Free GIA Practice Test Style & Experts Tips

Unlike most psychometric tests, the Thomas International GIA test aims to assess general intelligence rather than more advanced subject-specific abilities (e.g. numerical, verbal or abstract reasoning).

To obtain the highest score possible, answer as many questions as quickly as you can during the course of the test. Keep in mind that most people are not able to answer all questions in the given time.

The GIA test focuses on the speed of processing information as well as your ability to learn and develop new skills. Essentially, the test uses abstract concepts, generalisations and logical relations to measure your basic intellectual process.  

Remember, the GIA test differs from other tests as it emphasises equality between both speed and accuracy. For example, GIA test questions are sometimes considered trivial. Oftentimes, they are given as single statements. After you have comprehended the information, you are brought to a new screen.

Here you will have to remember what was said from the previous window to confirm or deny. Thus, you will be measured by your ability to quickly comprehend and retain information.

Depending on the requirements of your employer, the GIA test may be taken at your home computer. Furthermore, the company that brought you the GIA is now implementing touch screen features to some of their tests. Be sure to check if this feature is available for your version of the test.

Experts Tips for GIA Test

We have created lists of general tips to further help develop your skills: 

1. The most important thing to remember is to that speed and accuracy are critical throughout the test.

2. Remember there is a small timeframe for each sub-category of the exam. With the large amount of questions given, very few people are able to answer every question. Thus, do not spend too much time on a single question, quickly move onto the next if you are unsure of the answer.

3. The questions are all the same difficulty level, which is not very high.

4. Use a system when answering the questions to speedily get through the questions.

5. It is also important to be accurate, thus reframe from guessing. Note: The difficulty level is relatively low, therefore you will likely the correct answer if given a second reading, but do try to keep those to a minimum, since speed is an essential part of the test.

6. A trick to speedily getting through the test is to read and comprehend all instructions and sample questions before beginning the actual test.

Note: Find additional tips and tricks at the end of each sample question.

JobTestPrep's practice tests consist of questions in the level of the real test. Therefore, by doing the practice tests on JobTestPrep you prepare the skills as well as accuracy and speed assessed in the GIA test. 

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The GIA’s Test Structure

The GIA test is broken down into 5 sections. Remember you will have very little time in each section. Thus, to ensure you are able to utilise every second, it is important to try the sample questions and read all instructions. Find the time limit of each section found in our PrepPacks™:

​GIA is broken down into five sections. The purpose is to assess specific cognitive functions. Let’s go through each one to better familiarise you with the structure:

1. Perceptual Speed Section

Perceptual speed checks your ability to detect errors in written, numerical and diagrams. Below you will find a sample question which displays four pairs of letters arranged horizontally. The first row is lowercased, the second is uppercased. Your task is to determine how many columns consist of the same letter. If all columns match, choose the answer ‘4’ or if none match, choose ‘0’.

2. Reasoning Section

Reasoning measures your ability to make assumptions based on the information provided and ultimately draw conclusions. Here you are tested on your short-term memory.

Additional questions present single sentences. After you finish reading the sentence, you will be asked to go to a new page. Here there will be a short question along with 2 to 4 answer options. There will only be one correct answer. Note that our answer options will be present in the same window as the question which will not be true for the real test. 

3. Number Speed and Accuracy Section

Number speed and accuracy is measured through questions based on numerical manipulation and basic maths topics. In this section, you will be presented with three numbers and asked to choose which ones are furthest from the middle. The middle number has a value between the lowest and highest numbers shown. 

4. Spatial Visualisation Section

Spatial visualisation correlates with mechanical reasoning tests that assesses your ability to use mental visualisation skills and compare them to shapes. The purpose is to create a situation where you are forced to use your visualisation to understand and solve problems.

Other questions consist of shapes contained in a box. Your mission is to count the number of matching shapes. Potential answers are:

• 0: No match
• 1: One pair match
• 2: Both pairs match

Note: Mirrored images are not considered the same shape, however images that have been rotated are. For example, the letters ‘b’ and ‘d’ are mirrored images therefore are not considered the same. Meanwhile ‘b’ and ‘q’ are considered matching images since they are the same shape, simply rotated by 180°. 

5. Word Meaning Section

‘Word meaning’ evaluates your knowledge of words and vocabulary. This is done by assessing word groups, determining where they land in the family of grammar. Furthermore, your ability to identify synonyms and antonyms are also checked. The purpose is to assess how well you will work after receiving written or spoken instructions.

Word meaning questions consist of three words. Two words will have a common trait while the third will be different. Your job is identifying which word is the odd one out.

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Scoring Method

Upon completing the test, your results will be determined by both your speed and accuracy. After this number has been reached, the final score will then be compared to a norm group. The norm group will be taken from a pool of candidates in a similar profession or job level as you. Thus, the best way to determine your needed score is to search for past results in your designated field.

View the GIA Test Scoring Method

Things to Remember

In a quick recap, the goal of the Thomas International GIA test is to determine how well you will respond to training if hired. The test is broken down into variants of abstract, numerical and verbal questions. Each section of the test is filled with an unrealistic amount of questions given the short time frame. It is your job to remain calm and answer as many questions as humanly possible. Your score will be determined on both your accuracy and speed.

Good luck!