Pulsifi numerical reasoning test: format, worked examples and practice

The Pulsifi numerical reasoning test gives you tables of business data and asks you to calculate from them under time pressure. The maths is upper secondary level: percentage change, ratios, averages and multi-step sums such as rooms × occupancy × price. Marks are lost by picking the wrong figure or dividing by the wrong base, not by hard maths. It is one of six tests in the Pulsifi assessment.

Quick summary

• You get a data table (sometimes with a short scenario) and several multiple-choice answers.
• The questions test percentages, shares of a total, ratios, unit rates and chains of calculations.
• Most wrong answers come from using the wrong base or the wrong row, so read the table first.
• Pulsifi doesn't publish the number of questions; each Pulsifi test takes about 5 to 15 minutes.
• Timed practice on business tables is the most effective preparation.

What does the Pulsifi numerical test look like?

Pulsifi describes the test as solving practical, real-world problems from information in tables or graphs: for example route revenue for an airline, quarterly sales by channel, or costs by department. Underneath is a question and a set of answer options, often five. Questions build on the same table, so the time you spend understanding it at the start pays off across several questions.

Pulsifi doesn't publish its question count or the exact time limit for the numerical test. It says each assessment takes about 5 to 15 minutes. forge's Pulsifi-style sets use 9 data questions in 15 minutes, which leaves room for the multi-step items.

The five calculations that come up again and again

1. Percentage change: (new − old) ÷ old × 100. Always divide by the starting value.
2. Share of a total: part ÷ total. Check which total the question means (one year? all regions?).
3. Ratios: split a total in a given ratio, or compare two figures as a ratio.
4. Unit rates: revenue per customer, cost per unit, sales per employee.
5. Multi-step chains: capacity × utilisation × price × periods. Write each step down.

How to pace yourself

• Spend 20–30 seconds on each new table before the first question: what are the rows, the columns, the units (thousands? millions?) and the periods?
• Estimate first. If 836 out of 1,670 is "about half", you can rule out options far from 50% before calculating.
• Don't get stuck. If a question takes more than twice your average, pick your best estimate and move on. Unanswered questions score nothing.
• Watch the units. A table in S$ thousands with an answer in S$ millions is a deliberate trap.

On forge's free numerical tests, currency and unit questions take the longest (a median of 40 seconds), even though accuracy on them is decent (66%). Converting units is slow rather than hard, so practise doing it quickly. Our percentage shortcuts and data interpretation guide cover the techniques in more depth.

Related guides

• Pulsifi assessment: all six tests
• Pulsifi verbal reasoning test
• Pulsifi logical reasoning test
• Numerical reasoning tests
• Ratio questions in numerical tests

Source notes

Test structure and timing from Pulsifi's online assessments page (checked 2 October 2026), which describes the numerical test as problems based on tables or graphs. Accuracy and timing figures come from answers on forge's free numerical tests, re-graded on 30 September 2026. forge is independent and not affiliated with Pulsifi; all questions here are written by forge.

Frequently asked questions