RBReadbackMENTAL ARITHMETIC
REV 03NO CALCULATOR

Readback  ·  Wider selection

Numerical reasoning practice

Numerical reasoning is standard across graduate recruitment in finance, consulting, engineering, law, accountancy and the civil service — and it appears in NHS, police and firefighter selection too. The formats differ; the underlying speed does not.

  1. Appears inGraduate, NHS, police, fire, banking
  2. Core contentPercentages, ratios, averages, fractions
  3. Highest weightingInvestment banking
  4. Practice presetGraduate numerical
▶ Practise this format Worked examples
ON THIS PAGEREADY
01Where it shows up, and what changes
02The part worth drilling
03Why practise it spoken
▶ Open the trainer
01

Where it shows up, and what changes

In banking, numerical reasoning is the most heavily weighted screen, because working with numerical data is the daily job. In the NHS, numeracy tests appear in early-stage selection for nursing and healthcare assistant posts, where drug-dosage calculation is the high-stakes application. The National Firefighter Ability “Working with Numbers” test checks the arithmetic needed to read gauges and calculate hose volumes under pressure. Police online stages expect ratios, percentages, averages and interpretation of tables and charts.

What varies between them is the wrapper — data tables, word problems, charts. What does not vary is that a candidate who is slow at percentages and division runs out of time regardless of the wrapper.

02

The part worth drilling

Percentages built from 10% blocks rather than dividing by 100 and multiplying. Fractions of a quantity via the unit fraction. Ratio splits by finding the value of one part. Averages by adjusting to a round total. Exact division without long division.

These five techniques cover the arithmetic inside the overwhelming majority of numerical reasoning items. The item may present a table of quarterly revenue, but the calculation inside it is “what is 15% of 4,200”.

03

Why practise it spoken

Most numerical reasoning tests are on screen with a calculator sometimes allowed, so spoken practice looks like the wrong tool. It is not. Removing the ability to re-read forces you to build the calculation properly the first time, which is exactly the habit that makes a chart-based item fast.

It is also a harder practice than the test, and training above the requirement is the whole point. Ten minutes a day of spoken, timed arithmetic makes a displayed, calculator-assisted item feel slow.

FAQ

Questions

What is a numerical reasoning test?
A timed assessment of your ability to work with numbers and interpret numerical data, standard across graduate recruitment and used in NHS, police, firefighter and banking selection.
Is a calculator allowed in numerical reasoning tests?
It varies by employer. Some permit one, many do not, and speed sections generally do not. Preparing calculator-free covers both cases.
What maths do I actually need?
Percentages, fractions of a quantity, ratios, averages and exact division — fast and reliably. Very little beyond that appears.
NEXT

Related pages

PageSection
Mental maths test: ten seconds per questionWider selection
Aon cut-e numerical testTest publishers
Air traffic controller maths testAir traffic control