SHL test: Verify Interactive G+ explained

SHL is one of the large test publishers, and “SHL test” can mean several different assessments. One of its tests of reasoning ability is Verify Interactive G+, and that is the one this page covers. You will learn how the test is set up, what its three parts measure and how to prepare, including with SHL’s own free practice tests.

Verify Interactive G+ at a glance

SHL Verify Interactive G+ is a test of general cognitive ability that also scores three specific abilities in the same session. The main facts:

• 36 minutes in total.
• At most 24 questions.
• One sitting, so you do the whole test at once.
• Adaptive: the questions adjust to how you answer.
• Interactive: you answer by dragging, dropping and placing things on the screen instead of just picking an option.
• Built to be taken without supervision, on any device, mobile phones included.

The interactive format is what surprises most people. It takes a few questions to get used to how you answer, and you don’t want to spend those minutes in the real test.

Since the test is unsupervised, you choose when and where to take it. Use that freedom. Pick a time when you are alert, turn off notifications and make sure nobody interrupts you during the 36 minutes.

The three abilities: deductive, inductive and numerical

Verify Interactive G+ measures three abilities. You get questions on all three, and you receive a score for each plus a general ability score.

Deductive reasoning is about drawing conclusions from given rules and facts. You get some information and have to work out what must be true. Our guide to deductive reasoning tests goes into more detail. SHL also has a deductive reasoning test of its own, which you can try as a separate practice test.

Inductive reasoning works the other way around. You see a number of examples and have to find the rule behind them yourself. It is the same kind of thinking as in matrix puzzles, where you look for patterns in shapes.

Numerical reasoning is about working with numbers and drawing conclusions from numerical information. Being quick and sure with percentages and ratios helps a lot here. The SHL numerical reasoning test also exists on its own, and our guide to numerical reasoning tests covers this kind of question.

Because you get a score per ability, it shows if you are stronger in one area than another. That is also a hint for how to spend your practice time: start with the part you feel least sure about. We haven’t found an official description of how the scores are reported, whether as percentiles or on another scale.

Adaptive and interactive: what it means for you

The test is adaptive, so the questions get harder when you answer correctly. Most people therefore reach questions that feel hard, whatever their level. That is how the format works, and it tells you nothing about how well you are doing.

With 36 minutes and at most 24 questions, you have about a minute and a half per question on average. That isn’t much when you also have to drag, drop and place your answers, so pace is the most important thing to train.

SHL’s own practice tests

SHL has free practice tests on its website. The list includes mobile-friendly interactive versions of the numerical, deductive and inductive reasoning tests, a general ability test, and standard multiple-choice versions of the same tests. Check your invitation to see which format you have. SHL says the practice tests mirror the question types and formats of the real assessment, though they are not a copy and the difficulty may differ.

Start there anyway. It is the best way to see the answer format and how answering feels. Do it twice if you can: the first time slowly, to understand the format, and the second time with full focus on pace. Keep your practice results to yourself, since SHL does not allow you to share them with anyone else.

Practicing is allowed. What employers look for is cheating, meaning someone else taking the test for you, and they can use verification questions and retests if something looks wrong.

How to prepare for SHL Verify

Research suggests that preparation pays off, up to a point. A meta-analysis of 50 studies found that scores rose by an average of 0.26 standard deviations on a second attempt. TRR, a Swedish career transition organization, found that candidates who practiced for three hours improved their results by up to 20 percent, and that the effect leveled off after that. A few hours go a long way.

• Do SHL’s own practice test first, so you recognize the format.
• Practice inductive patterns with timed matrix tasks.
• Practice deductive tasks where you draw conclusions from given rules.
• Brush up on percentages and fractions so the numerical part goes quickly.
• Take the test rested, somewhere you won’t be disturbed.

Our tasks are our own and imitate the task types; they are not SHL’s. If the same employer has sent you other tests as well, the overview of our tests can help you see what is coming.

Want to practice all three parts? Try our SHL practice: twelve interactive tasks where you adjust charts, place items in a schedule, fill in patterns and draw lines in sequence, with an explanation for every task and no account. There is also a full SHL practice test with 24 tasks in 36 minutes.