1. Avoid Timed practice questions
If you want to build up your skills to pass these tests:
- First focus on accuracy and ignore any time limits.
- Then, once you're more competent, improve your speed.
Don't pay for practice questions if they are timed. These are often paid tests from websites which require a connection to the internet and to log into their portal. By practicing with questions that have a time limit imposed, it is very unlikely that you will actually be able to learn how to do the question within the short timeframe.
We recommend that you purchase a book with psychometric test questions and answers, or you can reach out to us for untimed questions.
2. Don't waste time on impossible questions
The question shown requires knowledge of combinations: An arrangement of objects where the order in which the objects are selected does not matter.
For most people, this question will be a guess at best. Fortunately, these "impossible" questions are rare, and if you do spot one, move on immediately to focus your time on questions which you have a higher chance of answering correctly.
4. SAVE EXCESS time to read the passage (Verbal Reasoning)
Many verbal reasoning tests will share the same passages for multiple questions so even if you've spotted the answer quickly, don't submit your answer immediately. Take the time to read the text properly, otherwise, you'll reduce the total time you have to comprehend the information.
5. Use a spreadsheet (numerical and Deductive REASONING)
Although a calculator is useful (and advised) for numerical tests, using a spreadsheet provides more versatility and will be much quicker to calculate totals, averages, percentage changes, and much more!
- Using a spreadsheet allows you to easily check that your numbers have been entered correctly.
- Sum/additions/totals and averages are usually automatically displayed by selecting a range of numbers.
- It is also very common that the same table/information will be used for a set of consecutive questions, so typing the numbers in the spreadsheet will help with the subsequent questions.
To quickly calculate this specific question:
Which region has the highest % of poor ratings?
- Type the numbers into a spreadsheet (the blue section)
- Use a sum formula to get the total (column E)
- Get the % of poor against the total
- Identify the highest percentage
- Don't worry about formatting too much. You're just after the result.
- Shorten the names to save time (ie, instead of typing 'Acceptable', just type 'A'). If possible, don't even type the headers if it is not necessary.
- Using a keyboard with the numerical keypad (usually on the right of a keyboard) makes it much easier.
Note: To do this, ensure you are competent in using a spreadsheet (such as Excel), otherwise it might actually make you worse-off.