Numerical reasoning (Elements Numerical)
12 questions · 16 minutes overall, with a per-question timer of 90 seconds for the first item on a dataset and 75 seconds for consecutive items on it
What it tests. Advanced data interpretation, rapid currency translation, percentage change, ratios and compounding under severe time pressure.
Worked example. A multi-currency infrastructure-yield table where you must locate the right rows and columns and convert before computing, ignoring the rest of the matrix.
Common traps. Reading the whole data matrix before checking the prompt, losing 30 seconds on irrelevant row headers.
How to handle it. Read the prompt first, locate the exact columns and rows, ignore everything else, and compute on a scratchpad with your calculator set to floating decimals since options cluster tightly.
Verbal reasoning (Elements Verbal)
15 questions · 15 minutes, with a per-question cap of 75 seconds for the first item on a passage and 60 seconds after
What it tests. High-speed comprehension, deductive analysis and distinguishing explicit facts from inferences.
Worked example. A passage where a statement is true in reality but cannot be validated by the text, which makes it incorrect.
Common traps. Using outside knowledge or commercial awareness; the answer must rely exclusively on the passage.
How to handle it. Skim the passage for about 15 seconds, then jump to the options. Watch absolute qualifiers like always, never, entirely or solely, which are frequently traps unless explicitly supported.
Logical reasoning (Elements Logical)
12 questions · Around 15 minutes total with roughly a 75-second cap per question (the firm guide cites a tighter 12-minute overall limit)
What it tests. Inductive abstract reasoning, pattern recognition and non-verbal problem-solving.
Worked example. A grid where shading changes across the row and the inner element rotates down the column; isolating one feature reveals each rule.
Common traps. Trying to spot the whole pattern at once, which causes cognitive overload and time loss.
How to handle it. Isolate one feature at a time. Establish two or three independent rules, then eliminate incorrect options from the list.
Personality questionnaire (Dimensions)
160 statements across 40 blocks · Untimed (about 25 minutes)
What it tests. Behavioural consistency, alignment with corporate principles and leadership and risk profiles.
Worked example. An ipsative, forced-choice design where the consistency algorithm flags contradictions across blocks if your answers do not align logically.
Common traps. Gaming the test by picking what an investment banker should say in every block, which trips the consistency checks.
How to handle it. Frame a collaborative but highly driven professional persona, balancing entrepreneurial drive with risk compliance, while staying honest enough to pass the consistency algorithm.