Audio (mental arithmetic) questions

The test begins with a mental arithmetic section which is an audio test heard through headphones. This section must be answered first before the other section is attempted. You cannot move forwards or backwards between the mental arithmetic questions. The use of calculators is not permitted in the mental arithmetic part of the test.

On-screen questions

The second part of the test covers interpreting and using statistical information and using and applying general arithmetic. It is presented in a series of on-screen questions for which you can use the on-screen calculator. Handheld calculators cannot be used in the test.

Questions in this section appear on screen and should be answered using the mouse and keyboard. You can move between questions at your own pace by pressing the 'next' and 'previous' buttons. If you need to revisit a question, you can click the 'flag' button and return to that question later using the 'review' button. At the end of the test, you will have the option to review all on-screen questions. There is an overall time limit of around 48 minutes. If the time limit expires before you have answered all the questions, the test will end automatically. A timer is available so that candidates are aware of the amount of time remaining.

We suggest you familiarise yourself with the test format and navigation by practising the downloadable benchmark and practice tests as well as the sample questions available on this website. To learn more about the areas of subject knowledge covered in the test, visit the test content page