SHL tests: the complete guide for 2026

By Pratham Ranjan·6 min read·Updated 2026-04-30

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SHL is the dominant assessment provider in graduate and professional hiring worldwide. Its Verify suite appears in screening at banks, consultancies, FMCG companies, tech firms, and most large public-sector employers. If your employer mentions an “online assessment” without naming the provider, there is a high probability it is SHL.

Forge has built practice tests, question databases, and prep guides specifically mapped to SHL’s current formats. This hub covers every test type you are likely to encounter.

The SHL Verify test family

Test	What it measures	Typical format
Numerical Reasoning	Data interpretation, percentages, ratios, tables and charts	10–24 questions / 18–36 min
Verbal Reasoning	True / False / Cannot Say from short passages	30 questions / 19 min
Deductive Reasoning	Logical conclusions from premises	18–20 questions / 18–20 min
Inductive Reasoning	Abstract pattern recognition in shape sequences	18–24 questions / 18–25 min
OPQ (Occupational Personality Questionnaire)	Work style and personality — no right or wrong answers	~104 items / ~40 min
SJT (Situational Judgement)	Workplace judgement scenarios	Varies by employer

Which format will you face?

Your invitation email will name the specific test. “Verify Interactive” means the animated, scenario-based numerical format (10 questions). “Verify Numerical Ability” is the static table format (16 questions). “G+” means a combined cognitive battery (24 questions, harder ceiling). Check the email before you start preparing.

How SHL scores work

Every SHL Verify test produces a percentile score against a norm group — usually recent graduates or working professionals depending on the role. The employer receives your percentile, not your raw score. They set a cut-score, typically between the 50th and 70th percentile for competitive graduate roles.

There is no negative marking on any current Verify format. Never leave a question blank — an educated guess gives you a chance; a blank gives you zero.

What Forge covers for SHL

Forge’s question database includes SHL-style tests across Numerical, Verbal, Deductive, and Inductive reasoning. Drills are free after sign-up and isolate individual skills — percentage change, table reading, pattern recognition — so you can identify exactly where your score is dropping before you sit a full timed test. Full timed SHL-style tests with answer explanations are available with a Forge plan.

Practise SHL tests on forge

SHL-style numerical, verbal, deductive, and inductive tests — with exact time limits and full answer explanations.

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