SHL Assessment Tests & Smart Interviews & Assessment Centres 2026. Practice Tests. Full Guide.

1. Introduction

Not sure you should practice for SHL psychometric tests? According to research, 60-80% of candidates are rejected based on their aptitude test results. It is proven that practice increases your chances of getting hired.

In a nutshell:

1. Practice for SHL Assessment Tests

Research the SHL assessment tests to find out:

• What tests does SHL offer?
• The cognitive ability and skill each SHL online test measures.
• What each SHL test entails and how they assess and score you.
• The time allocated for each SHL online assessment test.

2. Record Mock Video Interviews of Yourself

Prepare for the SHL video interviews by running mock interviews and answering typical interview questions for the role, company, or industry you are applying for. For your SHL Smart Interview practice, use:

• A smartphone to record yourself
• Zoom or
• Our reliable video interview platform

Our virtual interview platform comes with pre-determined competency and industry questions associated with different job roles. It will provide you with the best practice experience because of its similarity to the SHL smart interview.

3. Prepare for the SHL Virtual Assessment Centre

SHL offers a variety of assessment centre exercises to employers to help them hire the best-fit candidates through the SHL virtual assessment centre. These exercises include:

• Group Exercises
• Roleplay Exercises
• Interviews

Without further ado, let’s find out everything about SHL below!

Who are SHL?

SHL is an acronym for Saville and Holdsworth Limited, a leading global psychometric test provider that provides psychometric assessments for employers to use in their hiring processes.

SHL assessments are available in over 40 languages and are used in 150 countries. With their hiring solutions, SHL tests are arguably the first go-to option for many large employers globally.

SHL provides assessment solutions for a number of diverse industries. What are these? Let’s see. 

Which job functions do SHL assessment solutions support hiring for?

SHL job assessments are generally suited for the following job functions:

1. Banking/Finance
2. Retail
3. Healthcare
4. Manufacturing
5. Insurance
6. IT
7. Telecommunications

Read on below to find out which employers use SHL tests.

2. Who uses SHL Assessments?

SHL provides assessment tests to over 10,000 companies, 80% of which are FTSE 100 companies and 50% are Fortune Global 500 companies. A few top companies that use SHL talent assessments are:

Microsoft	British Airways	Bank of America
Nationwide	NHS	Barclays
Generali	Amazon	IBM

These employers and many others use SHL online tests to find candidates for their various companies and roles. Read on to find out why below.

Why do Employers Use SHL Assessments?

Employers primarily use SHL assessments to evaluate your skills, competencies, and potential fit for a role. Below are other key reasons why SHL online assessment tests are popular with employers:

Now that we know why employers use SHL assessments, let’s find out more about the SHL assessment tests in the following section.

3. SHL Assessment Tests

What are the SHL assessment tests?

SHL assessment tests are hiring solutions to help employers measure your skills and abilities. The SHL tests cover cognitive abilities, personality, and job-specific skills, giving employers a well-rounded view of your capability.

SHL ability tests typically fall into four main areas:

1. SHL Cognitive Assessments
2. SHL Personality Assessments
3. SHL Behavioural Assessments
4. SHL Skills and Simulations Assessments

Read for our complete breakdown of what each of these SHL assessments entails, starting with the SHL cognitive tests.

SHL Cognitive Assessments

What are the SHL cognitive tests?

The SHL cognitive tests are interactive tests that help employers evaluate your potential to learn, adapt, and perform in any vacant role by measuring your general mental ability, problem-solving and critical reasoning capabilities.

What to expect from the SHL cognitive tests?

The SHL cognitive assessments are typically presented together as an SHL general ability test and have a 36-minute time limit. It contains three main tests, which are:

SHL Cognitive Assessments	Skills Measured	Number of Questions
Numerical Reasoning Test	Ability to interpret numerical data	10 questions
Deductive Reasoning Test	Ability to draw logical conclusions	10 questions
Inductive Reasoning Test	Ability to identify patterns	10 questions

SHL Cognitive Assessments – Key Facts

• The SHL cognitive assessments have interactive and non-interactive test versions. The SHL interactive tests use gamified characteristics that make them more engaging for test-takers.
• The SHL cognitive tests are typically presented together as the SHL Verify G+ test, but they can be administered separately and given individually depending on the employer’s request and needs.
• The SHL Verify G+ test, or SHL general ability test, has 30 questions, with 10 questions for each main test. The number of questions for each test differs when used individually.
• The SHL cognitive assessments are used by many employers for graduate hiring, technology hiring, and competency fit. In some cases, the assessment will be referred to as the SHL graduate assessment.
• The SHL deductive reasoning test may also be referred to as a verbal reasoning test; however, its key difference lies in the format of the test questions and how they are assessed.

Looking for prep beyond the SHL practice tests? Take practice assessments developed by our experts, similar to the SHL assessments, to kick start your SHL test practice!

Now that we’ve covered the SHL cognitive tests, let’s move on to another top assessment: the SHL personality tests.

SHL Personality Assessments

What are the SHL personality tests?

The SHL personality assessments are tests that enable employers to evaluate your individual preferences, motivations, and work capabilities. The SHL personality assessments used by employers fall into three types of personality tests:

Check out our example personality question similar to the SHL OPQ personality test provided by our GF experts:

Next, let’s see what skills are assessed by the SHL personality tests. 

What do the SHL personality assessments measure?

The SHL personality tests measure the following competencies:

Decision Making	Adaptability	Organisation	Interpersonal Skills
Communication Skills	Influencing	Resilience	Self-Motivation
Work Ethic	Leadership Skills	Emotional Intelligence	Creativity

As well as personality tests, another hiring solution SHL provides employers to measure is the SHL behavioural assessments.

SHL Behavioural Assessments

What are the SHL behavioural tests?

The SHL behavioural assessments are tests used by employers to evaluate how your behaviours fit with a role and how you are likely to behave in various workplace situations.

What do the SHL behavioural tests entail?

The SHL behavioural assessments are primarily used to assess your workplace behaviours, and they include two main SHL tests, which are:

How to Pass the SHL Behavioural Tests?

Take scenario-based tests similar to SHL test practice questions at GF that measure the same skills as the SHL psychometric tests.

Moving on from the behavioural assessments, let’s check out another top assessment type provided by SHL: the SHL skills and simulations assessments.

SHL Skills and Simulation Assessments

What are the SHL skills and simulation assessments?

The SHL skills and simulation assessments are practical, hands-on evaluations designed to test your job-specific skills in realistic work scenarios. These assessments allow employers to see how well you can perform actual job tasks.

What types of SHL skills assessments are there?

The major SHL skills and simulation assessments include:

What do the SHL simulation assessments measure?

The SHL simulation tests measure various skills, including technical, IT, language, business, financial, computer, and customer service skills.

Watch our short video below to learn how you can improve your speed in the SHL online assessments:

Now that we have covered all the major SHL online assessment tests, let’s check out our top tips on how to pass the SHL tests.

4. How to Pass the SHL Assessment Tests?

SHL provides a wide range of tests to measure various skills and abilities. Below are very handy tips to help you prepare and pass the SHL online tests:

Top 10 Tips to Pass Your SHL Tests

1. Research the Role and Employer: Before your SHL test, research the job and company. Knowing the key competencies and behaviours valued by the employer can help you determine the tests you will take and your approach.
2. Understand the Test Format: Familiarise yourself with the types of SHL test questions. Each test has a unique format and question style; knowing what to expect can reduce anxiety and improve your performance.
3. Practice Regularly: Use the online SHL practice tests. This helps build your confidence, improves speed, and familiarises you with typical question types.
4. Practice with Timed Tests: The SHL exams have a time limit, so practising with SHL mock tests under time constraints is essential, as it would help you improve your ability to work efficiently at a quicker pace.
5. Brush Up on Basic Skills: Practice basic maths, reading comprehension, and critical reasoning, and improve your pattern recognition by practising inductive and deductive reasoning exercises.
6. Prioritise Accuracy Over Speed: While SHL tests are timed, accuracy is essential. If a question is too difficult, skip it and return later if time allows. It’s better to answer fewer questions correctly than to rush and make mistakes.
7. Use the Process of Elimination: For multiple-choice questions, eliminate wrong options first to increase your chances of selecting the correct answer faster.
8. Prepare for Behavioural and Personality Assessments: Answer honestly and try not to overthink. Consistency is crucial, as these tests look for alignment with the desired traits for the role.
9. Use the Recommended Device: Many SHL tests are mobile-friendly and can be used on various devices. However, ensure that your device is compatible with the SHL aptitude tests and your internet connection is stable.
10. Read the Instructions Carefully: For each test, check the requirements, and avoid assuming you know what to do. Some questions may change depending on the employer.

Aside from the various psychometric tests, SHL also offers employers with virtual interviewing options known as the SHL smart interviews.

5. SHL Smart Interviews

What is the SHL Smart Interview?

The SHL Smart Interview is a video interview tool that enables employers to conduct and assess interviews remotely. This platform is designed to streamline the hiring process for recruiters with standardised data to make informed decisions.

What to expect in the SHL Smart Interview?

The SHL Smart Interview has three main types:

Looking for some tips to ace this SHL assessment? 

How to Pass the SHL Smart Interviews?

Below are unique tips our team have curated to help you ace the SHL smart interviews, first time:

Top 7 Tips to Pass the SHL Smart Interviews

1. Practice Video Interviews: Practice digital interviews with tools, platforms, and resources that are similar to the SHL smart interview tools.
2. Practice Answering Concisely: Aim for clear and concise answers in the SHL interviews. Practice structuring your answers beforehand and appropriately.
3. Leverage the AI-Scoring System: Practice speaking with a positive tone, maintaining steady eye contact, and keeping a calm demeanour as the AI may evaluate your tone, facial expressions, and phrasing.
4. Show Enthusiasm and Engagement: Use active listening cues like nodding along as the interviewer speaks. This creates a more natural and interactive experience and shows that you’re engaged in the interview.
5. Prepare for Follow-Up Questions: The SHL live interviews allow interviewers to ask spontaneous questions. Be ready to expand on your answers with relevant examples and details.
6. Prepare for Common Coding Challenges: For the SHL coding interview, review common algorithms and data structures, as these are often tested. Focus on efficiency and clarity in your code to show your problem-solving skills.
7. Practice Explaining Your Thought Process: In the SHL coding interview, explaining your logic as you code helps the interviewer understand your approach. Practice doing this out loud with coding exercises.

Watch our short video below to discover our top body language tips you can use when answering SHL interview questions:

SHL also offers another hiring solution known as the SHL virtual assessment centres, which employers typically use as the last stage of their hiring process.

6. SHL Virtual Assessment Centre

What is the SHL virtual assessment centre?

The SHL virtual assessment centre is a digital platform that allows employers to evaluate you with interactive and role-specific exercises. It simulates a traditional assessment centre but enables you to participate from any location.

What to expect in the SHL virtual assessment centre?

The SHL assessment centre measures a broad range of skills using the following:

• SHL Psychometric Tests
• SHL Simulation Tests
• SHL Personality Tests
• Group Exercises
• Roleplay Exercises

Watch our short video below to understand why employers choose to use the SHL virtual assessment centre:

Now, let’s see some tips to help you ace this SHL assessment. 

How to Pass the SHL Virtual Assessment Centre?

Read on for our top quality tips to help you pass the SHL assessment centre.

Top 6 Tips to Pass the SHL Virtual Assessment Centre

1. Understand the Role’s Key Competencies: Review the job description and company values to identify competencies likely to be assessed during the assessment centre.
2. Engage Actively: Familiarise yourself with digital platforms commonly used for virtual assessments. Being comfortable with these tools shows you can adapt to remote work environments.
3. Test Equipment Ahead of Time: Check your internet, camera, and microphone before starting. Technical difficulties can disrupt your performance, so ensure your setup is reliable.
4. Review the Tasks Before Starting: Take a few moments to read through any instructions and prioritise steps in your mind before diving into an exercise. Keep track of the time limit by using this plan.
5. Use Appropriate Body Language: Maintain eye contact, use hand gestures naturally, and show an engaged posture to project confidence and presence for any interview or role-play exercise you may take on.
6. Use the STAR+R Method: The STAR+R method helps you give structured and straight-to-the-point answers, showcasing your clear thinking and improving your points.

For your complete practice, go further with our Go Premium bundle!

With this, we have finally covered everything you’ll need to know about your upcoming SHL assessment. But wait, before you go!

Don’t miss our quick FAQs section below, which covers other common questions people ask about SHL tests.

7. SHL Assessment Tests FAQs