Key Tips

Remember practice will increase your chances of succeeding. You do not need to have a large variety of tests to improve – focussing on a handful of tests repeatedly will encourage deeper learning and understanding, which is better than spreading yourself thinly across say 15 Numerical tests

  • Employers use these tests normally at the beginning of an assessment process, but can use these during the assessment centre too. You should expect around 2 or 3 tests – anymore or less is unlikely
  • Pass marks are typically around the 30th and 50th percentiles, but you should aim as high as possible – after all assuming all things equal, the decision to choose between you and someone else may come down to these scores

IBM Kenexa – ‘Infinity’ Series

PSL, a competitor of SHL was acquired by Kenexa in 2006 and all of PSL’s intellectual property became the right of Kenexa. Since then, IBM has acquired Kenexa in 2012.

The IBM Kenexa Infinity series are a set of numerical and verbal reasoning tests which are commonly used for selection in a recruitment context at the Graduate and Managerial level. The Graduate and Managerial tests are aimed at university leavers and professionals in managerial posts or those joining training programs post-university.

Item Banking

The infinity series tests although very similar to other reasoning tests are item-banked, which means that when taken online, every candidate receives a different (yet comparable) version of the test. However, for the Infinity series, this applies only to the numerical reasoning tests which are generated as randomised instances for each individual; the verbal reasoning tests have parallel forms which are a number of fixed comparable tests.

Time limits and questions

20 minutes time limit, 24 questions in the test
20 minutes time limit, 20 questions in the test

Numerical Reasoning Test

Candidates are required to answer questions which require numerical reasoning using the information provided in tables and charts. The test taker is given 5 options to choose from; only 1 of the options is correct. The level of mathematics required is no more than that obtained at GCSE level. Simple arithmetic, calculating percentages and ratios, and interpreting graphs should be sufficient. It is advised that candidates practise as much as possible in order to do well.

Did you know our tests are very similar to Kenexa’s Infinity tests? Take a FREE Numerical, Verbal and Logical test and receive FREE expert feedback on your performance.

Verbal Reasoning Test

The verbal reasoning tests require candidates to answer questions which require verbal reasoning using information contained in passages of text. You are given 3 options to choose from; ‘True’, ‘False’ or ‘Cannot Say’. The correct answer is determined using the information contained in the passage. Only 1 of the options is correct. Those with English as their first language may have an advantage over others; however the low cut-offs or requirement criteria to pass will ensure that no one is disadvantaged. It is advised that candidates practise as much as possible.

For more information, see the section on ‘Ability tests’.

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