Orientation
What SHL G+ is testing
SHL G+ is a general cognitive ability style assessment. In practice, it combines several reasoning families so the candidate has to switch quickly between numerical interpretation, logical deduction, and non-verbal pattern recognition.
Our EPSOHQ SHL G+ mode is deliberately separate from normal EPSO practice. It uses a fixed training structure: 8 numerical questions, 8 deductive questions, and 8 inductive questions, all in English, with 36 minutes in realistic mode.
Treat the official invitation as final. Employers can choose variants, timing, language, and interface. If your invitation says Verify G+ Interactive, this guide helps with the reasoning skills, but it is not an interface clone of the interactive task format.
Separation
Differences vs normal EPSO tests
| Area | SHL G+ preparation | Normal EPSO practice |
|---|---|---|
| Question source | Dedicated SHL-tagged numerical, deductive, and inductive questions. | EPSO/CAST style families such as numerical, verbal, abstract, digital skills, EU knowledge, and specialist databases. |
| Random mix | Not part of the normal random mix. Start it from the SHL G+ route only. | Normal random exams intentionally exclude SHL G+ questions. |
| Question balance | Balanced 8/8/8 split across the three G+ families. | Depends on the selected EPSO configuration and competition profile. |
| Feedback mode | No instant explanations during the run. Review happens after finishing. | Normal practice can allow learning modes with explanations, depending on settings. |
| Scoring | Training accuracy, pace, section split, and estimated percentile band. Not an official SHL norm score. | EPSO-style score and review, depending on exam type. |
| Content not included | No EU knowledge, no digital skills, no personality questionnaire, no long EPSO verbal comprehension set. | Can include those topics when the selected EPSO mode requires them. |
Carry-over
Common parts with normal EPSO training
Timed multiple choice
Both require fast selection under uncertainty. You still need triage, elimination, and the discipline to leave a trap quickly.
Numerical fluency
Percentages, ratios, averages, unit checks, table reading, and estimation are shared skills.
Logical discipline
The same habit matters: answer only what must follow from the information, not what feels plausible.
Review loop
After each run, tag the miss: calculation, wrong base, missed condition, visual rule, speed, or confidence error.
Section 1
Numerical reasoning
- What to expect: business-style tables, sales, accounts, percentages, averages, and changes between periods.
- First move: identify the requested period, the base value, and the exact unit before calculating.
- Common trap: confusing percent change with percentage points, or using August when the question asks July.
- Training rule: do not compute until you can say which two cells or statements answer the question.
Section 2
Deductive reasoning
- What to expect: ordering, comparisons, constraints, must-be-true, cannot-be-true, and incomplete information.
- First move: translate each sentence into a small chain, grid, or inequality.
- Common trap: selecting a possible answer when the question asks what must be true.
- Training rule: prove the answer from the premises. If two worlds are possible, the statement is not forced.
Section 3
Inductive reasoning
- What to expect: figure sequences, matrices, movement, rotation, alternation, position, count, fill, and shape logic.
- First move: separate variables: position, shape, colour/fill, line direction, number of items, and orientation.
- Common trap: locking onto the first visible pattern and ignoring a second rule.
- Training rule: test one rule at a time against every frame, then use options to disprove weak hypotheses.
Execution
Seven-day SHL G+ sprint
Day 1
Run one untimed diagnostic. Record misses by section and reason, not only score.
Days 2-3
Drill numerical and deductive basics. Build clean scratchpad habits.
Days 4-5
Drill inductive rules. Name the transformation before looking at options.
Day 6
Take one realistic 36-minute run. Do not pause. Mark guesses after the test.
Day 7
Review errors, repeat weak section drills, then take one final realistic run.
Test day
Use the official invitation rules. Check system, timer, scratchpad, calculator policy, and quiet environment.
Public source checks
EPSO's public testing page describes its own sample test formats and notes that EPSO examples are not training materials. Independent SHL preparation pages describe G+ as an ability assessment combining numerical, inductive, and deductive reasoning, with variants depending on the assessment used.