here is described in words; sketching them on paper helps.

Question 11

Each frame is a square with a small black dot in one corner and a number of short vertical lines in the centre.

  • Frame 1: dot top-left, 1 line
  • Frame 2: dot top-right, 2 lines
  • Frame 3: dot bottom-right, 3 lines
  • Frame 4: dot bottom-left, 4 lines

What does frame 5 look like?

  • A. Dot bottom-right, 5 lines
  • B. Dot top-left, 4 lines
  • C. Dot top-left, 5 lines
  • D. Dot top-right, 5 lines

Answer: C

Why: Two independent rules.

  • The dot moves one corner clockwise each step. After bottom-left comes top-left.
  • The lines increase by one each step: 1, 2, 3, 4, so frame 5 has 5.

Only C satisfies both.

Question 12

Each frame shows one arrow in the centre.

  • Frame 1: white arrow pointing up (0°)
  • Frame 2: black arrow pointing up-right (45°)
  • Frame 3: white arrow pointing right (90°)
  • Frame 4: black arrow pointing down-right (135°)

What does frame 5 look like?

  • A. Black arrow pointing down (180°)
  • B. White arrow pointing down (180°)
  • C. White arrow pointing down-left (225°)
  • D. Black arrow pointing left (270°)

Answer: B

Why:

  • Rotation: 45° clockwise per step, so 135° + 45° = 180°, pointing down.
  • Shading: white, black, white, black, so frame 5 is white.

A has the wrong colour; C rotates 90° instead of 45°.

Question 13

Which figure is the odd one out? All figures are white outline shapes of the same size with black dots inside.

  • A. Triangle containing 3 dots
  • B. Square containing 4 dots
  • C. Pentagon containing 5 dots
  • D. Hexagon containing 5 dots

Answer: D

Why: In A, B and C the number of dots equals the number of sides (3, 4, 5). The hexagon has 6 sides but 5 dots.

Question 14

A 3 × 3 grid has one shape per cell, each with a number of dots inside. The bottom-right cell is missing.

Column 1 Column 2 Column 3
Row 1 Circle, 1 dot Square, 2 dots Triangle, 3 dots
Row 2 Square, 1 dot Triangle, 2 dots Circle, 3 dots
Row 3 Triangle, 1 dot Circle, 2 dots ?

Which figure completes the grid?

  • A. Square, 3 dots
  • B. Circle, 3 dots
  • C. Square, 2 dots
  • D. Triangle, 3 dots

Answer: A

Why:

  • Shapes: each row has one circle, one square and one triangle. Row 3 lacks a square.
  • Dots: column 1 always has 1 dot, column 2 has 2, column 3 has 3.

So the missing figure is a square with 3 dots. If figure series slow you down, our abstract reasoning practice questions list the rules that come up most.

Logical and deductive reasoning (questions 15–17)

Treat the statements as true and ask what necessarily follows. A conclusion only follows if there is no situation in which the statements are true and the conclusion is false.

Question 15

Statements:

  1. All analysts in the team use Excel.
  2. Some people who use Excel also use Python.

Conclusion: Some analysts in the team use Python.

  • A. The conclusion follows
  • B. The conclusion does not follow

Answer: B

Why: The Excel users who use Python might all be non-analysts. The statements can be true while the conclusion is false, so it does not follow.

Question 16

Statements:

  1. No managers are interns.
  2. All team leads are managers.

Conclusion: No team leads are interns.

  • A. The conclusion follows
  • B. The conclusion does not follow

Answer: A

Why: Every team lead is a manager, and no manager is an intern, so no team lead can be an intern.

Question 17

Five candidates, Priya, Tom, Lena, Omar and Sam, finish a test one after another, with no ties.

  • Tom finished before Lena.
  • Lena finished before Priya.
  • Omar finished immediately after Priya.
  • Sam finished last.

Who finished third?

  • A. Tom
  • B. Lena
  • C. Omar
  • D. Priya

Answer: D

Why:

  • Sam is 5th, so the others fill places 1 to 4.
  • Tom, Lena, Priya come in that order, and Omar sits directly after Priya.
  • The only fit is Tom (1), Lena (2), Priya (3), Omar (4).

Tip: place fixed positions ("last", "immediately after") before the looser clues.

Situational judgement (questions 18–20)

Situational judgement tests (SJTs) describe a work scenario and ask you to judge possible responses. For each item, choose the most effective and the least effective response.

Question 18

You started a new role two weeks ago. Your manager wants a report by Friday. On Wednesday you realise you will miss the deadline because a colleague has not sent figures you need.

  • A. Chase the colleague by phone today, and tell your manager on Thursday morning if the figures still have not arrived.
  • B. Tell your manager now, explain the hold-up and propose a plan, such as delivering the finished sections on Friday and the rest when the figures arrive.
  • C. Keep working and, if the report is not complete on Friday, explain the delay then.
  • D. Fill in the missing figures with your own estimates, without flagging them, so the report is on time.

Answer: Most effective B, least effective D

Why: B informs your manager early and brings a solution. A is reasonable but loses a day. C leaves your manager to find out at the deadline. D presents guessed numbers as real data, which can lead to wrong decisions and destroys trust.

Question 19

A customer emails you angrily because an order arrived three days late. You find the delay was caused by an error in your team's order processing.

  • A. Reply that the delay was caused by the courier.
  • B. Apologise, explain briefly what went wrong, say what you have done to fix it and offer something appropriate within your authority.
  • C. Forward the email to your manager without replying to the customer.
  • D. Send the standard apology template that does not mention the specific order.

Answer: Most effective B, least effective A

Why: B is honest, takes ownership and gives the customer something concrete. D is polite but generic. C leaves the customer without a reply. A is untrue and shifts blame, which backfires if the customer contacts the courier.

Question 20

A colleague on your project has missed three internal deadlines in a row, which keeps delaying your part of the work.

  • A. Talk to the colleague privately, ask whether something is getting in the way and agree how to handle the next deadline.
  • B. Point out the missed deadlines in the team group chat so everyone knows why the project is late.
  • C. Quietly do the colleague's part yourself so your work is not delayed.
  • D. Report the problem to your manager straight away without speaking to the colleague.

Answer: Most effective A, least effective B

Why: A tackles the problem directly and respectfully; escalating comes next if it does not help. D skips that step. C hides the problem and is not sustainable. B embarrasses the colleague in public and creates conflict without fixing the cause.

How to score yourself

Count your correct answers per section. For the SJT items, score one point for each correct most-effective and least-effective choice.

Section Questions Points
Numerical 1–6 6
Verbal 7–10 4
Abstract 11–14 4
Logical 15–17 3
Situational judgement 18–20 6

We deliberately give no percentile or pass mark: 20 questions are too few to compare you with other candidates, and any norm would be invented. What your results do show is what to practise:

  • Numerical: was it the method (wrong base, wrong column) or the arithmetic? Method errors need the standard calculations; arithmetic errors need a quick estimate before you calculate.
  • Verbal: mixing up False and Cannot Say usually means you are using outside knowledge. Point to the exact sentence that justifies each answer.
  • Abstract: you probably found one rule and stopped. Check position, number, shading and rotation every time.
  • Logical: you are accepting conclusions that are plausible but not certain. Look for one counter-scenario.
  • SJT: keys consistently reward early communication, honesty and solving problems at the lowest appropriate level.

If you were accurate but much slower than 60 seconds per item, speed is your bottleneck and timed practice matters most.

About "aptitude test answers PDF" downloads

The big publishers (SHL, Korn Ferry, Saville, Talogy and others) draw each candidate's questions from large item banks, often adaptively, so two candidates rarely see the same set. Some employers also re-test you at the assessment centre. A leaked answer sheet will not match your test. What does transfer is knowing the question types and methods, which is why every question here is our own and comes with full working.

Preparation tips

  • Find out which tests you will take. The invitation usually names the publisher or test types.
  • Practise untimed first, then timed. Understanding comes first; speed comes with timed sets.
  • Log every mistake as misreading, wrong method, arithmetic slip or time pressure. Patterns appear quickly.
  • Do not get stuck. If an item takes twice as long as it should, guess and move on, unless wrong answers are penalised.
  • Spread your practice over several 30–45 minute sessions rather than one long one.

Frequently asked questions

Are these the real questions from an employer's aptitude test?

No. All 20 questions on this page are our own practice items. They follow the formats of the major test publishers, but no real test items or answer keys are reproduced.

Is there an aptitude test answers PDF I can download?

Real tests draw from large, randomised item banks, so answers from someone else's sitting will not match your questions. Practising the question types is what raises your score.

How many aptitude questions do I need to answer correctly to pass?

There is no fixed pass mark. Employers compare your score with a norm group and set their own cut-off for the role.

How long do I get per question in a real aptitude test?

It depends on the publisher. Numerical items usually allow 60 to 90 seconds, verbal and abstract items 30 to 60 seconds. Situational judgement tests are often untimed.

Which aptitude test type should I practise first?

The type named in the employer's invitation. If it does not say, take a mixed set like this one and start with the section where you dropped the most points.

Conclusion

Twenty questions give you a first read on which types come naturally and which cost you points or time. Use your section scores to decide what to practise, and learn methods rather than answers, because the real test will give you different items.

For full-length, timed tests with explanations for every question, the complete test package on Assessment-Training.com covers all five types. Not sure which tests your employer uses? Find the right test first.