Many accountancy firms place high emphasis on your numerical reasoning skills because of the obvious links to accountancy. Therefore, you need to ensure that you're fully prepared for your accounting aptitude test.
As an accountant, you must be able to use numerical information to do your job. You must also have good analytical skills.
To successfully navigate an accountancy numerical reasoning test you need to be able to extract details from the information presented and convert it into a solution, in a very short time frame.
Like accountancy, the numerical reasoning test is not about how well you can complete an algebraic equation. Instead, it is about how well you can analyse numerical information to come to a conclusion. However, you will need to brush up your basic maths in order to answer the questions. On this test you are usually given less than a minute to answer each question, so speed and accuracy are also important elements of the test.
The accountancy numerical reasoning test presents you with numerical information in a chart, table, graph, a balance sheet and more. In order to answer questions, you may need to make calculations including percentages, currencies, ratios, fractions and more. In some cases, you may need to make more than one calculation per answer. You may usually use a calculator for any online accountancy numerical reasoning tests.
Accountancy numerical reasoning test questions will focus on topics relevant to you. Some of the topics you will encounter include: general information, everyday economic data, company profits and losses, inflation, currency conversions and costs, for example - production or transport costs. You do not need to have any formal university knowledge for these topics (for example, macro or microeconomics).
Taking practice tests ahead of an accountancy numerical reasoning test offers several benefits for you, ultimately leading to a better overall score.
Most accountancy firms will ask you to take an accountancy aptitude test. These tests are provided by several testing companies, who are all well represented in accountancy firm tests. In addition to the “big 4”, other accountancy firms also use aptitude tests as part of their recruitment.
Big 4 Company | Testing Company | Test Types |
---|---|---|
PwC | CEB's SHL cut-e (some jobs only) |
Numerical Reasoning Test Verbal Reasoning Test Inductive Reasoning Test Personality Test |
Deloitte | Pearson TalentLens | Numerical Test Critical Thinking Test |
Ernst & Young | Saville | Numerical Test Verbal Reasoning Test Diagrammatic Test SJT (strengths assessment) |
KPMG | Cubiks | Numerical Reasoning Test Verbal Reasoning Test SJT |
If you are interested in practising all the Big-4 recruitment processes at once, check out our Big 4 Tests Bundle.
Company | Tests |
BDO Stoy Hayward | Numerical and verbal reasoning tests from CEB's SHL |
Baker Tilly | Numerical and verbal reasoning tests from CEB's SHL |
Grant Thornton | Numerical and verbal reasoning tests from Kenexa |
Mazars | Numerical and verbal reasoning tests from Kenexa |
Smith and Williamson | Numerical and verbal reasoning tests from CEB's SHL |