2026 EMPLOYER GUIDES5 min read

How to Pass the NHS Numeracy and Literacy Test 2026

Here’s what you’ll uncover in this guide:

1. NHS Numeracy and Literacy Test

What is the NHS Numeracy and Literacy test?

The NHS Numeracy and Literacy test is part of the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme (GMTS). It is a 2-section NHS assessment with both fill-in-the-blank and essay-type questions. 

What does the NHS Numeracy and Literacy test involve?

The NHS Numeracy and Literacy test includes the following test sections:

NHS Numeracy Test:

The NHS Numeracy test assesses your basic mathematical ability through basic pharmaceutical calculations. Here, you have to answer 10 questions within 10 minutes. The questions may range from involving drug calculations to hypothetical drug administration scenarios.

NHS Literacy Test:

The NHS Literacy test assesses your basic written language ability through scenario-based questions. Here, you have to answer one essay-type question within 250 words. This NHS English test question may present scenarios like administering a drug to a patient.

Good to Know: Depending on the location, your recruiter may assess you with another test called the NHS Occupational English Test to assess skills similar to its literacy test. In either case, a good grip on your verbal reasoning skills can help boost your written language skills for these NHS assessment tests.

Do you want to practice for this NHS numeracy and literacy test?

Practice with our numerical tests to help you prepare for this NHS test today!

Practice Numerical Reasoning Tests

Practice Numerical Reasoning Tests

Practice Verbal Reasoning Tests

Practice Verbal Reasoning Tests

The NHS recruitment process often includes taking other online assessment tests. Find out about them below!

2. Other NHS Online Assessments

What other NHS assessments can I expect?

The NHS recruitment process could typically have the following assessments, along with the numeracy and literacy test:

  1. NHS Logical Reasoning Test
  2. NHS Situational Judgement Test

Discover all the stages of the NHS application process here!

Want to start your NHS numeracy test practice? Check out our example numerical reasoning questions to help kickstart your practice.

3. Free NHS Numerical Practice Questions

Numerical Reasoning Test

 

This test assesses your numerical reasoning ability using data in charts, tables and figures. Look at each chart or table provided for each question, and use the information in these to work out the correct answer.

You have 5 options from which to choose from. Only one of these options is the correct answer.

1 / 5

Approximately, how much energy (kcal) would the consumption of 3 packets of “BBQ” crisps and 2 packets of “Pickled Onion” crisps produce?

 

2 / 5

What percentage of all mortgages approved across the 5 countries in 2008, were due to Italy?

 

3 / 5

Approximately, what percentage of the RDA for “Salt” will an individual fulfil if they consume 3 packets of “Pickled Onion” Crisps?

 

4 / 5

What was the total (approximate) number of mortgage approvals for the USA and Italy combined, through the years 2005 to 2007 inclusive?

 

5 / 5

Which country had the lowest number of mortgage approvals across the 6 years?

 

0%

Looking for even more free test practice?

NHS free numeracy questions

Read on for important tips on how to pass the NHS numeracy and literacy test questions.

4. How to Pass the NHS Numeracy and Literacy Test

Discover our top 6 tips to pass the NHS numeracy and literacy test to improve your preparation below!

Top 9 Tips to Pass Your NHS Numeracy and Literacy Test

  1. Revise the basics: Have a clear understanding of the common numeracy test concepts like basic arithmetic operations and their use in common drug calculations, to ace this NHS assessment test.
  2. Practice consistently: Practice with similar NHS aptitude tests. Familiarise yourself with the type of questions likely to come up in your NHS numeracy and literacy test section.
  3. Implement feedback: Check the worked solutions to develop a strategy to approach the different types of questions used in the NHS numeracy test section.
  4. Balance speed with accuracy: Strike a balance of speed with accuracy with effective time management to ace this NHS online test.
  5. Focus on one question at a time: Approach one question at a time, understand it, and then move on to the next question. If unsure, skip it and come back to it later.
  6. Make reading a habit: Read online articles or newspapers to boost your reading and comprehension speed for your NHS literacy test.
  7. Invest in vocabulary: Develop your vocabulary by learning new words daily to write an effective essay to showcase your good command of language in your NHS assessment.
  8. Read the instructions carefully: Ensure to read the NHS assessment instructions carefully to understand what it expects from you.
  9. Proofread properly: Ensure your essay for this NHS online assessment test is free from any grammatical and punctuation errors.

Looking for numerical practice tests for the NHS numeracy test?

NHS numeracy test practice

After completing the numerical reasoning test, you may also be asked to complete the NHS logical reasoning test.

5. NHS Numeracy and Literacy Test FAQs

1 What does the NHS Numeracy test measure?

The NHS Numeracy test measures your ability to perform basic arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. Some questions in this NHS Basic Maths test may also involve you in interpreting data using tables.

2 What does the NHS Literacy test measure?

The NHS Literacy test measures the following skills:

  1. Written English language writing skills
  2. Verbal comprehension
  3. Spelling and punctuation

3 What is the best way to prepare for the NHS literacy test?

Practice with sample passages such as patient instructions, policy documents, or reports to help boost your vocabulary in relevance to the healthcare context. It will give you an edge in your NHS Literacy test assessment.

4 Can I use a calculator in my NHS Numeracy test?

Yes, you can use a calculator during your NHS Numeracy test. However, you can’t use your smartphones, tablets, smartwatches or equivalent technology to access the calculator application. So, keep a calculator ready with you in advance of this NHS assessment.

5 Which NHS roles require the numeracy and literacy test?

NHS commonly uses the numeracy and literacy test for:

  • Healthcare Assistant (HCA) roles
  • Support roles
  • Administrative and clerical positions
  • Apprenticeships and trainee roles
  • Some nursing support jobs

Prepare for the NHS numeracy and literacy test with our numerical reasoning and verbal reasoning practice tests, which are provided by our experts to over 150 UK universities and their students, and also across Asia and continental Europe.

Practice with peace of mind with commitment to a full 100% money-back guarantee if you do not pass your job tests.

This article was last updated on 9 June 2026. All information provided is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication, based on publicly available sources. For the most up-to-date details, please verify directly with the employer.

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