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Civil Service verbal and numerical tests: what they ask and how to practise
Many UK Civil Service applications start with an online Verbal Reasoning Test and a Numerical Reasoning Test, taken at home through Civil Service Jobs. The Civil Service's own candidate guide says you may be asked to take one or both. The verbal test is about reading a paragraph and judging a statement; the numerical test is about a table or graph and a question with several answers. Neither needs specialist knowledge.
The tests at a glance
| Verbal test | A paragraph, then a statement. Decide whether it is true, false, or not possible to say, from the paragraph alone |
|---|---|
| Numerical test | A table, graph or other numerical information, then a question with several possible answers; pick the correct one |
| Timing | Not timed. The tests give harder questions after a right answer and easier ones after a wrong one, so they differ in length. The guide says to allow up to an hour for each test; after 25 minutes of inactivity the test times out |
| Number of questions | Not fixed: the tests "can vary in length" |
| Calculator | The guide says you can use a calculator in the numerical test, and suggests having rough paper and a pen to hand |
| Going back | You cannot skip or go back, so your first answer is your final one |
| Your score | Based on the number and difficulty of the questions you get right, not on how long you take, and reported as a percentile against a comparison group. The recruiter sets the pass mark for each job after the deadline |
| Other tests | The Civil Service also uses judgement, management judgement, work strengths and other online tests. They are not covered on this page |
Practising the verbal test
The skill is the one the verbal test names: using written information to reach a conclusion. The trap is the middle answer. "Cannot say" does not mean "probably false": it means the paragraph does not settle it, however sensible the statement sounds. The verbal reasoning guide explains each answer and the usual traps.
- Passages with true, false or cannot say: passages uses the same three answers.
- Reading closely at speed: vocabulary and sentence completion build the language underneath.
Practising the numerical test
- Tables and graphs: data tables and charts.
- The calculations: percentages and ratios and word problems.
See the numerical reasoning page for the common traps, such as percentage points against percent and using the wrong base.
Every practice question here is generated and checked to have exactly one right answer. None is copied from a Civil Service test.
How to prepare
- Take the official practice tests first. The Civil Service provides a verbal and a numerical practice test, linked from its GOV.UK pages below, to show how its tests look and work.
- Start early. The guide advises taking the test soon after the invitation, so there is time to fix a browser or access problem, and asking for help at least two working days before the deadline.
- Answer every question you are shown. You cannot skip, so make your best judgement and keep going.
- Find a quiet spot and a device with a bigger screen if you can.
Start now
Practice here is free up to level 3, with 15 new questions a day on a free account and no account needed to try. Levels 4 to 6 come with paid access.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Preparing for the Civil Service Verbal and Numerical Tests (question formats, not timed, 15 to 45 minutes for most people, practice tests, percentile score)
- GOV.UK: Civil Service online tests (the list of tests and the practice versions)
- Civil Service Jobs: Verbal and numerical reasoning tests, a guide for candidates (adaptive, allow up to an hour, 25-minute inactivity time-out, calculator in the numerical test, no going back, scoring)