Free SHL General Ability Test (Verify G+) Guide and Practice [2026]
The SHL General Ability Test (also known as Verify G+) is a challenging cognitive assessment that combines three topics: numerical reasoning, inductive reasoning, and deductive reasoning.
On this page, we provide an SHL Verify G+ practice test, complete with sample questions and solutions, along with a comprehensive test guide to ensure you know what to expect.
The SHL General Ability Test (Verify G+) contains 24-30 cognitive questions (depending on the version) and takes 36 minutes to complete. It is SHL’s most popular test used to assess your thinking and problem-solving abilities.
The test covers three topics, each containing several question types:
| Numerical Reasoning | 8-10 questions |
| Inductive Reasoning | 8-10 questions |
| Deductive Reasoning | 8-10 questions |
Within the test, the topics of the questions will be mixed.
This means a numerical reasoning test question could be immediately followed by a deductive reasoning test question.
This means the SHL Verify doesn't just measure your numerical and logical aptitude; it also assesses your task shifting, that is, your ability to switch between different cognitive assessments and domains easily.
The SHL General Ability cognitive aptitude test comes in two versions: interactive and multiple-choice. To make the most out of your preparation time, make sure you practice the correct version, as the two versions differ in their format.
The older test version, this test format contains up to 20 questions to be answered in 36 minutes (plus ten or so minutes for reading instructions).
The SHL Verify G+ contains multiple-choice questions, as most traditional cognitive assessments do.
This is the newer, and much more ubiquitous version of the SHL Verify Assessment. It is planned to replace the older Verify G+ eventually. The interactive test is still 36 minutes long, but with 24 questions.
The SHL Verify Interactive G+ also differs in its adaptability and mobile-first approach:
It includes interactive, open-ended questions, which means you can take the test on your mobile phone and interact with it (e.g., drag-and-drop, connect the dots). Furthermore, this version of the test is adaptive; as the test progresses, the difficulty level increases with each correct answer.
You can take our general-purpose Free SHL Assessment Test and practice SHL-style questions!
Many different companies and organizations use the General Ability Test to measure cognitive ability in candidates, as it is among the most common pre-employment psychometric tests.
These include Deutsche Bank, PwC, and Dish Network.
NOTE: To ensure you are about to take the SHL General Ability test, check the name in your test invitation.
All the practice questions below are taken from our complete SHL Verify G+ Preparation Pack, designed to accurately mirror the exam and its format. It includes:
SHL Numerical reasoning questions typically focus on your ability to extract, calculate, and come to conclusions based on numerical data. Here is an example of a numerical reasoning question you might see on the SHL Verify G+ test:
What proportion of both sites' April and May traffic was for Cuisine.net?
Did you know - there is also an SHL Calculation Test dedicated only to mental calculations.
Learn more about numerical reasoning tests.
The assessment includes 2 types of logical reasoning questions: Inductive reasoning and deductive reasoning. Both aim to ascertain your ability to reach correct logical conclusions. Let's begin with inductive questions:
SHL Inductive questions revolve around finding the logical rules represented in shapes’ color, position, etc. The following is an example of a typical SHL Verify G+ question:
Which diagram would appear next in series?
SHL Deductive questions examine your ability to draw logical conclusions out of given information. This will usually be measured by scheduling tasks or ranking items based on constraints. Here is an example of such a question:
In a restaurant's storage room, there are seven kinds of fruits - Figs, Guavas, Honeydews, Kiwis, Mangos, Nectarines and Papayas. The restaurant's chef has to pick exactly four different kinds of fruits out of the seven to make a fruit salad. The selected fruits must meet the following conditions:
Which one of the following could be a complete and accurate list of the fruits from which the salad is made up?
More questions, full simulations and Verify G+ practice tests are available in our complete SHL General Ability Preparation Pack.
As mentioned, interactive verify g+ questions involve similar skills as the non-interactive questions, only they require to insert your answer by interacting with visual elements, which in some cases makes the question more complex.
For example, try the following inductive question simulating Verify G+ interactive questions, taken from our complete SHL Verify G+ Preparation:
In the actual test, you'll have to click on the nodes to connect them, according to the appropriate sequence.
The correct sequence is:
AZ -> 19 -> BY -> 28 -> CX -> 37 -> DW -> 46 -> EV -> 55
The question asks you to find the logical rules applied between these nodes and complete the sequence, which started with the connected nodes: AZ -> 19 -> BY -> 28.
Logical Rule #1: The sequence starts with a node containing letters that connects to a node containing numbers, which then connects again to a node containing letters. The final sequence would stick to this pattern: Letters -> Numbers -> Letters -> Numbers, and so forth.
Logical Rule #2: The main “theme” of this question is opposite extremes.
A and Z are the first and last letters of the alphabet.
1 and 9 are the first and last digits (presented in this question)
With each connection, these letters and digits are ‘getting closer’ to each other.
B and Y – are the second and the second-to-last letters of the alphabet.
2 and 8 – are the second and second-to-last digits (presented in this question).
Following these rules, the next nodes should be the third and fourth letters or digits
Interactive questions are also more challenging because they are open-ended. It's especially challenging in numerical questions, which in other cases can be answered by eliminating answers and using shortcuts.
For example, try the following interactive numerical question:
There are 77 engineers from four fields working in your high-tech company and they are paid a 12% annual bonus on their annual salary.
Determine the annual salary (including bonus) paid to each engineering field in percentages (rounding to the nearest whole number only in the last step).
In the actual test, you will be presented with a chart pie which you will have to divide according to the correct percentages.
To solve this question, you need to calculate the yearly salary of all engineers in total and the yearly salary by field. Then you can calculate the proportion between them in percentages.
You can calculate the yearly salary by field using the formula below:
Total Yearly Salary by field: No. of employees * Monthly salary per employee * No. of months (12) * Bonus (extra 12%)
Total sum of salaries of all four fields = $2,907,072 + $1,764,000 + $1,996,848 + $1,087,632 = $7,755,552
Calculate the percentage of each field's yearly salary out of the total yearly salary:
On the actual test, you will have approximately 2 minutes for each question.
Other interactive questions will require you to recognize roles and patterns represented in the shapes (deductive), create work schedules based on provided constraints (inductive), understand and create graphs (numerical), and much more. All possible interactive question types, mirroring the actual SHL Verify g+ test format, are available in our SHL General Ability Preparation Pack.
Haven't found the questions you are looking for? Visit our free SHL practice test for sample questions of common SHL tests.
Here are some frequent questions about the SHL General Ability Test score:
As a general rule, you need to score at least at the 80th percentile (a score higher than at least 80% of the comparison group) to pass the assessment.
What is a comparison group?
Your comparison group is a group of candidates previously tested by SHL, whose profile is similar to the job you applied to.
SHL’s 4 most common comparison groups are:
So eventually, a passing score on the SHL General Ability Test depends on the position you apply to.
Not always.
Sometimes you will receive a detailed score report, showing you your exact percentile score in each section, as this detailed SHL score report.
Yet, sometimes you will only get your performance grade relative to your comparison group:
In any case, you will not be able to see how well you have answered individual questions.
This depends on the hiring company, yet according to their score reports, SHL saves your scores for 12-18 months.
You will usually have no more than 1 week to prepare for the SHL General Ability Test. Therefore, to be best prepared, your practice must be focused and accurate.
Follow these 4 crucial guidelines:
As I’ve mentioned (more than once…), the SHL General Ability Test has two versions. If you practice the wrong one, your score will be less than optimal.
Do your best to find out exactly which version you’re taking.
What does that mean, anyway?
Don’t waste your time on question types that won’t appear on the actual assessment.
Research shows that to significantly improve your score on cognitive tests, you should solve questions as close as possible to those on the actual test, in terms of both content AND structure.
It is true that practicing questions that are only related to the ones on the real test may be helpful as well – but their effect on your score is FAR lower.
Focus first and foremost on SHL-type questions, and if you have some time left, practice additional types.
To improve, you must know where you went wrong.
That is primarily why it isn't recommended to rely on SHL’s official practice tests. Yes, they will give you a good understanding of what the test looks like, but they have no answers and no explanations, so your ability to learn and improve is limited.
In addition, remember that the SHL General Ability Test combines three different topics (numerical, inductive, and deductive). Therefore, it is essential that you know in which of these areas you are weakest, so your final score is as high as it can be.
SHL Group Limited is a leading industry giant in the fields of psychometric assessments, aptitude tests, and personality assessments, with a primary focus on pre-employment assessments. Their clients include some instantly recognizable names such as Capital One, Barclays, Home Depot, and others.
The General Ability, also known as Verify G+, is SHL's hallmark cognitive ability assessment, combining three of their largest products by including numerical reasoning questions, inductive reasoning questions, and deductive reasoning questions.
Other common SHL assessments not included in the Verify G+ are the SHL Verbal Reasoning Test, SHL Calculation Test, SHL Checking Test, and SHL Mechanical Comprehension Test.
SHL also distributes pre-employment personality and motivation assessments, such as the Occupational Personality Questionnaire and Motivational Questionnaire.
SHL test results are unique in that they are graded against a norm group, rather than based on absolute performance, i.e. the number of questions answered correctly.
TalentCentral (or Talent Central) is SHL’s testing platform – the website on which you will take your SHL Verify G+ test.
Since all of SHL’s tests are conducted on the TalentCentral platform, that name alone will unfortunately not help you to determine which SHL test you take.
The SHL Verify G+ test is considered a difficult assessment. Unlike other aptitude tests, the questions on SHL assessments are designed to have high item discrimination. This means each and every question efficiently distinguishes between weak and strong candidates. There are no easy questions to help you slide into the test comfortably.
To pass the General Ability Test, brush up on your numerical reasoning, deductive reasoning, and inductive reasoning.
These are cognitive abilities that most people have earned while studying in school. Still, the difference between success and failure can rest upon how recently the candidate has practiced them and how easily they can call them up and utilize them to answer questions.
Not quite. Most countries have discrimination laws prohibiting IQ assessments as a screening test for a company's hiring process. The Verify G+ Test does, however, cover many of the same competencies as classic IQ tests like the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Test. It simply places a larger focus on skills that predict good job performance.
Yes. The SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire assesses the candidate's personality traits and is often paired with the General Ability Test.
Failing typically means being withdrawn from consideration for the role. However, this does not mean you have to give up hope. Many companies offer second chances. While most don't provide feedback, you can sometimes obtain your score report by filing a freedom of information request, which can help you identify areas for improvement.
The best approach, however, is to come prepared the first time. This can be achieved by using practice tests before the real assessment and ensuring you receive any accommodations you are entitled to.
