How To Prepare and Overcome Your SHL Test (I)

Source: http://jira.talendforge.org/login.jsp?permissionViolation=true&os_destination=%2Fbrowse%2FTTT-1

If you do not know what is SHL Test, here is the description from its official website:


SHL, global leader in talent measurement, offers employment testing tools and employee development assessment services.


For those who want to start their career with most large foreign corporations in China, SHL test is the "threshold" they need to cross. 


At present, banks that utilize SHL test to assess their candidates include: HSBC, CitiBank, Standard Chartered, Hang Seng Bank and one state-owned bank, Bank of Communications. 


Basic information of SHL:


For most banks who are using SHL test, it includes two major parts: Numerical Test and Verbal Test. 


Numerical tests are designed to assess your understanding of tables of statistical and numerical data as well as your ability to make logical deductions.


Verbal tests are designed to measure your ability to understand written information and to evaluate arguments about this information.

Overall, the capability that the tests is measured include: English reading ability, reaction speed, logical reasoning ability and numeracy skills.

One point that need to be addressed firstly: SHL test is pressure test, most candidates will not have enough time to complete all questions in the test within the given time. 

Preparation for the Test:

According to official website of SHL, the tests are designed to assess the actual capability of candidates. Preparation for the test will not influence the results. But what I want to say is, SHL company's test designers underestimate candidates' test preparation ability, especially Chinese candidates. Scores improvement is assured after serious preparation, but the level of improvement depends on how much you want to dedicate. 

Preparation Step One: Get familiar with the test.

Go to www.shldirect.com, there are one sample test of each type of test presented by SHL. But be cautious, the sample tests are normally easier than the actual test you will get from your employers. So you can just use those samples to get used to the test, but do not take the result seriously if you get a good scores from the sample assessment.

Preparation Step Two: Read more business statistic charts.

Read more statistic charts to make yourself feel more comfortable with them. Make sure you can understand the numbers and logistic relationship in those charts. 

Preparation Step Three: Strengthen your reading speed.

Basically there no time for you to read the questions and materials twice during the actual test. So make sure you can read the paragraph and understand its key concepts and implied meanings without the second reading.

Preparation Step Four: Get familiar with your calculator

It is a luxury for you to write down the calculation results of your numerical tests on paper and mover forward to the next calculation step. So you'd better know you calculator well and understand how to use your calculator for all calculations without keep down something on your notes. 

... ... To be continued, next time I will talk about what you should do when you are doing the actual test and the strategy you can use during different tests.