examples of problem solving test

McKinsey PST: Question Types, Study Plan & Mock Tests

The McKinsey Problem Solving Test (McKinsey PST) is a very crucial part of the McKinsey recruitment process. It is where most of the applicant pool is eliminated, and yet there are so few resources to help you prepare for it. Fortunately, you’ve found the ultimate guide to nail the test with an unbelievable level of detail!

Table of Contents

McKinsey PST overview

What is the mckinsey pst.

The McKinsey Problem Solving Test (or PST) is a paper-based test used at McKinsey & Company to select candidates for the case interviews. The PST is conducted after resume screening; it has 6 types of question, testing the candidate on 3 crucial problem-solving skills – data interpretation, mental calculations and logical reasoning.

McKinsey PST passing score / Acceptance rate

McKinsey has never officially stated the passing score or acceptance rate for the PST. However, these numbers can be estimated using reports from test-takers, with passing score being around 70%, and acceptance rate at roughly 30-35% (1 in every 3 candidates will pass).

Does McKinsey still use the PST?

Currently, the McKinsey PST is being replaced by the new Problem-Solving Game. However, the transition is not complete globally. In addition, the new Problem-Solving Game still retains the core principles from the old test, so preparing for the PST is still relevant.

Why do they need PST?

It’s very similar to what we have here! McKinsey believes that the gap between CV screening and in-person case interviews is too big. The firm may miss many good candidates with bad resumes or may interview too many candidates who don’t live up to their resumes.

At the end of the day, in-person interviews are expensive, and the Problem Solving Test provides a cost-effective solution.

Who has to take the McKinsey PST?

Every candidate who passes the resume screening round has to take the McKinsey PST – if they apply for the management consulting track. Some report indicates that MBA applicants might be waived from the test – however, this is rare and you should confirm with the target office HR.

What does PST look like?

26 questions, 1 hour, paper-based, and no calculator! The test has 26 multiple choice questions set within the context of 3 business cases. A candidate has exactly 60 minutes to finish the test. He will be provided with a watch, pencils, scratch paper, and the test is in a paper-based format. No calculator is allowed. No personal assistant is allowed. Just you and the test!

As the business landscape is changing, candidate recruitment has become increasingly complex. This requires another way of presenting PST content for McKinsey. They have changed the format into gamification and planned to implement this method to all McKinsey offices within 2020. Visit the mock game designed exclusively for MConsultingPrep followers!

PST vs. GMAT vs. SAT?

If you are new to PST, you may hear the myth that PST is similar to the Math section in GMAT or SAT. In fact, being excellent in SAT Math does help with quantitative calculation in PST, however, the context is different. The SAT Math section includes only simple calculations in simple context; meanwhile, logic in business problems is highly emphasized in PST.

Why is this test so challenging?

• You will not have enough time to properly think through each question.

If you are going to read every single word in the case background and do every calculation “asked”, you will not be able to finish the test. You will need to know how to work through stress and pressure, how to give out “high-probability” answers instead of “exactly-right” ones, and how to painlessly skip questions.

• You will be judged by a machine (or if by a person, they will try to be like a machine).

I myself feel much more comfortable in an in-person case interview, where I will be fine as long as I have the right tactics. The interviewers generally allow candidates to make a few mistakes here and there, to slow down the process if needed, and to ask for help when necessary. In the PST, the result is all that matters. There will be no mercy granted. If you don’t get enough correct answers, you are out.

• On top of those, the questions themselves are hard!

A huge amount of logical and analytical reasoning is required. You will need to really grasp the logical fundamentals of how management consultants solve problems, e.g: the difference between a conclusion vs a hypothesis; etc.

How to prepare for the McKinsey PST?

Step 1 : Seek confirmation from the target office if you must take the PST

Step 2: Get familiar with official sample tests from McKinsey

Step 3 : Learn the logic of each question type, common mistakes, and how to answer correctly

Step 4: Practice mental math to improve calculation speed and accuracy

Step 5 : Practice speed reading and data selection

Step 6 : Practice answering individual question type under time pressure

Step 7 : Do one mock test with simulated test conditions

Step 8 : Review the test and your performance

Step 9 : Return to step 3, 4, 5, 6 to for further practice on weakness

Step 10 : Do mock test again, repeat until you can confidently hit 90% or more

McKinsey PST question types

Some emailed me and asked what they should do if there were 3 days left until the PST. I would still suggest you follow our spirit of learning. When you have little time, choose which question you want to prioritize, tackle it carefully and decide how deep you will go into it. If I were in your shoes, I would use this prioritization table

In addition to the above, I would suggest you practice your math in these last days. The learning curve at the beginning is usually high for anything, including  Mental Math . Doing better math can significantly improve your test score. It reduces simple mistakes (which can still cost you points) and allows you to have more time for other questions.

McKinsey PST study plan

These are the same steps I took to pass the PST years ago, and the basis for my product – the PST Comprehensive Package which has helped countless candidates pass this notoriously difficult consulting test.

Step 1. Answer the questions correctly

You are recommended to first answer all the test questions correctly without time pressure. Before, you need to break down all the questions into 6 question types as below. Besides, it is necessary to understand how these questions are constructed, what are their logical foundation, and even how the wrong choices are made.

Step 2. Answer the questions quickly

There will be no turning point that indicates you it is about time to move to the second step, but you should gradually try to answer the questions both correctly and quickly. Once getting all the correct answers without clocking, you should put yourself under time constraint. If you don’t know how to increase your speed, you have better to start with 3 tips below:

#1. Increase your reading speed.

The PST contains 3 business cases with various number and case context, which requires you to read as fast as possible (of course correctly). Many candidates cannot finish their PST because of being overwhelmed in text. The Princeton intensive program is helpfulto increase your speed by 2 times faster without difficulties.

#2. Increase your calculator speed.

Half of the test involves math, which have no way to improve but practice rigorously. The more you practice, the better you gain. If you haven’t found any efficient tips, try our method to score well with Mental Math!

#3. Embrace test-hacking tips.

After years of coaching students to MBB, I have collected wonderful tips and tricks to nail your test with less effort! Find out some of those tricks as below or check out the McKinsey PST Comprehensive for more detail!

Reading facts

Reading-facts is the most common question type in the McKinsey PST (38%) and the BCG Potential Test (up to 100%). These questions test your ability to understand the facts/data itself. There will be no inferring, logic, hypothesizing, or creativity needed. Instead, proficiency in chart reading and calculations will be handy here. See the picture below for an illustration.

QUESTION FORMAT

The following are a few examples of typical question formats:

• Which of the following values is the best estimate of…?
• Which of the following statements is valid based on the data…?
• Which of the following can be concluded from Exhibit…?

Sometimes even though the word “conclude” is used, questions don’t require any logical reasoning, just your ability to read facts and perform basic calculations. In these cases, I still classify these questions into the reading-facts category.

SAMPLE QUESTION

This question is written based on an official McKinsey practice PST.

Which of the following statements is valid based on the data in Table 1?

A) Soccer revenue was more than $325 thousand five years ago

B) Tennis revenue grew by no less than 1.2% in each of the last five years

C) The total revenue of Saigon League did not grow at all in the last five years

D) If the growth rate in the last 5 years is maintained, Soccer revenue will be more than $420K 5 years from now.

You will see that no tricky logical reasoning is needed here. All you need in order to answer these questions is the ability to read the table and perform calculations correctly.

COMMON MISTAKES

A good way to determine the correct option is to investigate if the other three are wrong. Now there are two ways you can be wrong in this type of PST question: (1) Incorrect calculation and (2) Misread the facts/ data

Type #2 is harder to understand, so I will dive deeper into that here. Let’s look at the sample question above. Hope you got D, the correct choice.

Example 1: How you can misread the data – Why A is wrong

If you overlook the phrase “Average annual” on column 3′s title, then Soccer revenue 5 years ago would be: $342.8 k / (100% + 4.5%) = $328 k, which is more than $325 thousand. Revenue grew at an average rate of 4.5% in EACH of the last 5 years. It is NOT 4.5% over the whole period of 5 years.

Example 2: How you can misread the data – Why B is wrong

If you overlook the phrase “Average” in column 3′s title, then it seems like the growth rate for each of the last 5 years is exactly 1.2%, no more, no less. B, therefore, seems correct. However, as indicated in the table, 1.2% is just an average figure, which means there are years with a lower or higher growth rate.

Example 3: How you can misread the data – Why C is wrong

If you overlook the second column of the table (Revenue this year column), then it seems like the average overall growth rate for Saigon League is 0% (4.5% + 3.3% + 1.2% – 9% = 0%), which makes C correct. However, different lines have different sizes. Even though Golf had negative growth of 9%, it is a relatively small line so its impact on the overall rate is small as well.

Hope that you will not make this mistake in your real PST. Again, PST is a simple test… when you have enough time!

PREPARATION GUIDE

Skill #1: Calculation

We have a detailed article on Consulting Math and how to strengthen your quantitative proficiency.

Skill #2: Chart/exhibit/table reading

Always take a moment to read and understand every single chart or graph you encounter in your everyday life.After all, practice makes perfect.

You can also improve your reading speed through an amazing speed reading program by Princeton University .

Skill #3: Attention to details

The devil is in the details. It’s the little things that can make or break a project, and no true consultants would let themselves be caught unaware.

Develop a habit in daily life. Have the mindset that I am not going to miss any stupid details.

For every practice question you get in this type, make sure you understand not only why an answer is right, but also why an answer is wrong, exactly like what I did above.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Which of the following statements is valid based on the data provided on Graph 3 above?

A) The Service-to-Agriculture ratio increased by more than 3 times between 1995 and 2007

B) Service GDP in 1995 is more than Industry GDP in 2007

C) Agriculture is where GDP value dropped the most between 1995 and 2007

D) In 2007, Service GDP is no less than 6 times Agriculture GDP

Correct answer: D

If you want to practice more, check out my PST Comprehensive Package for questions and answers!

Fact-based conclusion

Once you get into consulting, you will probably hear the term “fact-based” a million times a day. Consulting is the business of making conclusions based on facts. Consultants face tons of different problems throughout the course of any project: from the top to the granular level, from function to function, from industry to industry, etc. Fact-based conclusion is such a fundamental aspect of consulting that it weighs in heavily on the PST.

Fact-based conclusion questions test your ability to draw and recognize sound and logical conclusions based on a set of data/facts provided. See the picture below for an illustration.

• Which of the following statements is a valid conclusion based on …?
• Which of the following statements can be concluded from …?

The McKinsey team has an interview with the Chief Operating Officer of the New Bingham Mine, Salt Lake City. During the interview, the following facts have been gathered:

• The factory must have at least one safety inspector 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in accordance with Federal and State labor regulations.
• To maximize operational efficiency, there must be exactly 10 line workers operating the mine.
• The mine operates from 8 am until 5 pm, Monday to Sunday.
• The mine employs 4 safety inspectors and 16 line workers to make 20 workers in total.
• The total weekly labor cost for the Bingham Mine is $16,000.

Which of the following statements is a valid conclusion?

A. One-fifth of the total labor cost for the mine is for safety inspectors.

B. At least one safety inspector must work more than 40 hours per week.

C. Line workers do not work more than 40 hours per week.

D. The majority of the mine’s labor cost is for line workers.

A – Fit-well but not fact-based

There are 4 inspectors out of 20 employees so it seems like the cost of the inspectors can very well be 1/5 of total labor cost. But a missing piece of data to conclude that is: does each person get a similar total income?

C – Fit well but not fact-based

The mine opens for 9 hours per day, 7 days per week, and there must be 10 line workers at a time, so it is 630 man-hours per week at the line positions. There are 16 line workers, so on average each of them only needs to work 39 hours per week. This seems to fit very well with the proposed conclusion: line workers do not work more than 40 hours per week. However, a missing piece of data to conclude is: does every line worker work the same amount of time (if not, there can be some who work over 40 hours while others work less)?

D – Fit well but not fact-based

Similar to A, there are more line workers, so it seems like the total cost for line workers is more than the total cost for safety inspectors. But a missing piece of data needed to conclude is: does each worker get paid the same amount?

=> Only B is proven true by the provided facts

There are 24 * 7 = 168 inspector hours needed in a week, equaling 42 hours per week per inspector. So there must be one who works more than 40 hours.

Identifying proven true conclusions is an important foundation to master all conclusion-related questions. However, most conclusion-related questions in the McKinsey Problem Solving Test will be given in other formats. In this section, we will learn about the two types of twists: (1) False conclusions and (2) Conclusions reversed . Let’s start with the first one.

TWIST TYPE 1: FALSE CONCLUSION

Any proposed conclusion must fall into one of the following three groups: Proven True, Proven False, and Unproven. This twist is when a question asks you to identify the False Conclusion instead of the True Conclusion.

• Which of the following statements is FALSE based on …?
• Which of the following statements is FALSE based on … ?

METHODOLOGY

A proposed conclusion is proven false when you can point out at least one instance where the conclusion is wrong. Similarly, with true conclusion questions, unproven conclusions should also not be selected.

Notice that proven FALSE conclusions are NOT conclusions not proven TRUE. A conclusion will stay unproven until it is proved to be TRUE or FALSE.

Which of the following statements is FALSE based on Table 1?

A. A, Inc. had lower average economic growth in the last five years than D, LTD.

B. A, Inc. had higher average economic growth in the last five years than D, LTD.

C. Investment risk rating is based on the difference between maximum and minimum revenue growth in the past five years.

D. Potential rating is based on the maximum recent revenue.

Of A and B, A seems to be false and B seems to be true. However, both of them are unproven. The maximum and minimum figures are not enough to conclude the average.

We don’t know if C is right or not, but we know that it is not proven false. In the provided data, there is no instance where the larger difference between maximum and minimum recent revenue growth indicates smaller risk (and vice versa).

With D, we know for sure that it is proven false because we can point out an instance where the assertion conflicts with the data (B Corp. vs. D, LTD.).

TWIST TYPE 2: CONCLUSIONS REVERSED

Very often, conclusion questions in the McKinsey Problem Solving Test are given in a reversed format. You will be given the conclusion first and asked to pick what facts/ data would be enough to come up with that conclusion.

The key to answering this type of question is to recognize which proposed fact makes the stated conclusion proven or unproven.

This question is written based on an official McKinsey practice PST:

FOCUS Travel is a premium Russian tourism company, offering tours to South East Asian countries. Facing the economic downturn, FOCUS revenue has been hurt badly. While the CFO (Chief Finance Officer) proposed an overall price cut to stay competitive, the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) is concerned that a price reduction would negatively impact the premium perception of the brand, which drives a lot of sales.

Which of the following statements, if TRUE, would best support the CMO’s assertion?

A. In a recent survey, FOCUS’s customers quoted “price” as the most important indicator in choosing travel agencies in a list of ten factors.

B. In a recent survey, FOCUS’s customers quoted “price” as the most important indicator of quality in a list of ten factors.

C. In a recent survey, there were customers who said they would not buy FOCUS’s services if there was a 10% price increase.

D. In a recent survey, there were customers who said they would not buy FOCUS’s services if there was a 10% price decrease.

In this question, the “conclusion” has been given to us: Price reduction will negatively impact the premium perception, which will in turn negatively impact sales.

Of the four proposed answers, which facts are enough to prove the provided “conclusion” above?

A: This fact is only enough to conclude that price will impact sales. Not enough to prove that price reduction will negatively impact sales.

C: This fact is irrelevant.

D: This fact is not enough to conclude that price reduction will negatively impact sales because not all customers say so. The word “there were” can be understood as either a minority or a majority. It is only enough to conclude the proposed conclusions when “there were” is replaced with “the majority of” or “all“ .

With B, we can logically infer that price reduction will negatively impact the quality perception, which in turn will hurt to sales.

3.3. Root-cause reason

This question gives you a particular set of facts/data and asks you to identify what could be the cause for them. When doing a real consulting project, we consultants have to find out the root-cause reason. There may be various reasons that can cause the current situation, but the root-cause reason will help us tackle and solve it more efficiently. You can see the picture below for an illustration.

The following are a few examples of typical root-cause reason question format:

• Which of the following reasons, if TRUE, will help explain the Facts …?
• Which of the following does NOT explain the Facts …?
• Which of the following points is NOT a valid reason for the Facts …?

Only B is proven true by the provided facts

Facts provided: Visits to the website MConsultingPrep were relatively low last month.

Root-cause Reason Question: What reasons, if TRUE, would help explain the low traffic to MConsultingPrep last month?

The correct answers can be any of the following:

1. The quality of contents has been bad

2. Because of technical issues, some visitors could not access the website

3. Last month was December when the overall demand for job prep materials is lowest in the year

4. Other new consulting prep blogs opened recently

Fact-based Conclusion Question: What can be concluded from the data provided?

All of the statements above can be the reason for the stated fact, but NONE of them can be concluded from it.

An example of a statement that can be concluded: Because the conversion rate stayed constant over the years, revenue last month was relatively low.

What makes a statement NOT a potential reason for a particular fact?

There are two ways a statement cannot be the potential reason: (1) Wrong Subject and (2) Wrong Trend.

• A statement is (1) Wrong on Subject when the subject is irrelevant, which means the statement has zero effect on the phenomenon mentioned in the stated fact.
• A statement is (2) Wrong on Trend when the direction is reversed, which usually means the statement has a reversed effect on the phenomenon mentioned in the stated fact

Illustrative example Let’s continue with the simple example above. The Stated Fact: Visits to the MConsultingPrep blog were relatively low last month. (1) Example of a “Wrong Subject” statement: “Some new Investment Banking Prep blogs opened recently” Here the subject “Investment Banking Prep blogs” is irrelevant to the stated fact. The statement (1) will have zero effect on the stated fact. (2) Example of a “Wrong Trend” statement: “Some other existing Consulting Prep blogs closed recently” Here, even though the subject “Consulting Prep blogs” is relevant, the trend is reversed. The exit of Consulting Blogs will increase visits to MConsultingPrep. Therefore, statement (2) will have an opposite effect on the stated fact.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Fletcher is a major Steel producer in the Pacific continent. It has markets in New Zealand, Australia and other South East Asia countries. Of many types of steels, re-bar (reinforced bar) is typically used in high-rises and big construction projects.

There are three main groups of steel consumers in New Zealand:

• Homeowners purchase steel at retail sizes for purposes of self-constructing and self-renovating their homes
• Scaled private construction companies, who often contracts large construction projects and steel orders
• State-owned Enterprises (SOE), who build government’s projects such as roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, etc. (SOEs usually have bargaining power since steel providers need governments’ permissions in order to be legally used in particular countries.)

Table 1 below shows the size of re-bar steel market (in billions of $US)

Which of the following statements, if TRUE, best explains why future trends for South East Asia sales differ from sales in the other two markets?

A) South East Asia population is expected to grow strongest, which lead to high steel demand from individual homeowners.

B) South East Asia economy will be heavily based on SOE, so will the construction market.

C) South East Asia economy will shift toward privatization, so will the construction market.

D) Developed markets of New Zealand and Australia will have the most advanced steel production technology and facilities.

Correct answer: C

Word Problem

Word Problem is a quantitative question where the answer cannot be calculated directly from the data provided. Usually, we have to set up one or more equations in order to solve this kind of question. Word Problem questions in the McKinsey PST and Case Interviews are just the word problems we usually see in schools, GMAT… but put into business contexts. The method to solve them, therefore, is the same.

Table 1: Data on the Washing Room of Jean Valjean Restaurant

Suppose the restaurant opens 350 days a year. There are 3 meal shifts per day, 1 shift lasts 3 hours, 1 customer uses an average of 5 dishes per visit, and currently the restaurant hosts 530 customers on average daily.

What percentage of increase in the number of daily visits would be required in order to make purchasing the machines financially beneficial?

Step 1 . Convert data/facts into manageable and standardized format and units (only needed for complex questions).

Step 2 . Set up an equation with one (or more) unknown variables, i.e. X, Y, Z, etc.

Tips: Don’t worry about having to make the variable as the question asked. Just set up the equation in a way that makes the most sense to you as long as the variables can be easily converted to the asked variable. It will save much more time and helps you avoid silly mistakes.

Step 3 . Solve the equation and get the answer.

METHODOLOGY ILLUSTRATION

Let’s solve the sample question above together.

Step 1: This is a very complex question with many non-standardized and not ready-to-use data. If I am going to tackle this question on my PST, I would convert the provided figures and write them out on a table as follows.

Notice that I have converted all the necessary data points into the same unit of “Franc per day”.

The only data point not fully converted is the Labor cost in Manual Process (measured by the “per dish” variable), yet I want to make sure that I go as far as I can.

See how simple the problem is now!

Step 2: Now that we have very manageable data, let’s go ahead and set up an equation that will help us find the answer. The asked variable here is: what percent increase in current daily visits does Jean Valjean need?

As mentioned above, it is NOT necessary to put the variable question is looking for in the equation. In this case, doing so will result in a very awkward and complicated equation.

Instead, I set up the equation that makes the most sense to me (do note that there is more than one way to set up equations). Let Y be the “break-even size” (measured by people). I can easily calculate the percentage asked for after getting the break-even size.

Cost per day of Manual Process = Cost per day of Machine Process

Washing cost + Set up cost = Washing cost + Set up cost + other cost

Y x 5 dishes x 0.1 Franc + 30 Franc = 270 Franc + 90 Franc + 200 Franc

After executing step 1 and step 2, the problem becomes a lot easier. Now we have:

0.5 Y = 530

Y = 2 x 530

Once we have Y (the new “break-even” visit volume) of 2 * 530, we can quickly convert Y into the asked variable: What percent increase of 530 customers/day does Jean Valjean need?

The final answer is C.

Client Interpretation

In every consulting project, communication with the clients’ top-level (usually the Chairman or CEO) is always important. During my time with McKinsey, we usually hear an update every one or two weeks from our Project Director (usually a partner) on his meeting with the clients’ top level. Messages from those meetings are important on-going steers for the project. No surprise it makes up an entire question category in the Problem Solving Test.

Client Interpretation questions test your ability to read, understand, and interpret the messages the client is trying to convey in the case question or description. To some extent, this is very similar to GMAT verbal questions.

• Which of the following best summarizes the CEO’s concerns?
• Which of the following statements best describes the thoughts of the CEO regarding…?
• Based on the opinion of the head of the Department, which of the following statements is valid?
• Which of the following statements best describes the CEO’s aims for the McKinsey research?

Case context:

Mommy said she saw some dirty clothes on the dining table. She is also quite shocked to see Kevin’s toys in every room throughout the house. She even complains about how much time it takes her every night to clean up Kevin’s mess. “I will have to have a very straightforward conversation with Kevin tonight!”, said mom

Which of the following statements best describes the Mom’s concern?

A. Mom is not happy about too many of Kevin’s toys sitting on the dining table

B. Mom does not expect to see that many of Kevin’s toys in the house

C. Mom does not like to be responsible for anyone’s mess

D. Mom is too busy these days

E. Mom wants to talk to Kevin

F. Mom wants Kevin to be tidier

In this example, we continuously get small data points, all leading to one bottom-line, not explicitly mentioned but can be reasonably interpreted:

Kevin is too messy and mom doesn’t like that!

Notice that, the bottom-line here is not explicitly stated but it IS the bottom-line. All 4 sentences in the case context are small pieces of data leading to that final “so-what”. Having this “so-what” in mind, you can just skim through the answer and quickly pick F without concern about other choices.

In case you are curious about how other choices are “wrong-choice” …

Choices B and E are in fact right according to the case context, but not the bottom-line.

Choices A is simple wrong according to the case context (Tip #2)

Choices C and D are neither right or wrong according to the case context. There are not enough “evidence” to be reasonably interpreted using common sense.

TIPS AND TRICKS

Tip #1: Read the case description before going to multiple choices!

Normally the strategy of scanning through the answers first before going back to the case description works when you have a very long case description and don’t know where to look for the right information. Scanning through the answers helps you get a more focused read on the case description. However, the client’s assertion is typically found in a very short and specific part of the case description. So once you realize it’s a Client Interpretation question, go back to the case description and find that very specific part of the client’s assertion. Make sure you understand it very well. Then the rest of the work is just determining which of the four choices has the same meaning as the original assertion.

Tip #2: Cross out some obviously wrong choices …

… by recognizing a few words or short phrases that make a choice incorrectly reflect the client’s assertion. Sometimes, you can do this very quickly and effectively. If not, please see tips #3.

Tip #3: Catch the bottom-line, the “so-what” of client’s assertion

Client’s expression as quoted in the case context is always a bit blur and confusing. That is very realistic of what you may encounter in the real consulting work. It also makes these question types challenging. But in almost every situation, there is always one “so-what”, stated explicitly or implicitly. The trick here is to catch that so-what, ignore the noise, and go straight for the answer choice. Most of the time, the wrong choices DO contain a part of the client’s assertion, but either not the whole idea or the main, the bottom-line, the most important one!

Using this method, you can fly and land straight to the correct choice, not having to care too much about how wrong choices are made of. But if you are curious, some of the most common wrong-choice types:

• Choice that is simply wrong according to the client’s assertion (Tip #2 above).
• Choice that is in fact right, but is a minor point, NOT the bottom-line of the client’s assertion.
• Choice that seems to be right, but cannot be reasonably interpreted by common sense (not by scientifically supporting logic like in other question types).

Gangnam Market is a convenience-stores chain mainly in the Gangnam district, Seoul, Korea. Though it has been losing money almost every year since 2000, Gangnam Market secures a good deal of strategic locations in the highly populated Gangnam district. Recently, Gangnam Market was acquired by Lotte Mart in its aspiration to expand to the mini-market market. Lotte right away sets up a transformation project to get Gangnam Market back on track. The CEO of Gangnam Market states that aggressive transformation targets are fine for newly acquired stores with a similar operation model with Lotte’s big stores, but he hopes that the parent company is realistic about the convenience-stores model Gangnam has been operating with.

Which of the following statements best reflect the concerns of Gangnam Market’s CEO?

A) He is concerned that Gangnam Market will never be able to transform itself into Lotte system because Gangnam Market only presents in a specific geographic location

B) He is concerned that Lotte Mart sets transformation milestones that are too aggressive and not realistic for newly acquired companies like Gangnam Market

C) He is concerned that Lotte Mart’s transformation milestones are not realistic for companies with different operational model from Lotte Mart like Gangnam Market

D) He is concerned that Lotte Mart’s transformation targets are too high for Gangnam Market because it has been losing money for a while

Formulae questions are generally like word problems in PST where you don’t have to provide the actual numerical results, just the formulae containing letters representing input variables. Normally, the question will provide input variables in letter format and you will be asked to provide the right formulae in letter format (e.g. it takes the process center T hours to process each file. If the speed is doubled, it takes T/2 hours to process each file). This is one of the easiest PST question types on the McKinsey PST. Let’s make sure you don’t lose points on any question of this type in your exam!

Table 3.6.1: Labor Cost and Processing Data – Holcim Missouri plant

Which of the following formulae accurately calculates the annual cement output per worker?

A. (c x p) / (b + w)

B. (c x p) / [(b + w) x 12]

C. 144 x (c x p) / (b + w)

D. 12 x (c x p) / (b + w)

FORMULAE FOR SUCCESS IN FORMULAE QUESTIONS

Formula 1: Calculate first before looking at the given option

A popular technique for multiple-choice questions is to read the answers first before coming back to the facts. However, that technique would not help you with Formulae Questions. The reason for this is that, often, the end-result formula has already been simplified (e.g. canceling out the same variable on both numerator and denominator) as much as possible. It gives you neither the path to get there nor any hints on how to solve the problem. For instance, when you look at the four options in the example above, does any of them give you a sense of what it represents or how to get there? What does (c x p) represent? What do you get by multiplying Cement output by Monthly labor income?

Formula 2: Divide the problem into smaller pieces (take one step at a time)

This is the universal tip for everybody in the consulting industry, and it also works great here! Often, the result cannot be directly calculated from the provided variables. However, if you take an extra step in-between, the problem becomes a lot easier. Let’s solve the sample question above together to illustrate this point. I broke the problem into smaller steps as below:

• Step 1: Annual cement output per worker = Total annual cement output / Total number of workers
• Step 2: Since we already have Total annual cement output of (c), the next step is to calculate the total number of workers. Total number of workers = Total labor cost / Salary of 1 worker Both Total labor cost and salary are provided. Bingo!
• Step 3: Simplify the final formulae

Formula 3: Get the reading-facts tools right

In some aspects, the formulae question is also a tweaked version of reading-facts questions. You still need to read some facts and perform some calculations (with letters instead of real numbers). Therefore, it is important to master those reading-facts tools and apply them here.

Illustration of a usual mistake: Now come back to Step 2 above and explicitly solve it.

Step 2: Total number of workers = Total labor cost / Salary of 1 worker = (b + w) / p

Step 3: Annual cement output per worker = c / [(b + w) / p] = (c x p) / (b + w)]

Chosen choice: A

Unfortunately, A is NOT the correct answer, because the above calculation doesn’t take into account the difference in units – the salary is on a monthly basis whereas the total labor cost is on an annual basis. If you convert the unit, the final choice should be D.

No matter how beautifully you have tackled the problem, you will not get any credit if small mistakes like this slip through the crack. Make sure you don’t get blindsided by this kind of pitfall!

VICEM is a leading cement company in South East Asia. The following data regarding its business and production has been gathered.

Table 3.6.2: VICEM Business and Production data

Clinker factor is defined as the amount of clinker needed to produce 100 units of cement.

Which of the following formulas calculates the amount of clinker (in tons) needed to purchase in a year?

A) [(s x f) / 100] – c

B) [(p – s) / 100] – c

C) (p x f) – c

D) [(p x f) / 100] – c

 ANSWER KEY

McKinsey PST sample test

Download McKinsey PST practice test (PDF): TOYO case .

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This article will give a detailed explanation of failing the test and practical advice to minimize the chance of poor performance in the McKinsey game.

The McKinsey Solve (other names: PSG, Problem Solving Game, Digital Assessment, Imbellus) is a two-piece gamified test designed by Imbellus for McKinsey.

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• Our PST preparation programmes

McKinsey PST: an adaptive learning approach to pass the test

The McKinsey Problem Solving Test (McKinsey PST) is a data interpretation and critical number reasoning test used by McKinsey to select candidates to be admitted to the first round of case interviews . The use of the PST is the main difference between the McKinsey recruiting process and those of its main competitors. The other distinct element is the PEI, or Personal Experience Interview. However, with this set of questions on personal impact McKinsey closely approximates the fit interviews of other firms.

The McKinsey PST is so notoriously difficult because it tests a very diverse skillset and requires you to work under the tightest of time constraints . Of those candidates good enough to be considered and given the PST McKinsey only pass one in three - where failure means immediate rejection . However, we are proud to say that despite the average PST pass rate being so low, 85% of candidates who use our course pass their own PST . For anyone who doesn't pass, we return half of their money .

This article serves as a guide to help you prepare for your McKinsey PST. We begin with an overview of what the PST is all about - this gives you a five minute briefing on all the essential information and the context of the PST.

Next, we spend some time going through each kind of PST question in turn, providing structured approaches to tackling them, complete with fully-worked PST example questions and specific PST tips and tricks which might come in useful.

Finally, we put everything together, with step-by-step guidelines on how to prepare for McKinsey PST success using our adaptive learning methodology .

Practice tests developed by McKinsey consultants

There are seven key facts which you will need to know about the McKinsey PST:

1. Who Has to Do the PST?

Not everyone has to do the McKinsey Problem Solving Test . Experienced hires and those recruited from top-tier business schools are often spared. However, in general, anyone applying to an entry-level business analyst role will be expected to pass the McKinsey PST to be considered.

If you are not sure whether you will be required to do the PST, your default assumption should be that you will , but you should ask with the HR team at the office you are applying to so as to be certain - this is a perfectly reasonable enquiry to make.

2. Format: 26 Questions, Pen and Paper

The PST is a multiple choice test completed on paper. 26 questions are divided between three business cases . These cases test how you would perform in the different phases of a consulting project: client interaction, problem definition, problem solving, analytical work and implementation. The cases are on the kinds of issues that real consultants will encounter in the field, including problems on market entry, profitability and operational improvement.

3. 60 Minutes

Quite simply, if you had three hours to work on an individual McKinsey PST, you could pass easily without any help. Time is the single major constraint in the PST. You are not allowed to use a calculator , computer or any other time saving device beyond your own brain, you need to make sure you have developed and practiced the required skillset - especially time saving skills - and approach the test as a whole with the most effective possible strategy .

60 minutes equates to just over two minutes per question , with a few minutes at the end to enter answers onto the answer sheet and quickly check everything is in order. Many candidates actually fail simply as they do not allow enough time at the end for this basic task. You have to be ready to work fast!

4. Make or Break

No matter how good your resume is , if you fail the PST McKinsey will not consider you any further and you will not be invited to interview. Remember, there will be hundreds of candidates with comparable resumes and the Problem Solving Test is given precisely to thin down this field. Passing is mandatory. Even after you pass and interview, your PST score will be considered alongside your interview performance to determine whether you are given an offer.

5. 70% Cut-Off

Success in the PST is an absolute function of your score rather than how it compares relative to other candidates - there is no "curve" . As such, performing better than the next candidate will be meaningless in itself. If all the candidates are sub-standard, all will fail.

Whilst McKinsey does not publish the exact cutoff for the PST, the best estimates (based on surveys of successful candidates) place it at around 70% .

One important point to remember is that you should give an answer for every question even if you are not entirely sure . The PST is not scored negatively - that is, for the PST McKinsey will not penalise for incorrect guesses (as per the system many medical students will be familiar with). As such, you should always give your best guess , just in case you get lucky.

6. 1-in-3 Success Rate

Whilst scoring is absolute, unofficial surveys have indicated that a fairly regular PST pass rate at around 33% . Most of those candidates who fail do so because they didn't work efficiently enough and/or failed to manage their time correctly , rather than because they lacked any cognitive capacity. One of the major causes of failure is actually candidates not allocating sufficient time at the end of the test to fill in the PST answer sheet!

The takeaway here is that the McKinsey Problem Solving Test should be treated more as a skill-test to be practiced for , rather than as some assessment of raw intelligence you can simply walk in and expect to pass if you are clever enough. You need to understand the relevant time saving methods and strategies to approach the test as a whole if you want to pass and eventually land your job at McKinsey.

7. McKinsey PST vs GMAT

If you have never sat the GMAT, you can skip this point. Many candidates who have previously prepped for and sat the GMAT suffer from a false assumption that the PST will be the same test by a different name - that there are very few diffences in the McKinsey PST vs GMAT. However, despite the similar format, this is not the case.

There is some overlap - for instance, you will need to have strong math for both. However, the PST requires a totally different, less academic style of math , where you need to be able to estimate, prioritise calculations and know how to take the right shortcuts (our mental math article is relevant on the differences here). Generally, the PST and GMAT serve different purposes and are tailored to those purposes in different ways. As such, you need to treat the PST as its own beast and prep for it accordingly.

An AI-based, bespoke preparation plan

As we have noted, the McKinsey PST is partitioned into three business cases, with eight to ten questions for each case. As with a real project, or indeed a case interview, you will be presented with data in charts or tables as well as with descriptive text . Typically, each individual piece of information will be followed by two to three questions referring to that information specifically.

PST questions can be split into six groups which can be expected to account for different fractions of the test. Let's take an in-depth look at each:

1. ~35% - Reading Facts

Reading facts PST questions test your ability to extract and elaborate data from graphs and tables. These are the most common question type, and you can expect them to make up around 35% of your PST.

Typical Formats

• Which of the following values is the best estimate of ...?
• Which of the following statements is valid, based on the data ...?
• What is the current ranking of options 1 to 5?
• Which of the following values is the best estimate of ABC revenue in Year 4?
• To the nearest tenth percentage point, what is the difference between Italy’s and Spain’s respective average annual agriculture sector growths due to fertilizing over the last 10 years?

Worked Example

The table below shows the sales development of the Topstar business unit across the main markets.

Which of these markets showed the fastest sales development (in percentage terms) from 2009-2012?

As you can see, two minutes is not a lot of time to solve this! Let's have a look at an efficient method to let you get to the answer as quickly as possible. The steps identified here generalise to other reading facts questions.

Read the question - pretty straightforward in this case, as you are asked to identify the country with the highest growth rate.

Read the answers - there are four countries to be compared.

Go back to the table - compare the growth rate, between only 2009 and 2012, for those four countries. Simplify figures as much as possible and run precise calculations only if you find out that the difference between two countries growth rates is not large enough to guarantee a reliable result through simplification.

Define the calculation - you need to work out the form of the equation you would need to solve in order to calculate market growth. This will be:

Now you can put the equation to work. Start with the first option - the US. Approximately, US growth will be:

From simple inspection, this is obviously much higher than 50% - it is around 70%.

You can then move on to other countries using this US value as a benchmark and comparing them solely to that value. Germany's growth will be:

This is very close to 50% - so obviously less that the ~70% of the US. You can cross out Germany as an incorrect answer. Note that, if the value for Germany had been higher than the US one, you would have crossed out the US and gone forward using the German growth value as your benchmark.

For Italy, the calculation will be:

1/3 is (roughly) 33%, so obviously lower than 50% and certainly lower than the US. Cross out Italy!

For Japan, growth was from 50 to 58, so there is no need to make any calculations in order to rule it out.

This leaves he US (option A) as the correct answer.

Tips and Tricks

There are a couple of tricks you can employ to get through Reading Facts questions more efficiently:

1. Begin with an end in mind

Before performing any calculations, be clear on which formula/equation you need to use. This is crucial as there is no time for trial and error in the PST. Spending just a few more seconds nailing down the exact formula you need at the beginning will pay dividends by saving you much more time in the calculation phase.

2. Minimise the number of calculations

When going through your solutions, you will be surprised by how many calculations can be avoided or approximated mentally. The fundamental question you should ask yourself before performing any calculation is "does this affect the answer?". This might sound a little odd, but it is a habit which you must form to become quick enough to pass the McKinsey PST. Here are a couple of examples where you can "work clever" to avoid redundant calculations:

The Anchoring Technique

This the technique we used in the example above. When looking for the highest value amongst several possible answers, run calculations for the first answer and use that value as a threshold value as you work through the others. If other answers look immediately wrong, do not perform any further calculations - just as we did with Japan, above. (Generally, you can almost think of this as a less probabilistic version of the solution to the secretary problem .)

The Selection Technique

Here, you pre-select only the calculations which are essential to identifying the answer. For example, the question below asks you to rank the effectiveness of 5 solutions:

• 1, 2, 4, 3, 5
• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• 1, 3, 2, 4, 5
• 1, 3, 2, 5, 4

Calculating whether solution A is the most effective is a complete waste of your time – it is the least answer-changing analysis. Instead, calculate which is the most effective between solutions B and C, working from there.

3. Master quick percentage calculations

Growth rates and percentages are ubiquitous in the McKinsey Problem Solving Test. In particular, it is pretty much a certainty that you will be asked to calculate growth rates over multiple time periods. This is theoretically feasible by hand, but extremely time-consuming. For example, say the revenues of a given company are growing at 5% per year for four years. In order to get a precise result, you would need to calculate the four year compound growth rate as follows:

Quite simply, regardless of how quick you are at math, you absolutely do not have the time to go through this whole calculation. It would almost certainly take more than two minutes just for this step, which might not actually be enough to answer the whole question (usually, calculating such a percentage will only be a subset of a question).

Instead, you can arrive at an approximate but good-enough value for this growth rate by using a straightforward shortcut. To do this, we simply multiply the growth rate by the number of years it will apply for, estimating the compound growth rate. Here, this will be 5% x 4 years = 20%.

There are a couple of caveats here which will already be obvious to more mathematically inclined readers:

• With positive growth rates, the compound rate will be underestimated. Above, we estimate 20%, but the real figure is actually 21%. Conversely, with negative growth rates, this method will overestimate the compound value.
• The greater the magnitude of the annual growth rate and the greater the number of years for which it is applied, the less precise this technique becomes. For instance, five years of compound growth at 5% per annum yields a 27% compound growth rate, whilst this shortcut would give us a value of 25%.

2. ~18% - Root-Cause Reasons

Root-Cause Reason PST questions test your ability to identify the causes underlying business problems. These questions begin from some fact about a business, which must be explained. The candidate is then given a list of putative explanations for this fact. However, only one of this list of suggestions is actually a logically valid explanation of the phenomenon in question. The candidate must identify which this is.

• Which of the following reasons, if TRUE, is most likely to be the reason for the drop in house prices in year two?
• Which of the following, if true, LEAST explains the data for Slovenia and the Czech Republic in Exhibit 2?
• Which of the following reasons, if TRUE, best explains the reason why the CEO wants to proceed to ...?
• Which of the following does NOT help to explain why ...?
• Which of the following, if TRUE, would best challenge the sales manager's decision?

Zapclothing is a global fashion retailer, traditionally catering primarily to teenage girls and with shops across Europe. Five years ago, the senior management at Zapclothing decided to embark up an move upmarket, with the aim of catering to a slightly older and more affluent customer base.

Leading French and Italian designers were hired to create unique and exclusive lines for Zapclothing, whilst prices were raised across the entire product line by 20-30%. A series of events were held in all major global cities in order to launch the new incarnation of Zapclothing as a brand with a more sophisticated, upscale image.

Initially, this mid-market transition boosted profit margins without altering sales volumes. However, one year later, the company has found itself with plummeting revenues and a decreased profit margin. In order to return profits to their previous higher levels, the marketing manager has proposed a permanent price reduction of 10% across all lines.

Which of the following facts, if true, would best challenge the sales manager's price reduction proposal?

• Over the last year, due to higher commodity costs, prices increased by 15% on average for the whole fashion industry
• Consumers consistently quoted price among the top three quality attributes for mid and high-level fashion brands in surveys over the last 5 years
• In a recent survey, over 80% of the existing customer base claimed that they would still buy more than 50% of their clothes from Zapclothing, regardless of price
• Females aged 20-30 consider price among the top three criteria for deciding whether to make a purchase
• Read the question carefully, making sure that you understand what is being asked.
• Scan the answers and underline the key words in the text. Don't spend any more than 10 seconds on this step - the intention is simply to make you quicker in finding the relevant parts of the introductory paragraph.
• Think carefully about how this proposal can be challenged. The most effective challenge is necessarily that acting based on this proposal would not help to solve the company's problems - in our example, restoring high revenues. If this is the case, then the proposal does not correctly identify the cause of the focal issue.
• Go back to the answers, crossing out the incorrect ones. Let's see how we assess the four answers in our example:
• Not relevant . The fact that prices increases increased on average by 15% for the whole industry does not tell us whether a decision to reduce prices would bring in additional revenue from existing and/or new customers. FALSE
• If consumers consider a higher price to be a signal for superior for mid and high-level fashion brands (where Zapclothing hs positioned itself), reducing prices could have a neutral or even counterproductive effect on revenue growth. TRUE
• Not relevant . This statement is only relevant to revenue derived from existing customers. Even if the behaviour of current customers was entirely unchanged, revenues could still be grown by tapping the pool of potential new customers. The information provided is incomplete and would not be sufficient to challenge the sales manager's proposal. FALSE
• Opposite Direction. This fact would not challenge the sales manager's idea, but reinforce it. FALSE

Practice makes perfect

Correct answers in Root-Cause Reason questions will always have two elements in common:

• Relevance - they have a significant effect on the target stated in the introductory paragraph
• Correct Directionality - their effect on the target should be going in the direction required by the question

As we have already observed in the example above, there are generally three kinds of answer in Root Cause Reasons:

1. Not Relevant

These are answers which have no, or only limited, effect on the proposal in question (as with answers A and C in the example above). By identifying the kind of fact which would have some bearing on the proposal, you will be able to quickly pick out answers which simply have no influence on the relevant issue.

Note here that you should always be careful not to assume anything which is not explicitly stated. Often, there can be a temptation to think beyond what is actually on the page. For example, when you are assessing C above, some candidates might assume that the preferences of existing customers will also be representative of potential new customers as well, or perhaps that the focus on existing customers indicates their particular importance to the problem. This would make C seem more relevant to the sales manager's proposal and would thus then ultimately lead you into error. PST questions are a test of your ability to read closely and think logically - not of your imagination!

2. Relevant, But With the Wrong Directionality

These answers affect the proposal in question, but with the effect going in the opposite direction to what you are looking for. For example, D above actually reinforces the sales manager's proposal rather than challenging it.

One of the most common errors in Root-Cause Reason questions is selecting answers which are relevant, but with the opposite directionality to what the questions is asking for. As such, you must always keep in mind what the question has actually requested and the kind of answer which fulfils that request.

3. Relevant and With the Correct Directionality

These are answers which significantly affect the proposal in the correct direction, according to the parameters set by the question.

3. ~17% - Fact-Based Conclusions

Fact-Based Conclusion PST questions test your ability to draw logical conclusions from a collection of facts. These questions can manifest the greatest degree of variation of all types, and can range from something relatively similar to a Reading Facts question to a requirement for you to make some very tough inferences from rather vague introductory text.

• Which of the following statements can be concluded from ...?
• Based on the data on table ..., which of the following statements is a valid conclusion?

Pharcom is a global pharmaceutical company engaged in the development of small molecule drugs. Your team has been called by the Head of R&D to help him pre-select the drugs that are most likely to reach patenting and commercialization. He claims that, on average, 12% of researched drugs are cleared to be marketed, while the remainder are dismissed either during the R&D process or at final certification. Currently the average total expense for every drug in development is £12m and the full trial and certification lasts for 10 years for the drugs going through the full process. The research and development process of the drugs is constituted by the following steps:

• Trial 1 : Laboratory trial to test the effect of the active ingredients. The trial costs £3.5m and lasts for 2 years.
• Trial 2 : Laboratory trial to test the impact of side effects. The trial costs £4m and lasts for 1.5 years.
• Trial 3 : Animal testing to evaluate bacteria resistance. The trial costs £4.5m and lasts for 4.5 years.
• Final certification by Food and Drug Administration . Filing costs £4.5m. Certification lasts for 2.5 years.

Which of the following statements can be concluded based on the information above?

• Most drugs complete the entire research, development and certification process.
• Before being either approved or dismissed, drugs remain in the development and certification process for an average of 7.5 years.
• Reducing by 50% the length of Trial 2 and Trial 3 would reduce the total cost of the Pharcom research and development process by £4.25m.
• Over 50% of the drugs reach Trial 3 stage in the research and development process.
• Read the question carefully and make sure you understand what is being asked.
• Read the answers and underline key words in the introductory text . Identify the specific graph or portion of the introductory paragraph each answer refers to.
• Start with the numerical answers . These are often the clearest and most straightforward to solve. Generally, go back and forth between the answers and the introductory text and any figures. To identify the correct answers, it helps to consider whether the opposite of the statement would be true.
• Since the average cost per drug is £12m, we can quickly establish that the average time in the pipeline is 8 years - at the end of Trial 3 - as this is the point where £12m of expenses have been accrued (£3.5m from Trail 1, £1.5m from Trial 2 and £4.5m from Trial 3). Let's take the hypothetical case where 50% of drugs stay in the pipeline for 7.5 years and 50% for 8.5 years. In this case, no drugs at all complete the pipeline, but the mean time spent in that pipeline would be 8 years. Since cases where no drugs at all are approved are compatible with the information we have been given, we certainly can't safely infer that most drugs are approved. As such, we can rule out A. FALSE

As we have just established, the average time drugs are in the process before being dismissed or certified is 8 years (as the average cost of £12m is accrued by the end of Trial 3). Obviously, then, the value here of 7.5 years in wrong. FALSE

We simply don't have the information which would be required to know if this statement is true or not. It might be tempting to imagine here that if we halve the time for a trial, we halve the duration of a trial, then we halve its cost - this would indeed yield a value of £4.25m. However, we have no justification for the assumption here that cost varies with time in a purely linear fashion. In more usual business terminology, we cannot assume that the costs associated with trials are purely variable, so that halving the trial's magnitude halves costs. There might be fixed costs which are incurred regardless of trial length - perhaps administrative costs in setting up the trial or the cost of buying equipment, recruiting staff etc. Clearly we cannot state C to be true based on the information we have. FALSE

Trial 3 is reached after 3.5 years - that is, the total duration of Trials 1 and 2. As above, the average time each drug spends in the pipeline is 8 years. Now, mathematically, it is entirely possible for mean and modal values to diverge significantly. This is to say, it is possible for more than half of drugs to be in the pipeline for much less than our 8 year average value as long as there are some drugs staying in the pipleline for much longer so as to balance them out.

Let's take another hypothetical extreme case. We could keep a mean of 8 years but approach the case where the majority of drugs did not make it to Trial 3 by assuming that 50% of drugs are rejected just slightly before the 3.5 year mark. To keep a mean of 8 years, then, the other 50% of drugs would need to remain in the pipleine for 12.5 years. However, the maximum length of the process before certification is 10 years. As such, we know that more than 50% of drugs must be in the pipeline for more than 3.5 years - and thus make it into Trial 3. TRUE

In dealing with Fact-Based Conclusion PST questions, there are three types of answer which you might encounter:

1. False Conclusions

Some answers might simply be false or wrong. Even if they seem logically sound, the outcome might be reversed or otherwise wrong.

2. True Conclusions

Answers which both have sound logic and draw the correct conclusion.

3. Unproven Conclusions

The logic here might be correct and the conclusion might well seem reasonable. However, they cannot be fully supported by the facts which have been presented to you in the introductory text and/or graph.

How to discern false answers from true ones

Telling apart true and false answers can be both challenging and time consuming. In particular, some answers will require to mentally estimate a whole set of values for which statements or relationships might hold. Here are two steps which might prove useful in assessing a statement:

Can the opposite also be true?

Always consider whether the opposite of what has been stated can actually be disputed. Candidates typically fail to ask themselves this question, but it can be highly revealing. You will be surprised at how much of a difference asking this simple question can make.

Consider the extremes

Answers should always hold true - not just most of the time. If an answer is not always true, it is not valid. A variant of this method we used above to verify answer D above - we considered the extreme values which would could notionally maintain the average of 8 years, but then ruled these out as impossible within the bounds of the question.

4. ~15% - Word Problems

Word Problem PST questions require you to solve business problems by combining information across sources. In other kinds of question in the Problem Solving Test, you will find all the relevant data from exhibits or introductory paragraphs. However, in Word Problems, part of the challenge is that the relevant data is spread between the question itself as well as the introductory text or exhibits. If you have taken the GMAT, you will find that word problems are the closest of the PST question types to what you will find in the GMAT.

• Assuming that a machine costs $2m, how many years will it take for the firm to break even from its investment?
• If an average employee is paid 12 hours per month, which of the following formulae accurately calculates the average number of items handled per employee, per month?
• If employees’ salaries are increased by 20%, what is the increase in productivity required to break even?
• Assuming that the economy keeps on growing at 2% per year for the upcoming 10 years, which of the following equations best approximates the decrease in the debt/GDP ratio?

Ardito, a leading fast fashion retailer, has 79,000 employees spread over 3,350 branches. Maison operates on approximately 25 FTE employees per retail branch. Approximately, how many more branches than Ardito should Maison have to sell as many items in menswear as Ardito?

• Carefully read and understand the Word Problem
• Go through the answers to assess the level of precision which you are going to need in your calculations. Here, since the answers are quite far apart, you will be able to estimate rather than calculated precisely.

First, consider what has to be kept constant

This yields:

At this point, we have two possible solutions. The first is as follows:

The final answer will be between 1000 and 2000. Thus, we know the answer is B. However, note how many steps and how many calculations were involved here - you almost certainly won't be able to get this done in under two minutes!

The second solution takes care of this problem and is as follows:

Here, you simply plug numbers from the answer options into the equation and see which would make that equation work. This method is by far the more efficient way to solve this kind of problem.

Quickly, we can see that 1,700 is the only result fitting the equation. Thus, the answer is B. Note how much faster this was than the first solution.

5. ~10% - Client Interpretation

Client Interpretation questions focus on understanding project requirements and the analyses which will be necessary to tackle the client's concerns. In consulting projects, you will engage every day with various stakeholders from the client company . Fundamentally, client interpretation questions are about understanding:

• What the client says that can have an impact on defining the scope of your project
• What the client implies about given choice or strategy
• Which are the best analysis decisions to take in order to fit the client’s needs
• Which of the following best summarizes the CEO’s concerns?
• Which of the following statements best describes the thoughts of the CEO regarding...?
• Based on the opinion of the Head of Department, which of the following statements is/are valid?
• Which of the following statements best describes the CEO’s aims for the McKinsey study?
• Which of the following analyses would be LEAST useful to address the CEO’s concerns?
• Given the aims of the CEO, what would be the LEAST relevant question for the team to answer?

Soul is a leading fashion retailer, selling clothing, shoes, make-up and accessories. It has around 400 shops worldwide, of which 200 are in the UK. Soul operates through a franchising model, where shops are run by private independent companies who pay a royalty fee to Soul. In exchange, Soul designs the shops and supplies them with new clothing lines, manages branding and advertising, sets promotions and provides shop-owners with guidance on all standard operating procedures for running the shops. This strategy enabled Soul to dramatically grow in scale, boosting shop opening and customer base. However, customer numbers have recently plateaued, resulting in slower sales and profit growth.

The CEO of Soul has engaged your team to help understand whether the recent changes in revenue and profitability trends are related to unsatisfactory shopping experience. He is convinced that the recent growth in scale came at the expense of a consistent shopping experience across all locations. He tells the team “I am sure that the responsibility of the current slowdown lies in poor delivery by the shop owners. I recently visited five shops in different countries and three of them did not fully apply our policies ensuring consistency in shop layout and pricing policies. This is disorienting our customers and pushing them to seek out our increasingly aggressive competitors”.

Which one of the following answers BEST describes why the CEO has engaged your team?

• He wants help in implementing a coherent and consistent brand image and shopping experience across all shops.
• He wants to identify the causes of the inconsistent shopping experience across shops in different countries.
• He wants to validate his hypothesis that an inconsistent shopping experience in different stores led to declining revenues and profitability.
• He wants to overhaul the set of policies and standard operating procedures imposed to shops in order to guarantee a consistent shopping experience.

Here, two aspect of the established method from above take on increased significance over the others:

• Read the question . This is generally pretty straightforward, and simply enquires as to the client's reason for engaging McKinsey.
• Scan the answers and underline key words. Do not spend any more than 10 seconds on this step. As before, the purpose is simply to facilitate finding relevant pieces of information later.
• Go back to the text and quickly jump to the relevant part . More than 50% if the paragraph is of little or no use. Precisely reading the essential sentence will be enough to answer the question.
• This answer may be true, but it does not capture the purpose behind engaging your team. The CEO did not call your team to advise him on branding or design, but because he wants to understand the causes of his company's downturn. FALSE
• The reason for engaging your team is not to understand the causes of the poor shopping experience, but the causes of the downturn - these are not necessarily going to be the same thing. FALSE
• The purpose of this engagement is finding out whether inconsistent shopping experiences across stores led to the current downturn. TRUE
• Again, this answer could be true, but it is not the reason for engaging your team. The CEO did not bring you in to redesign policies, but to understand the causes of the downturn. FALSE
• Highlight the keywords in all answers . Prioritising the right words and sentences will save you a great deal of time.
• Cross out incorrect answers . Often, one or more answers will be clearly incorrect, whilst two or more will appear to be correct or almost correct. Cross out the obviously wrong answers before returning to the introductory text to pick out which of the "almost right" answers is actually correct.
• Beware of the "sensible answer trap" . Sometimes, answers contain implications which look rational and sensible. However, be very careful about making assumptions beyond the information you have been supplied. No matter how reasonable a statement might seem, if the client has not actually said something to that effect, that statement is simply not valid.

6. ~5% - Formulae

Formulae PST questions ask you to express a quantitative word problem as a symbolic formula. This will test you capacity for abstraction by challenging your abilities to extrapolate from data, break down problems and identify drivers and directions of causality.

Which of the following formulae calculates the share of non-performing loans out of total loans?

Typical format

Which of the following formulae best approximates ...?

Forman Fisheries is engaged in packaging shrimp and other fish. Shrimp are graded from A to D depending upon their size and taste. Below are some key productivity indicators for Forman Fisheries' shrimp packaging activities:

Assuming that all boxes contain the same quantity of shrimps, which of the following formulae best approximates how many boxes of non-grade A shrimps were packed in the last month?

• Homogenise your units of measurement . Since we are looking at a number over one month, wherever we will need the quantity of total boxes c, we will divide it 12, since it is an annual indicator.

Break down the problem into smaller steps . This should help you get to the relevant ratio more quickly. In this case:

Identify how to solve for each of the elements of this equation:

Simplifying:

And thus the correct answer is answer D.

All you need to pass the McKinsey PST

Sometimes, answer formulae are presented with various simplifications which can make it time consuming to figure out whether they are correct. However, formula questions are about extrapolating a formula which should work with any value for each variable.

A trick to double check your results is to replace some of the values in the table with simpler ones, come up with a solution and then plugging these simple values into the formulae to see if they produce that same solution.

For example, in this case, assume that:

Grade A shrimp share of total shrimp (b) = 10%

Total boxes per year (c) = 1200

Therefore, boxes per month = c / 12 = 100 per month

Since all boxes are the same size, non-grade A boxes will be:

Now that you know that a correct equation will generate a result of 9, you can plug the numbers above into each of the options and check which produces 9 as an answer. This trick works especially well when the formulae involve high degrees of simplification.

Each PST question type tests a subset of the skills that are useful in consulting. It is worth remembering that there is only so far practicing PST example questions alone will get you if you have not taken the time to develop these skills. Think about a kid trying to learn math - they can spend hours looking at all the sums they want, but they won't get very far if they haven't learnt to add yet!

Since these are the exact same skills that are assessed in your case interview and via your resume and cover letter , it makes sense to learn exactly what they are and what is required of you. It is worth noting that this is the same overall consulting skillset is the same one we teach in our Case Academy - our approach is consistent across the whole recruiting process.

So, what are these skills?

Just like doctors, consultants focus on identifying and treating the underlying causes of a problem. When you address a problem, you shouldn't ever stop at the superficial level of observable symptoms, but must dig deeper and find the real issue underlying what you are dealing with.

For example, imagine a doctor who has a patient complaining of persistent headaches. A good doctor is not just going to keep dishing out painkillers, but are going to want to establish what is causing the pain. It might be, say, that the headaches are caused by poor eyesight. If so, the patient will be dispatched to the optician to get some glasses to solve the problem more permanently.

Consultants always anchor their diagnoses and recommendations on data and analysis - never on opinions or hunches! This is called a fact-based approach.

In order to be able to correctly answer all the PST questions (and fill in that answer sheet!) within the time limit, you will need to be able to prioritise important data and calculations, effectively deal with uncertainly and generally find a good compromise between accuracy and speed. This includes the ability to select salient information from large volumes of text and to deal with ambiguity within that text. Once they are on top of the raw facts of what is happening, consultants will always then extract the salient implications - or the "so-what" - of the situation, rather than just re-describing the same data.

Most PST questions will require you to perform some kind of calculation. Since you are not permitted to use a calculator or similar, you are going to have to be very comfortable with mental math. In particular, you will have to be able to make estimates very quickly. We have an article on mental math for consulting , as well as a free practice tool , which will be a great starting point to sharpening up your skills and learning the various shortcuts to make your calculations faster.

To pass the McKinsey PST as well as to get through your case interview , you are going to need to be able to quickly and reliably infer relevant information from complex graphs and tables. This information will be used to find root causes, draw fact-based conclusions or as the starting point for mental math problems.

The McKinsey PST doesn't require super-complex math, and certainly nothing beyond high school level. McKinsey PST formulas will always be realtively simple ones and you will not have to muster any complex algebra. However, what will be different from a high school math question is that it will be much less clear as to how you should be approaching problems. You will often have to set up equations by extracting one or two salient relationships from a large amount of otherwise irrelevant information. Identifying what is relevant will be the real challenge rather than the relatively simple math. Subsequently manipulating these formulae will come relatively easily to many of you. However, the time constraints and lack of a calculator in the PST will necessitate even the most mathematically gifted to be somewhat strategic in terms of how they chose to solve problems. You will need to avoid analyses that will take too long and which you cannot complete without a calculating aid.

Each of the skills above will be tested in different kinds of question. Be sure to keep a note of which skill in particular has let you down each time you have a problem with a PST question. After a few questions, you should have an idea of where your systematic weak points are and thus where you should focus your efforts to improve via building stronger skills. If your mental math is constantly an issue, go to our mental math article . If you are struggling with identifying root causes, our article on identifying the problem in case studies would be a great place to start.

The important point is that you won't get really good at PST questions simply by doing PST questions - you need to build the right skills! It is worth noting here that our Case Academy teaches precisely the consulting skillset as the McKinsey PST requires (usually case prep systems just teach question-specific frameworks, but we focus on fundamental skills). As such, working through the Academy will not just prep you for case interviews, but also build the full skillset required for the PST. If you are intent on going all the way through the selection process with McKinsey math prep and other aspects of skill building only need to be done once. Two birds with one stone - an efficient use of time!

By now, you will have a good idea of what the McKinsey Problem Solving Test is, what the questions look like and the skills it is assessing. The categorisation of different question types and the methods and tips we have discussed for each already give you the building blocks for a solid prep. However, to make your preparation both as effective and time efficient as possible, you should really begin by making a plan to provide some structure. This will make sure that you don't miss out any key elements and also that you distribute your time sensibly.

As you will have realised by now, the PST is difficult - especially because of the acute time constraints. Having made a plan and diligently practiced all your skills might not actually be enough to pass. You also need to consider your strategy for tackling the test optimally. We have already given a few tips on this, peppered throughout the sections above, but there are also several points on general test management which you will need to know about.

Let's look in more depth both at how you should plan your prep and at your strategy for approaching the McKinsey Problem Solving Test:

Preparation plan

Don't be fooled by those who repeat the old mantra "practice, practice, practice". While practicing is very useful, relying entirely on "brute force" practice with PST sample questions can be remarkably ineffective and a way to set yourself up for failure.

A more sophisticated, more effective prep plan will be made up of the following elements:

1. Skill Building

You need to build your general consulting skillset to be able to reliably perform well on real PST questions. This will never be wasted time, as you will need exactly the same skills in your case interview - and indeed for when you (hopefully) start the job! In particular, given nobody will be starting entirely from scratch on these skills, you need to identify and work on your areas for improvement. As mentioned above, you should take note of where you are underperforming and address your attention there. In particular, you will want to focus on the following:

Numerical Agility

Being able to perform mental math quickly is arguably the single most essential skill required to pass the McKinsey Problem Solving Test. In particular, you will find that the need to make rapid estimates will recur constantly in PST questions. This includes understanding the appropriate degree of approximation as well as getting through calculations quickly. The mental math video in the Efficiency Tools section of the MCC Academy will provide you with all the fundamentals and all the tricks and methods you need to be genuinely quick with numbers and is a great way to get to grips with everything quickly and without missing anything out.

Reading Charts and Solving Problems

Again, the ability to extract information from diagrams and set up and solve mathematical problems are critical to being able to deal with many PST problems. Indeed, the numbers and equations for your mental math must come from somewhere! You will have to read charts in the McKinsey PST and will have to do so under severe time pressure. Similarly, various types of PST question will test your ability to work through problems in an efficient fashion. Our mental math article deals with reading charts. We also cover this whole area in great detail in the MCC Academy course and also include extensive drills in our Beyond Test Ready package.

Identify root causes and draw fact-based conclusions:

Being able to wade through information and identify fundamental causal drivers and synthesise findings into takeaways fully supported by the data are key consulting skills and one which your PST will test across multiple questions. To help you prepare as thoroughly as possible for these, we provide 10 specific sample questions on these areas in each of our Test Ready and Beyond Test Ready packages.

2. Refining

To optimise your performance on the PST, your prep should always include a blend of practice and skill building. Your first step should be to try a practice PST to see where exactly your weak spots are. You should then work on these particular skills using other resources, (such as the articles on this site and the lessons in MCC Academy). You can then return to another practice PST to see how you have progressed and where you should then focus on your next bout of skill building. You should then iterate this process until you are ready to take the PST for real.

It is worth noting that this method also makes sense at a more pragmatic level, as there is only a limited supply of sample PST test papers available to practice with online. This iterative approach, then, has the added benefit of letting you make best possible use of the scarce resource that is PST examples. The skill-specific questions provided in our Beyond Test Ready package also help deal with this lack of practice material and are invaluable in the skill building process.

3. Simulation

Once you have practiced enough, it will be time to step up to simulating the real PST more fully. There is a temptation to skip what might seem like the "theatrics" of a full simulation. However, you cannot just assume that it will all be fine on the day! This is the same rationale for why your high school most likely had you sit full mock exams before important assessments, rather than just rely on class tests etc.

You should replicate the PST test environment as closely as possible. Print out your sample PST test paper, staple it and print out your answer sheet. Find a quiet room and do the test strictly in the allotted time and without a calculator or any other such "contraband". You might feel a bit silly doing all of this, but it really is worth it. Sticking exactly to the rules is the only way to really practice your PST test strategy. Even relatively small things like becoming accustomed to keeping your notes entirely in the booklet and actually filling in the answer sheet at the end will save you precious time in the real PST.

4. Keeping an Error Log

When you run through a practice test with a mark scheme, everything will seem very easy. "Oh, of course, that's exactly what I should have done..." Fast-forward couple of weeks later, though, and you will find yourself staring at a PST question with precisely the same structure, but with no idea of how to solve it.

This is precisely why you need to keep an error log. You might already be familiar with error logs from GMAT prep, but we recommend you extend the practice here. For the uninitiated, an error log is a continuous method of analysing practice problems to identify WHY you answered them incorrectly. In your error log, you should be keeping track of your mistakes and of what you found hardest (even if you got there in the end). As well as using this information to inform where your energy is focussed in skill building, you should also be running through your log frequently to ingrain the lessons you have learnt and generally consolidate your technique.

There is no single correct format for your error log. Some will prefer very organised, detailed logs, whereas others will prefer a more old-fashioned paper record. Really, you should chose whichever method you personally find most convenient, as what is most important is that you actually make consistent use of the log over time.

Whichever way you chose to set out your error log, though, we recommend that each entry should contain the following information.

• Question type - as per our categorisation above.
• Reason why you found the question difficult - you might have taken too long to answer or not been able
• Question and answer choices - record what the question actually was
• Proposed solution - work out the method which you should ideally have used to solve the question - that is, whichever solution you find quickest and most effective given your own abilities.
• Key takeaways - what you should learn in order to answer this kind of question more efficiently. For example, you might need to learn how to simplify fractions more rapidly or to improve your quick reading skills.

The "key takeaways" in your error log are what will guide the direction of your prep for the next few days, before you test your abilities again in the iterative manner we described above.

Whilst error logs help to marry skill building and practice - just as any optimised PST prep absolutely must - in forming part of the iterative method we describe above, error logs also take on a more pragmatic function. Whilst the McKinsey problem solving test sample itself is excellent and we at MyConsultingCoach have invested significant time and money into creating and perfecting additional content, this still ultimately adds up to a finite amount of practice material. This unavoidable constraint means that you must work sensibly to squeeze the greatest amount of utility out of what is available.

The amount of practice you are able to do will always be the ultimate bottleneck in any PST prep. Experiencing different questions will both let you take the iterative process of identifying and working on problems areas further, but will also make you less likely to be surprised by something entirely new in the real PST. Access to extra practice material is thus a major driver of increased performance on test day and - ultimately - landing a job. You will find practice tests at the bottom of this page.

PST guide and practice test

Test strategy.

Most McKinsey PST questions are not actually all that conceptually demanding. The real difficulty derives from the extreme time constraint. As we noted above, given three hours with the same PST test paper, everyone would pass. In practice, then, the successful candidates - who go on to get interviews and jobs - might not actually be the most clever or able, but will often simply be those who have been able to manage their time most effectively.

Obviously, we have already explained a whole host of time saving methods for use in different kinds of questions above. Building up your skills will also help get through questions faster - improving your mental math in particular will see significant reductions in your time taken per question.

However, to pass you must also consider your time usage not just individual questions, but for the problems solving test as a whole. In this section, then, we will go over both an overall test time strategy and a consistent strategy to answer PST questions:

1. Test Time Strategy

PST question difficulty varies quite significantly. Some questions are really quite straightforward to the point of being "easy". Others are seemingly impossible. Unfortunately, you can't expect to get a paper with only the easy ones (if only, eh!), but will have a mix of different difficulties across your 26 questions.

To start to optimise your approach, you should combine this realisation as to varying question difficultly with the following two facts we alluded to near the beginning of this article:

• All questions are worth the same
• There is no penalty for wrong answers (there is no "negative marking")

Now (as we keep mentioning), you will need to leave at least five minutes at the end to fill in the answer sheet. Of the remaining time, you can allocate two minutes to each of your 26 questions (the maths geniuses amongst you will note that that leaves 3 minutes spare, but you can be assured that they will disappear whether you like it or not).

Given that all the questions are worth the same marks, you simply cannot allow yourself to become bogged down on one particularly tough PST question and leave yourself without time to answer two easy ones. To avoid this, you should keep track of how far through the test you are relative to how much time has elapsed - that is, make sure you are actually getting through questions at a rate of one every two minutes. For instance, if you are 10 minutes in, you should at least be just finishing question five.

If you realise that you've fallen behind because you are stuck on a very hard question, you should not devote more time to it. Simply circle that question and what seem like the two or three most likely answers from your analysis so far.

If you get to the end of the test and have some time left besides that required to fill in the answer sheet, you can go back and look at the question again. Often, coming back and looking with fresh eyes will break you out of an analytic rut. However, if you still simply can't make head nor tail of the question, or if you end up without any more time to devote to it, you should simply pick one of your circled likely-answers at random and put that down on the answer sheet.

Don't feel too bad about this - the PST cuttoff pass mark is around 70%, so you don't need to have gotten everything right. Who knows, your best guess might end up to be the right one anyway! Even if you picked an answer at random it has a 25% chance of being right. An educated guess should have somewhat better odds than that.

2. Question Strategy

We have already said quite a bit above about how you should approach individual kinds of question. However, we can also make some helpful remarks about how you should be approaching each question more generally.

The first fact to note is that whenever you first sit down to a practice test, you will realise that a minimum of 20% of your mistakes are simply due to mis-read questions. Indeed, a great deal of excellent candidates will fail their PST ultimately because they failed to read a critical number of questions properly. It seems absurd when one considers how accomplished the average McKinsey applicant is, that they are effectively let down by their literacy! However, it is true nonetheless and you can see why we so consistently instructed you to carefully read all the different kinds of questions as we ran through them!

One of the main things the McKinsey PST assesses is your ability to deal with "information overload". This happens when you are presented with large volumes of text and/or quantitative data, where only some of it is relevant to the question you have been asked and you must work out which.

This actually simulates a some of the real demands placed on McKinsey's consultants, who will be confronted with all the complexity of the client firm's operation as well as the market it operates in and how it relates to firms up and downstream in its value chain. From here, the consultant must work out which aspects of the operation - and thus which portions of information - are actually salient to the client's question.

How you should proceeds next depends upon whether you have to chose between qualitative or quantitative answers:

Qualitative

Here, you should pursue an iterative method of going back and forth between the questions and the text, eliminating (and then physically crossing out to prevent any future confusion) incorrect answers one-by-one. This is fundamentally a test of your linguistic reasoning, though we have provided various hints and helpful techniques for different kinds of question above. Of course, the most fundamental advice we can give is to read PST questions carefully, but you can also do things like considering what would be true if the exact opposite of the focal statement were true.

Quantitative

You have a couple of options when dealing with quantitative answers, depending upon the specific nature of the question you have been asked. As such, you can chose to do either of the following:

The "Conventional" approach

Here, you simply identify the relevant data and solve the problem directly. Run through all the calculations on paper and then see which of the multiple choice answers matches the solution you generate. This is how you are probably accustomed to tackling problems from your education and will also be the best way to approach many of the questions in your PST

Working "Backwards"

Often, though, you will not have enough time to work through all the calculations required to answer a particular question via the conventional approach. In such cases, you will need to take a more strategic approach. We can do this by effectively working backwards from the answers. This is not as strange a method as it might sound - you simply need to build a framework of the relevant calculation and plug in the suggested answers until you find one that works.

Using this method can save time on multiple counts as, usually once you have found an answer that works, you don't have to take the time out to work through the other options (of course, in an ideal world you would indeed work through the other answers as a means to check for any mistakes on your own part, but time is precious in the PST and "done is better than perfect").

Having read this far, you should be well equipped to start preparing to take the McKinsey Problem Solving Test. The first step is to take one or two practice PST test papers . This will let you get a feel for what the tests are actually like generally, but - crucially - will also allow you to start your prep off with an idea of which skills you need to work on, as per our iterative method above.

You can find everything you need on this website or on the McKinsey website. Specifically, here are some PST samples to get you started:

• MyConsultingCoach McKinsey PST (free)
• McKinsey PST A (by McKinsey)
• McKinsey PST B (by McKinsey)
• McKinsey PST C (by McKinsey)
• McKinsey PST 2011 version (by McKinsey)
• McKinsey PST 2001 version (by McKinsey)

Beyond the free Mckinsey PST practice test linked above, MyConsultingCoach offers fully comprehensive PST packages to take your PST prep to the next level. Of course, you might pass the PST on your own. However, as we have noted, the average candidate only has a 33% chance of passing.

For those using an MCC package, though, that PST pass rate jumps right up to 85%. Given that you must pass the PST to get an interview and be considered for a job, this is a potentially enormous driver of whether you will work for McKinsey or not - that is the overall offer rate.

Whilst this is a premium service and won't ever be for everyone, if you really have a consulting mindset, then you can appreciate that - given the substantively increased likelihood of entry into McKinsey - the investment is more than worth it when balanced even just against the additional pay earned in year one versus a second tier consultancy. This is before we even consider the differences across your whole career and the prestige difference for your resume even if you move into other industries later.

We also stand by our service to the point that, if you don't pass your PST, we will give you half of your money back!

So, what are you waiting for? Start your prep today and take a step closer to that your dream job with McKinsey!

Following our advice and making use of MyConsultingCoach resources will give you your best chance of success in the PST . Assuming you pass your PST, then, you will have to prep for your interview . As you probably know already, interviews at McKinsey and consultancy firms in general are not like a "normal" interview. The most notable difference is that you will have to solve a case study . This is a business problem which simulates the kind of project a real life consultant would called in to deal with.

As well as a case study, each interview will also have a McKInsey PEI or " fit " component , where your interviewer tests your motivation to succeed as a consultant and establishes whether your character is a good fit for the company. This is closer to the format of more familiar interviews. However, many candidates are ruled out based on their performance in this section, as they either don't prepare for it at all, or treat it too much like a "normal" interview. The demands even in the fit section of a consulting interview are significantly more rigorous than for interviews elsewhere.

In practice, one of the main differences in interviews in consulting and on other industries is the amount of preparation that is required . If you thought McKinsey PST prep was demanding, that was unfortunately just the tip of the iceberg. The stiff competition for McKinsey and other consulting jobs means firms can demand a degree specific preparation from candidates which is not really equalled elsewhere.

This might all sound daunting (frankly, if it doesn't, it should...). Don't worry though - MyConsultingCoach has you covered! This website is packed with articles which will give you solid overview of all the various topics you will need to understand (you can start with our articles on the case and fit interview and work your way out from there) as well as guidance on how to approach your prep in general.

For a more in-depth experience, we have also developed MCC Academy - a fully comprehensive case interview course . MCC Academy teaches the same consulting skillset as you will need for the PST, but in much more depth and applied to the business of cracking case studies. Other case systems simply teach a few formulaic "frameworks", with methods to approach a few common question types. However, this risks leaving you high and dry when the interviewer (as they likely will) gives you a questions that differs from the kinds you have learnt. By focussing on fundamental skills and teaching you to tackle cases in the same way a working consultant would, MyConsultingCoach equips you to cope with whatever your interviewer throws at you . Beyond this, the Academy also includes a set of lessons on how to perform in the fit component of your interview.

If you are serious about consulting in general, it makes sense to start MCC Academy alongside your PST prep , as the shared skillset makes for significant synergy generally and you will be able to use the Academy lessons to brush up your skills for the PST in particular. You will also then have plenty of time for case interview prep and not have to pack it all in after the PST.

Good luck with your prep!

A level of preparation you won't find anywhere else

Reason #1: beat the time pressure.

We developed techniques for each of the six question types in the McKinsey PST that will help you save time and boost your score. From practice, practice, practice to smart practice.

Reason #2: Focus your efforts

Our Performance Radar helps you pinpoint the question types where you need more preparation , enabling you to tailor your training and track your progress. No more random practice.

Reason #3: stretch your potential

Our tests were developed by a team of ex-McKinsey consultants and are constantly reviewed to provide you with the most comprehensive toolkit to succeed. Unlike many resources on the internet , our tests are realistic in their format (26-questions long, like the real PST) and challenging in their content .

We developed a sample, 10-questions free test. We suggest you print out the test and do it on paper to replicate the real test environment

“ The Performance Radar changed the way I prepared for the McKinsey Problem Solving Test: I moved from a random 360-degrees practice to a structured preparation focused on the areas where I was weakest. And those same areas quickly became the ones where I was getting the highest scores. ”

Our pst preparation programmes

30 days money back guarantee on pst material.

• 3 full 26-questions PSTs (78 questions)
• Performance Radar
• 30 days money back guarantee*
• Straight to your inbox

Beyond PST Ready

• 6 sets of 10 PST questions by type (60 questions)
• PST Performance Radar
• All Consulting Math Material

Single PST #1

• Full length, 26-questions PST

Single PST #2

Single pst #3, frequently asked questions.

When you do not have much time left we suggest you to:

• Understand how the test is structured : many people fail the PST simply because they don't know it well. You can find all the details about the PST on our PST Guide. You may want to double check the total time, since most offices will give you 60 minutes but some others 70.
• Develop a solid answering technique : It is essential for you to acquire an answering technique allowing you to make the best use of the very limited time in the test. Our video and the PST Guide will help you a great deal.
• Practice smart : We advise you to try the official tests on the McKinsey website ( Test A , Test B , and Test C ). If you want to boost your chances our best pick is the Test Ready Package above. You will have the chance to practice on three 26-questions full-length sample PSTs. Then, our Performance Radar will help you identify your weaknesses by translating results in your performance across the 6 PST question types. The PST Guide will teach you useful methods on how to tackle each question type and the 60 additional questions will help you master a sound technique for each of them. In other words nothing will be left off the checklist!

P.S. Do check whether the first round of interviews is immediately after the PST or on a different day. In the former case, we strongly advice you to prepare for case interviews . The Beyond Test Ready package also includes 1 hour of case interviews with our Mentors.

Passing the PST is hard mainly because of the time constraint. If you had 2 hours, you could easily score more than 90% - but you only have 1 hour. It is therefore essential for you to be able to manage time. Please use the video that's on the page.

Sure. You can ALWAYS upgrade from a smaller to a more comprehensive package.

Upgrading is easy:

• Purchase the new package
• Email us at [email protected] within 30 days – we’ll refund your original purchase within 24 hours.

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What Are Logical Reasoning Tests?

Common logical reasoning test publishers, 6 logical reasoning tips to prepare for logic tests in 2024, frequently asked questions (faqs), logical reasoning tests: 2024 guide for logic tests.

Updated November 10, 2023

Logical reasoning tests measure a candidate’s problem-solving and logical reasoning skills in a wide variety of ways.

These logic tests are used in recruitment, particularly when assessing graduates for entry-level positions.

Logical reasoning tests may seem daunting and somewhat alien, but they use the same reasoning processes we rely upon daily – just in more overt and abstract ways.

As with any recruitment assessment, understanding exactly what the logic test involves and practicing similar questions will help to prepare you well.

Logical reasoning tests are a form of aptitude test commonly used during the recruitment process, especially in the corporate sector; investment banks, law firms, consultancies or accountancy firms, for example.

These logical aptitude tests aim to provide insight into your mental agility.

They most often require the interpretation and manipulation of statements, numbers, shapes and patterns.

The logical tests require the ability to calmly approach an abstract problem.

Questions will test candidates in a variety of ways but you may be asked to:

• Deduce trends
• Identify patterns
• Analyze arguments
• Draw conclusions
• Interpret relationships
• Identify flaws

Your score will display how quickly you can absorb and process new information and whether you have an aptitude for problem-solving and critical thinking.

Success in these tests is important, as it displays to a prospective employer that you are a deft candidate with a well-rounded mental capacity.

The name of the logical reasoning assessment you are presented with may vary depending upon the test provider.

The assessments may be referred to as logical reasoning tests, but may also be called inductive , abstract or diagrammatic reasoning tests .

There is overlap in the logical assessment test areas of these styles of questions and the overall principle remains the same.

If you are sitting a logical reasoning test, it is prudent to find out which company will be providing the assessment so you can get more of an idea of the kinds of questions that are most likely to appear.

Prepare for Any Job Assessment Test with JobTestPrep

Common Logical Reasoning Test providers include:

Logical reasoning tests may be used during the recruitment process for any position at any level but are most common for roles that have a significant problem-solving component and require high functioning logic.

They are most often encountered at the assessment center stage of the process but can also be used at the interview stage.

The Most Types of Logical Reasoning for the Logic Test

Diagrammatic logical reasoning.

The most common type of logical reasoning test you will encounter is the diagrammatic form .

Simply put, you will be asked to answer questions based on shapes and patterns.

There will be a written question posed and then multiple-choice options to choose from for your answer.

These logic tests commonly test your abstract and inductive reasoning skills as they will assess your ability to identify patterns or trends and extrapolate or reapply this logic to select the correct diagram to complete a sequence (or identify the ones which don’t).

Verbal Logical Reasoning

Another common form of logical reasoning test is the verbal logical reasoning test.

This type of test is comprised of a series of paragraphs of text. Each will then have its own set of questions for you to work through.

Most commonly, the questions will consist of a list of statements.

You will then be required to decide which statement is the most accurate response, based on the information you have been given.

Some questions may present just one statement and require a choice between ‘Yes’, ‘No’ or ‘Cannot Say’.

These logic tests are looking at your deductive reasoning . You will be assessed on how well you can use the information given to come to logical conclusions.

This style of logical reasoning test requires active and attentive reading .

It is a good idea to ask yourself questions as you read to make sense of the scope and detail of what is covered in the text.

This will help you make judgments as to the validity of the statements in the subsequent questions more rapidly.

If you need to prepare for a number of different employment tests and want to outsmart the competition, choose a Premium Membership from JobTestPrep . You will get access to three PrepPacks of your choice, from a database that covers all the major test providers and employers and tailored profession packs.

Practice Logical Reasoning Questions with JobTestPrep

Examples of Logical Reasoning Tests

Here you can find three example questions, similar to those you may encounter when taking a logical reasoning assessment:

Logical Reasoning Example 1

Look at the diagram above. In this process, the input shapes are being transformed by the functions 'M' and 'S'. Use the diagram to determine the effect each of these functions then apply them to the input shape in the question to arrive at the correct output.

Logical Reasoning Example 2

Which of the answer figures below belong in neither Group 1 nor Group 2?

Before you write down your answers, just double-check what the question was asking you.

It may seem obvious, but it is easy to misread ‘neither’ and answer the opposite question.

After spending time deducing the way the shapes in the patterns presented are governed, it would be galling to lose points because, when under time pressure, you accidentally answered the inverted question.

Logical Reasoning Example 3

Assuming the premises in the following text are true, what can we say about the conclusion drawn?

• Some employees of the cybersecurity company only drink coffee.
• Some employees only drink tea.
• Some drink both tea and coffee depending on the day.
• Some employees bring lunches.
• Some eat their lunches at their desk, whilst drinking coffee.
• Some never eat lunch at their desks.

There are some employees of the cybersecurity company who only drink coffee and never eat lunch at their desks.

Is the conclusion:

A) True B) False C) Uncertain

Step 1 . Find Out Which Type of Test Your Prospective Employer Is Using

Before you begin to prepare for your logical reasoning test, confirm the type of test your prospective employer is using. Don’t be afraid to ask, as the term ‘logical reasoning’ can encompass many types of test.

Step 2 . Practice Diagrammatic and Verbal Logical Reasoning

It is best to practice with questions closest to those you will encounter in the assessment, so trying to narrow down the question style is prudent.

If, however, you are unable to gain any further information on the test style, be sure to practice both the diagrammatic and verbal logical reasoning style of questions.

Step 3 . Work Out the Answer Before Looking at the Answer Options

Attempt to work out what the correct answer, rule or sequence is before looking at the answer options.

This means that your logic will not be influenced by any of the possible answers.

It also ensures you double-check the logic of your answer upon viewing the options for selection.

Step 4 . Start With the Answer

If you find yourself struggling to get to the correct answer in your practice sessions, work through some of the questions backward .

Look at the correct answer and then figure out what rule/pattern/evidence led to that answer.

This way, you will get used to working through the process of logic common in the questions.

Step 5 . Practice Under Timed Conditions

When you are practicing logical reasoning questions, make sure you time yourself .

Sometimes, logical reasoning tests have strict time limits, so being aware of how long you might have for each question will help you when you are under pressure on the test day.

Step 6 . Relax

The more familiar you become with logical reasoning tests, their format and the logic behind them, the faster and more accurate you will become at answering them.

It is important to relax so that your brain can focus on correctly solving the problem.

Remember that, with adequate practice, you will be in a great position to showcase your logical reasoning skills, so be confident and you’ll be well on your way to success.

What logical reasoning tests do major companies use?

Logical reasoning tests assess a candidate's ability to solve problems logically. Problem-solving is an essential part of many roles, meaning that logical tests are often included as part of an employer's recruitment process.

There are a variety of types of logical reasoning tests, each focusing on assessing a different type of logic used in problem-solving.

The most common logic tests used by employers to determine a candidate's logical reasoning include inductive reasoning, abstract reasoning, diagrammatic reasoning, or verbal reasoning.

How can you practice for logical reasoning tests?

Practicing logical reasoning tests vital to ensure you perform to the best of your ability when sitting the actual test.

When you practice logical reasoning, find out what type of logical reasoning test you will be completing and practice questions closest to those you will be asked to sit. If in doubt, practicing diagrammatic reasoning and verbal logical reasoning tests will help you understand the format and type of questions.

When sitting practice logic tests, make sure you time yourself to simulate the time pressure you will feel when taking the test itself.

What site would you prefer for a logic test?

Employers use several different test providers to administer Logical reasoning tests . These include SHL, Revelian, Talent Q and Kenexa.

Practicing logical reasoning tests is an important part of your preparation. The Psychometric Success website and app have many practice logical assessments tests that help you understand the format and style of questioning for each type of logical reasoning test.

You can find the Psychometric Success is available on Apple and Android devices.

How do you pass a reasoning test?

Preparation is essential in ensuring you perform to the best of your ability when sitting a Logical reasoning test . Make sure you practice as many types of logical reasoning tests, including the kind that you are most likely to encounter in the actual test.

When practicing, do so under timed conditions to experience the time pressure you will face when it comes to sitting the actual test.

When faced with a question, try and work out the rule, pattern, or sequence before looking at the multiple-choice answers.

If you are struggling in the test, try and remain calm. If you are unsure of an answer, mark your best choice, then move on to the next question.

Does a logical reasoning test work for selecting the right people?

A Logical reasoning test is an objective way of assessing your logical reasoning ability when solving problems.

When used along with the information gained from all parts of the recruitment process, it provides a reliable way to predict whether candidates demonstrate the logical ability required for success in a role.

As problem-solving is a requirement for the job, logical reasoning tests are popular in the recruitment process for many graduate-level roles.

What are the logical reasoning tips to crack the logical questions ?

Preparation is vital. There are different types of Logical reasoning tests that employers use, such as diagrammatic reasoning, inductive reasoning, or verbal logical reasoning. Knowing which type of test you will be asked is important to ensure you practice the questions you are likely to be presented within the actual test.

Practicing these questions under timed conditions means you become used to how the question is formatted and how you react under time pressure. When sitting the test, try and remain calm, read the question and approach each question in a positive frame of mind.

When you start the test, make sure you are clear on the time limit for the test, this gives you the best opportunity to answer as many questions correctly as possible.

When tackling the questions, try and identify the pattern or rule before selecting your answer. Don't dwell too long on a question if you are struggling. Make an educated guess, then move on to the next question.

Which free website is best for logical reasoning test prep?

Practicing logical reasoning tests is an integral part of your preparation.

Becoming familiar with the format, style of questioning, and how you react under time pressure can help you perform to the best of your ability in the actual test.

For practice tests and free tips and advice on approaching and passing a logical reasoning test, visit the Psychometric Success website.

Which is the best app for getting free education daily for logical reasoning test?

Employers use various types of Logical reasoning tests to assess your logical reasoning and problem-solving abilities.

When practicing logical reasoning tests, it is crucial to practice questions similar to those you will encounter in the ones you will sit.

The Psychometric Success app has lots of free advice, hints, and tips to help you prepare for any logical reasoning test.

Which android app can I use to draw logical reasoning test questions?

The psychometric Success app is available on Android devices and is a valuable resource to prepare for and practice logical reasoning test questions .

There are many different logical reasoning tests, each assessing different kinds of logical reasoning and critical thinking.

When practicing logical reasoning tests, ensure you know the type of logical reasoning assessment you will be asked to sit as part of an employer's recruitment process.

What are the various logical reasoning topics I should prepare for the test?

Logical reasoning tests are assessments used by many employers for graduate-level vacancies. These tests assess your approach to problem-solving and whether you can evaluate information logically to reach a solution.

There are several logical reasoning tests, each assessing a different logical reasoning approach to problem-solving. These include diagrammatic reasoning, inductive reasoning, and abstract reasoning tests. When preparing for a logical reasoning test, it is helpful to understand what type of test you will be asked to sit.

If you are unable to determine which type of test you will be sitting it is advisable to practice diagrammatic reasoning and verbal logical reasoning tests as part of your preparation.

How are Logical Reasoning Tests Scored?

The benchmark that indicates a good score in a Logical reasoning test varies by employer. To ensure you perform at your best, showcase your logical reasoning abilities and attain a good score, it is essential to practice the tests.

When practicing, simulate test conditions by timing yourself and keeping to the recommended time duration of the test.

When sitting the test itself, remain calm, identify the rule or pattern in the information given before looking at the answer, and don't lose confidence if you find the assessment challenging.

Can you still get hired if you fail a logical reasoning aptitude test?

Logical reasoning tests are used in the recruitment process for many graduate-level roles. These tests assess a candidate's ability to solve problems logically, an essential ability required for many positions.

There are several types of logical reasoning tests that employers use. Each employer will have its own criteria for assessing and scoring a logical reasoning test.

Understanding the type of logical reasoning test, you will be asked to sit, preparing through practicing tests, and when sitting the test remaining calm can all help you showcase your aptitude for logical reasoning.

You might also be interested in these other Psychometric Success articles:

Or explore the Aptitude Tests / Test Types sections.

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Analytical Reasoning Tests

• 538 questions

Analytical reasoning tests examine an individual’s ability to apply logic to solve problems. The questions vary depending on the type of analytical reasoning test you’re taking: from extracting key information from complex passages of text (verbal reasoning), to looking for patterns in a series of images (non-verbal reasoning), or using given information to draw conclusions or make predictions (inductive and deductive reasoning).

What is an analytical reasoning test?

An analytical reasoning test is a type of aptitude test that is often used by employers to assess a job candidate’s ability to think critically and solve complex problems.

As well as these skills, employers want to see evidence that you can keep calm under pressure and work quickly against the clock.

The test is nearly always timed, meaning you don’t have long to work through each question to find the correct answer.

Depending on which type of job you’re applying for, the test you take may be in the style of verbal reasoning , non-verbal reasoning , inductive reasoning or deductive reasoning . As such, it’s worth practicing as many different types of tests as you can to familiarise yourself with the questions.

The analytical reasoning test is widely used because it looks for skills that are sought after in almost every industry. It helps employers find candidates who will be quick to learn, adapt and solve problems.

Why do use analytical reasoning tests?

Employers use analytical reasoning tests to assess candidates’ ability to analyze complex information, make logical deductions, and solve problems effectively. These tests help employers evaluate candidates’ critical thinking skills, decision-making abilities, and aptitude for handling challenging situations. By administering analytical reasoning tests, employers can identify candidates who possess the cognitive abilities necessary for success in roles that require analytical thinking, such as management, finance, engineering, and data analysis. Additionally, these tests provide employers with valuable insights into candidates’ problem-solving approaches and their capacity to navigate intricate scenarios, aiding in the selection of the most suitable candidates for the job.

As applicants have to work harder and harder to make their CV stand out, an aptitude test like this is a good way of ensuring candidates possess the necessary skills.

It’s common for employers or recruiters to set the analytical reasoning test before the interview stage, so they can select candidates based on their test performance. The test therefore acts as a filter, ensuring employers get to meet the people they believe are most likely to excel.

Completing a good analytical reasoning test gives an indication that you’re a strong critical thinker who can rise to the challenge – an attractive proposition for any employer.

How do analytical reasoning tests work?

An employer will select the type of analytical reasoning test (verbal, non-verbal, inductive or deductive) based on the skills they want to examine.

Finding out exactly which type of test you’ll be taking is helpful so you can focus your preparation, but if you don’t know we recommend trying out all of the different mock tests to familiarise yourself with the individual question styles and formats.

When you take the test, you’ll normally have around one minute to answer each question – which is yet another reason to familiarise yourself with the kinds of questions you’re likely to be asked.

Here’s a brief overview of the four different test types:

• Verbal reasoning – requires you to read through long passages of text and showcase your comprehension and analysis skills by answering a series of questions on what you’ve just read.
• Non-verbal reasoning – presents you with images such as graphs, pictures and patterns, and requires you to use your logic and problem-solving skills to decipher the rule that connects the sequence.
• Inductive reasoning – equips you with certain facts or information, and then asks you to make predictions or assumptions based on that evidence.
• Deductive reasoning – will ask you to use the statements given to you to make further statements of fact.

After the test, your score will be calculated and compared to those of the other individuals who took the same test, or a normative group (which can help an employer see how well you fared compared to previous candidates).

Analytical test formats

Verbal Reasoning Tests

Verbal reasoning tests examine your ability to draw out key information from long, often complex passages of text, to form a conclusion. Very often this takes the form of questions to which you would select ‘true’, ‘false’ or ‘cannot say’ as the response.

No prior knowledge of the subject matter is required, but it is important to practice verbal reasoning tests as it can take a while to get used to the question format.

You will need to be able to distinguish between what’s fact and what’s merely being inferred when you’re reading through the passages of text. This shows an employer that you have the comprehension, logic and analytical skills they’re looking for.

Practising verbal reasoning tests before you take the one that really matters is vital if you want to showcase the best of your abilities to a potential employer. The more mock tests you take, the better you’ll get at sifting through the passages of text for evidence, quickly assimilating the information and confidently deciding what’s true, false or uncertain.

You’ll normally have around one minute to answer each question on the verbal reasoning test (although it’s always worth checking this is the case with your test when you begin). It’s important you don’t spend ages on a challenging problem, as you could end up not answering other questions that you might have easily been able to answer.

At the end, if you have time left you can always go back to anything you weren’t sure about and have another go.

The verbal reasoning test is most commonly used by employers or recruiters hiring for roles where strong communication skills are critical – which applies to most jobs, hence their popularity.

Non-Verbal Reasoning Tests

Non-verbal reasoning tests comprise graphs, tables and data, and the accompanying questions will assess how adept you are at drawing conclusions from limited information, finding connecting patterns and working quickly under considerable time pressure.

These types of analytical reasoning tests are often part of the application process for roles in industries such as finance, engineering and HR.

The best way you can prepare for a non-verbal reasoning test is to take as many mock tests as you can. After you’ve completed a test, it’s important to look back through your answers and identify your weaker areas, so you know where you need to direct your focus.

Not only will practising ensure you get quicker and better, it’ll also help you familiarise yourself with the different graphs, tables and images you’re likely to be confronted with on a non-verbal reasoning test.

As with the verbal reasoning test, you normally get around one minute to answer each question, so finding the right balance between speed and accuracy is really important – something that you’ll find a lot easier if you’ve put the practice time in beforehand.

A successful non-verbal reasoning test will prove to an employer that you have the critical thinking, reasoning and logical skills needed to cope with the demands of the job you’re applying for.

Inductive / Deductive Reasoning Tests

If you’re asked to take an inductive test or deductive test , you’re essentially being asked to show how well you can identify patterns and use your logic. Although the overall skills you’ll demonstrate are very similar, the two tests are slightly different.

Inductive reasoning test – you’ll need to identify relationships between statements, images or facts and figures, and use this analysis to show, logically, what should come next.

Deductive reasoning test – you’ll be given a statement of fact and you’ll need to use this information to deduce another factually correct statement.

These aptitude tests are most commonly used in the hiring of science, tech and IT roles, as the type of skills they seek to showcase – logical thinking, identifying patterns, problem solving and critical thinking – are all valuable in these industries.

So even if you have the type of brain that finds these kinds of problems easier than most, it’s always worth practising inductive/deductive reasoning tests beforehand to familiarise yourself with the specific style of question, and what’s required of you in a short amount of time.

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5 Free Example Analytical Reasoning Questions

Here are five example analytical questions to try out. Answers for all five are below the tests. If you need further practice, try out our full free tests.

Verbal Question 1

Statement : A derivative could be used by an airline to secure the price of oil now, which it won’t use until six months time.

Verbal Question 2

Statement : More people taking early retirement is the major contributory factor to the public sector pension deficit.

Diagrammatic Question 1

Which is the next logical image in the sequence?

Numerical Question 1

What was the ratio of the cost of a Google click in April compared to the cost of a Facebook and Yahoo click in February?

Abstract Question 1

Which of the boxes comes next in the sequence?

Verbal Question 1 : True – “to secure the price of a commodity which is to be “bought” at a future date, but at a price that is set today.”

Verbal Question 2 : Cannot tell – the passage refers to both this fact, extended life expectancy, and that the value of pension fund assets has fallen.

Diagrammatic Question 1 : There is a central figure and four figures with one in each corner: (i) The central figure firstly increases in size over a series of three, then decreases in the same fashion; (ii) The central figure changes from white, to having a dotted outline, to black; and (iii) The four figures rotate around the four corners, moving two corners at a time. So the correct answer is F.

Numerical Question 1 : Step 1. Extract the relevant figures from the graph Cost of per click in April. Google 18 cents : Facebook + Yahoo (14 + 6 = 20 cents). Step 2. Divide 20 by 18 to calculate the ratio. 20 ÷18 = 1.11 Step 3. Present as a ratio 1 : 1.11

Abstract Question 1 : Arrow changes direction from pointing up, to pointing down, with each turn. 2. Triangle moves from top left corner in an anti-clockwise direction around the frame with each turn. So the answer is B.

Sample Analytical Reasoning Tests question Test your knowledge!

Consider a set of figures where the size of shapes increases with each subsequent figure. If the sequence starts with a small triangle and each figure adds two centimeters to each side of the shape, what size would the fifth shape be?

When analyzing a series of processes in a diagram, you notice that there is a cyclical pattern. If a process starts with A, continues to B, followed by C, and then starts over, what would be the fourth step after starting over twice?

• The process ends.

If a premise states that 'All managers can handle stress' and 'Susan is a manager', what conclusion can you draw?

• Susan cannot handle stress.
• Not all managers can handle stress.
• Susan can handle stress.
• The ability to handle stress is not important for managers.

You are given a dataset where the sales of a company have increased by 5% every month for the past 4 months. If the sales in the first month were $200,000, what should be the sales in the fifth month?

After reading the following passage, determine the main argument presented by the author. 'Many companies focus on short-term gains rather than long-term stability. This can lead to decisions that are profitable in the immediate future but may jeopardize the company's longevity. It is essential for businesses to balance immediate profits with sustainable growth.'

• Short-term gains are more important than long-term stability.
• Companies should consider long-term stability over short-term profits.
• Decisions should balance immediate profits and sustainable growth.
• Long-term stability is impossible to achieve for most companies.

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Analytical Reasoning Tests Tips

1 background research.

Get as much background information as possible on the test you’ll be taking from the employer or recruiter, so you know which areas to focus on.

2 Prepare with mock tests

Preparation is key – take mock tests in a quiet, distraction-free area and always make sure you go back through your answers at the end to identify any areas you need to work harder at.

3 Tips for test day

On the test day itself, make sure you have everything you need to complete the test. When you start, ensure you know roughly how long you’ve got to answer each question, as although you’ll always need to work quickly, it’s important to read the question thoroughly and ensure you’ve understood it before getting started.

4 Stay positive

Try and remain positive. The tests are designed to be challenging, since employers want to push you. If you’ve put the time and effort into practising aptitude tests, you should feel confident you’ve given yourself the best chance possible to succeed.

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Analytical Reasoning Tests FAQs

What is this test used for.

Analytical reasoning tests are a go-to tool for employers looking to gauge a candidate’s problem-solving prowess. Organizations across a myriad of industries use these assessments to get a handle on the analytical skills that are crucial in the modern workplace.

What do these tests involve?

Dive into questions that challenge your problem-solving abilities across verbal, non-verbal, inductive, and deductive reasoning areas. Whether it’s deciphering complex texts, spotting trends in images, or making predictions, these tests are your all-in-one gym to flex those analytical muscles.

What do these tests measure?

Our tests aren’t just a bunch of random questions; they are refined and updated using cutting-edge tech. They’re designed to measure your logical and analytical acumen, ensuring you’re tested against the latest industry benchmarks for analytical reasoning.

Where can I practice these tests?

Ready to put your analytical skills to the test? Practice Aptitude Tests is your one-stop shop for simulating real-world analytical reasoning exams. Here, you’ll find a treasure trove of practice material to get you test-ready!

Which employers use these tests?

Analytical reasoning tests aren’t just popular; they’re a staple in the hiring toolkit for a vast array of organizations looking to identify top talent who can navigate complex problem-solving tasks with ease.

Reviews of our Analytical Reasoning tests

What our customers say about our Analytical Reasoning tests

Bob Gautier

United States of America

October 23, 2023

I really do not think negatively in any way about this test. It dies what it’s supposed to do, and designed to do what it does.

Andrew Smith

United Kingdom

October 05, 2023

A good range of alternating patterns, some repeat themselves on several questions, while others are one-offs.

Caramel Teoh

The seqence

I like how convenient it was to answer to question. I dislike that all the question is almost all the same

Juan Garcera

August 06, 2023

Interesting

It is a good first immersion on the complexity of analytical reasoning and a good first step to get into more demanding exercises.

Stephanie Scalzo

July 25, 2023

Find patterns, but attack each question individually

I have not had the opportunity to take a test like this in years! It was really cool to use my brain in this kind of way again and to work through each individual problem while also finding patterns throughout the test.

MemeLord 29

July 13, 2023

Understanding the sequences

I liked the fact you had to use logical thinking and process of elimination sometimes, to figure the answer

Simulation Aeronautics

July 09, 2023

Attention to detail

The shapes in the pattern have changes which require sharp attention to detail to select the next sequence.

Marco Cavallari

June 03, 2023

My 1st ever psychometric test

It was quite challenging at first, but after a while it became more and more easier to find patterns.

Elizabeth M.Calinawan

Philippines

May 31, 2023

The refreshing abstract reasoning

i like the test very much. Refreshing the next sequence, need enough time to think it over but with the time limit. Yeah, very interesting this test too. Well, when.this test refer to a real life of course anticipation in the area may prevail have a swift solution in every conce

khadijah Ansari

May 16, 2023

My brain had a hard time focusing and differentiating between them, trying to recognise a pattern was difficult.

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Free Analytical Reasoning Test Questions Practice – 2024

What Is Analytical Reasoning?

Analytical reasoning, also known as logical reasoning , is a problem-solving method that focuses on identifying patterns and using logic to fill in missing pieces. This form of reasoning is slightly more detached from inferences and opinions, and places great emphasis on factual evidence. Analytical reasoning can be further simplified into two categories:

• Deductive Reasoning Deductive reasoning, sometimes called top-down logic, is the formation of a specific conclusion from a general premise or, in some cases, multiple hypotheses. Deductive reasoning is best for situations with multiple variables that must be accounted for and handled.
• Inductive Reasoning Inductive reasoning , also known as bottom-up logic, is the direct opposite of deductive reasoning as it forms plausible conclusions from a specific observation. Inductive reasoning works best when using context and practical intelligence to resolve an issue.
• Numerical Reasoning Numerical reasoning is the ability to apply logic to problems that include data, charts and graphs. Someone who has strong numerical reasoning skills is proficient in basic mathematical functions, statistical interpretation, and algorithms to name a few.
• Abstract Reasoning Abstract reasoning is the ability to identify patterns, extract main ideas, and analyze information. Abstract reasoning is an important factor of problem solving and decision making. This form of reasoning is complex and includes various aspects.

What Is an Analytical Reasoning Test?

Analytic reasoning tests are utilized by companies that wish to evaluate a candidate’s critical reasoning skills and their ability to pay attention to detail. This test is commonly administered for job seekers applying for mid- or high-level jobs that require a strength in mathematics. Management and human resource positions are also asked to partake in an analytical reasoning test so employers can measure their problem-solving capabilities. Depending on the role and company, participants may see one of three versions of the analytical reasoning assessment:

• Data Most common in the financial industry, the data heavy version of the analytical reasoning test supplies applicants with graphs, charts and tables with subsequent questions. The math aspect of the data version is usually simple, so the problem-solving method can be highlighted and evaluated.
• Written The written portion is used for leadership and management roles. Provided a passage, candidates must discern patterns and main ideas using the context and answer the multiple-choice questions that follow.
• Images The analytical reasoning test that focuses on image-related questions slightly resembles the non-verbal reasoning test. The applicant is supplied puzzle-like questions containing shape sequences and objects and must find the missing piece.

How to Prepare for an Analytical Reasoning Test?

Analytical reasoning test can be difficult to study for because it examines your raw critical thinking skills. If you are looking to optimize and improve your score, the best way to prepare is running through sample questions or completing online practice tests. By doing this, you can become familiar with the idea of the content and the learn how to pace yourself under the time constraint. Due to the acumen required for each question, preparing for the time limit is essential because many candidates find themselves skipping and guessing at the questions rather than dedicating time and effort to them. It is also helpful to understand the qualities employers are looking for by administering these tests, that way you can narrow your preparation.

Analytical Skills Test Sample Questions

• The facts prove the conclusion.
• The facts disprove the conclusion.
• Cannot say based on the information provided.

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What is a Cognitive Test?

How difficult is the cognitive ability test, free practice cognitive reasoning test questions, frequently asked questions, cognitive ability test.

Updated October 31, 2023

A cognitive test is an assessment tool designed to measure an individual's cognitive abilities, which are the mental processes involved in acquiring, processing, storing and using information.

Cognitive assessments are used to evaluate various aspects of cognitive functioning, including memory, attention, problem-solving, reasoning, language comprehension, and more.

Cognitive function tests are commonly employed in several contexts, including education, clinical psychology, neuropsychology and employment assessment.

This cognitive ability practice test has been designed to help you prepare for the real thing.  

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The test consists of a set of 10 questions, along with correct answers and full explanations.

What are the Topics Covered in a Cognitive Functions Test?

Verbal reasoning.

A verbal reasoning test is a type of cognitive assessment designed to evaluate an individual's ability to understand and analyze written information, as well as to draw logical conclusions and make inferences based on that information.

These test reading comprehension, critical thinking,inference and deduction, vocabulary and language skills and textual analysis.

Numerical Reasoning

A numerical reasoning test is a type of cognitive assessment designed to evaluate an individual's ability to work with numerical information, perform mathematical operations and make logical deductions based on numerical data.

These test mathematical problem solving, data interpretation, critical thinking and numerical literacy.

Logical Reasoning

A logical reasoning test, also known as a logical aptitude test or logical thinking test, is a type of cognitive assessment designed to evaluate an individual's ability to think logically, critically analyze information and make deductions based on structured patterns and rules.

These test pattern recognition, critical thinking, deductive and inductive reasoning.

Figural Reasoning

A figural reasoning test, also known as a non-verbal reasoning test, is a type of cognitive assessment that evaluates an individual's ability to analyze and solve problems using visual or abstract patterns and shapes, rather than relying on language or numbers.

These test visual patterns and shapes, pattern recognition, spatial skills and critical thinking.

At the end of the test if you would like further practice, you can find more tests like this cognitive ability test at JobTestPrep .

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How can I test my cognitive ability?

You can test your cognitive ability through various cognitive assessments and tests that are designed to measure different aspects of cognitive functioning. These tests can be administered by educational institutions, employers or qualified professionals.

To get an idea of your cognitive abilities, you can also explore online cognitive tests and brain training apps, although these may not provide as accurate or comprehensive results as professionally administered tests.

How to prepare for the cognitive ability assessment?

While cognitive ability assessments are designed to measure innate abilities and skills, there are some general strategies you can use to prepare:

• Get enough rest and sleep before the assessment.
• Practice with sample questions and familiarize yourself with the test format if possible.
• Manage your stress and anxiety through relaxation techniques.
• Follow any specific instructions or guidelines provided by the test administrator.
• Be sure to arrive on time for the assessment and be well-rested and focused.

How long does a cognitive ability test take?

The duration of a cognitive ability test can vary widely depending on the specific test and its complexity. Some tests may take as little as 15-20 minutes, while others, especially comprehensive assessments, may take several hours. The length of the test is typically determined by the number and types of questions included.

How is a cognitive ability assessment scored?

Cognitive ability assessments are typically scored based on the number of correct answers. Some tests may also consider the time taken to complete each section or question, and in such cases, speed and accuracy are both important factors. Scores may be compared to a normative group to determine how an individual's performance compares to the average or to establish percentiles.

Is cognitive ability an IQ test?

Cognitive ability assessments are closely related to IQ tests, but they are not always the same. IQ (Intelligence Quotient) tests are a specific type of cognitive ability test that measures a range of cognitive skills, including problem-solving, logical reasoning and spatial intelligence.

However, there are other cognitive tests that may focus on specific cognitive domains, such as verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, or figural reasoning.

IQ tests are a subset of cognitive ability assessments but are often used interchangeably with the term "cognitive ability test" in common language.

You might also be interested in these other PRT articles:

Problem solving test: Pre-employment screening assessment to hire the best candidates

Summary of the problem solving test.

This Problem Solving test evaluates candidates’ ability to define problems and analyze data and textual information to make correct decisions. This test helps you identify candidates who use analytical skills to evaluate and respond to complex situations.

Covered skills

Creating and adjusting schedules, interpreting data and applying logic to make decisions, prioritizing and applying order based on a given set of rules, analyzing textual and numerical information to draw conclusions, use the problem solving test to hire.

Any role that involves managing constantly shifting variables with tight deadlines. This may include administrative assistants, project managers, planners, and people working in hospitality or sales.

You can use this test for free when you sign up for a free plan

About the Problem Solving test

Effective problem-solving requires a broad skill set that enables individuals, teams, and businesses to advance towards stated objectives. It involves the ability to define a problem, to break it down into manageable parts, to develop approaches to solve the (sub)problem using creativity and analytical thinking, and to execute flawlessly.

This problem solving test allows you to identify candidates who display these abilities. The test presents candidates with typical problem-solving scenarios like scheduling on the basis of a diverse set of conditions, identifying the right sequence of actions based on a number of business rules, and drawing conclusions based on textual and numerical information.

The test requires candidates to identify the right answers to the questions in a limited amount of time. Successful candidates can quickly identify the key elements of the problem and work through the problem at speed without making mistakes. This is a great test to include to check candidates' overall analytical skills.

The test is made by a subject-matter expert

The global IT industry has benefited from Anirban’s talents for over two decades. With a flawless reputation that precedes him, Anirban has earned a status as a sought-after agile project manager and consultant. He’s worked internationally as a Senior Project Manager with companies such as Ericsson, IBM, and T-Mobile.

Anirban’s love for learning helps him keep his skills sharp. He holds an MBA and a degree in engineering, is a certified Scrum Master, and has certifications in Prince2 and ITIL.

Crafted with expert knowledge

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Our feedback mechanisms and unique algorithms allow our subject-matter experts to constantly improve their tests.

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The Problem Solving test will be included in a PDF report along with the other tests from your assessment. You can easily download and share this report with colleagues and candidates.

Why problem-solving is a crucial skill

We’ve all been thrown a curveball at work. An unexpected problem crops up and we need to make a plan to solve it. This is called problem-solving and it’s an important skill in most job roles because employees will encounter difficult or complex situations or problems that need to be solved.

Interestingly, unlike some career skills, problem-solving translates to both an individual’s personal and professional lives, making it crucial to potential success. But this may make it harder for recruiters to find the right candidate for a job where problem-solving skills are needed. In this case, a problem-solving test can help you find the best candidate capable of handling situations that influence business functions.

Problem-solving in the workplace

In business, problem-solving relies on a candidate’s ability to create processes that mitigate or remove obstacles that prevent the company from achieving its goals. Consequently, these issues or situations can create a gap between desired outcomes and actual results. This means that problem-solving plays an important role in how employees meet this challenge and work through it.

Roles such as project management, administrative assistance, and planning work with changing circumstances and tight deadlines on a day-to-day basis. When recruiting for these roles, finding candidates who have good problem-solving skills is crucial to their success in the role.

To gain insight into a candidate’s skill in this area, you can use a problem-solving test. Through expert formulation, a skill-specific test can help you understand a candidate’s level of proficiency. And testing your applicants before you start the interview process can highlight the candidates with the skills most relevant to the role.

A process-driven skill

In the workplace, there are important steps that can contribute to a candidate’s ability to successfully solve problems. Let’s take a look:

Identify the problem

Problem-solving begins with accurately identifying the problem. This determining factor looks at whether a candidate can find the origin and the implications of the problem. It includes:

• Differentiating between fact and opinion

• Compiling data to determine the problem

• Identifying underlying causes

• Recognizing which processes are affected• Pinpointing the process standard

By accurately identifying the problem, individuals can proceed to the next step to solve the problem.

Determine alternative solutions

Once an individual has established the source of the problem, they can determine alternative solutions. The goal of plotting solutions to the problem is to remedy it and realign it with business goals. A creative problem-solving test may identify whether an individual has the competency to determine solutions. Key competencies in seeking solutions include:

• Establishing alternative solutions that align with business goals

• Determining whether a problem needs short- or long-term solutions

• Evaluating how solutions may impact on resources; and determining if there are any barriers to implementing the solutions.

Although any problem can have multiple solutions, the simplest or fastest one may not always be the best course of action. This is where solution comparison comes into play.

Compare solutions and plot a course

Once all possible solutions are determined, it is important to compare them. This involves evaluating each solution without bias to determine the optimal solution to the problem.

Through the evaluation process, the individual should rule out options that do not align with company goals, may take too much time and/or resources, or are unrealistic in their approach.

Some considerations when determining the best solution include the likelihood of solution implementation, whether all parties involved will accept the solution, and how it fits in with business goals. Additionally, it is important to note that the goal of the optimal solution is to solve the problem without causing additional or unanticipated problems.

In essence, problem-solving is about finding solutions that cause as little disruption as possible and correcting a project’s course.

Implement the solution

The last stage in problem-solving is the implementation of the final step. This step focuses on the remedial solution and requires continuous evaluation to ensure its effective implementation. For you as a recruiter, knowing if a candidate can find a solution as well as implement it may be important to the goals of the role.

Continually evaluating the solution will give the individual insight into whether the project goals are aligned, whether all stakeholders accept the new solution and whether the outcomes are managed effectively.

Considerations for recruiters

When hiring for a role in which problem-solving skills are crucial, it may be beneficial to test a candidate’s ability to define problems and analyze data and textual information to make decisions that best serve the business. Some of the considerations for a problem-solving test include:

Schedules are living documents that need to adapt as eventualities come into play. Candidates should be able to understand what they can realistically achieve with the time and how to adjust schedules to account for variable outcomes.

Data-driven decision-making should inform a course of action before an individual commits to it. For recruiters, this means candidates should have an aptitude for aligning data with business goals and making actionable decisions.

By using prioritization rules and supporting information, candidates can determine which project tasks take priority. This system aims to optimize resources for project delivery.

Examining textual and numerical information to reveal patterns, relationships, and trends can tell the candidate what connection exists among variables. Conclusions can then be drawn from the data to gain an accurate assessment of the overall situation.

When broken down, problem-solving is a skill that relies on a variety of disciplines to achieve success. Although this skill is transferable to many job roles, determining candidates’ proficiency can be difficult, so it can be beneficial to recruiters to use a problem-solving test to review candidates’ aptitude when recruiting for a role.

Using a pre-formulated problem-solving test will enable you to quickly assess your candidates and help you recruit the best person for the role.

An assessment is the total package of tests and custom questions that you put together to evaluate your candidates. Each individual test within an assessment is designed to test something specific, such as a job skill or language. An assessment can consist of up to 5 tests and 20 custom questions. You can have candidates respond to your custom questions in several ways, such as with a personalized video.

Yes! Custom questions are great for testing candidates in your own unique way. We support the following question types: video, multiple-choice, coding, file upload, and essay. Besides adding your own custom questions, you can also create your own tests.

A video question is a specific type of custom question you can add to your assessment. Video questions let you create a question and have your candidates use their webcam to record a video response. This is an excellent way to see how a candidate would conduct themselves in a live interview, and is especially useful for sales and hospitality roles. Some good examples of things to ask for video questions would be "Why do you want to work for our company?" or "Try to sell me an item you have on your desk right now."

Besides video questions, you can also add the following types of custom questions: multiple-choice, coding, file upload, and essay. Multiple-choice lets your candidates choose from a list of answers that you provide, coding lets you create a coding problem for them to solve, file upload allows your candidates to upload a file that you request (such as a resume or portfolio), and essay allows an open-ended text response to your question. You can learn more about different custom question types here .

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Yes. You can add up to five tests to each assessment.

We recommend using our assessment software as a pre-screening tool at the beginning of your recruitment process. You can add a link to the assessment in your job post or directly invite candidates by email.

TestGorilla replaces traditional resume screening with a much more reliable and efficient process, designed to find the most skilled candidates earlier and faster.

We offer the following cognitive ability tests : Numerical Reasoning, Problem Solving, Attention to Detail, Reading Comprehension, and Critical Thinking.

Our cognitive ability tests allow you to test for skills that are difficult to evaluate in an interview. Check out our blog on why these tests are so useful and how to choose the best one for your assessment.

Related tests

Computational thinking, basic math calculations, mechanical reasoning, understanding instructions, attention to detail (visual), intermediate math, basic triple-digit math, basic double-digit math, attention to detail (textual), numerical reasoning.

• Numerical Reasoning
• Verbal Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Logical Reasoning
• Situational Judgement
• Mechanical Reasoning
• Watson Glaser Critical thinking
• Deductive reasoning
• Abstract reasoning
• Spatial reasoning
• Error checking
• Verbal comprehension
• Reading comprehension
• Diagrammatic Reasoning
• Psychometric tests
• Personality test
• In-Tray exercise
• E-Tray exercise
• Competency based assessment
• Game based assessments
• Analysis exercise
• Group exercise
• Presentation exercise
• Video interview
• Strengths based assessment
• Strengths based interviews
• Saville Assessment
• Talent Q / Korn Ferry
• Watson Glaser
• Criterion Partnership
• Test Partnership
• Cut-e / Aon
• Team Focus PFS
• Sova Assessment

Logical Reasoning Tests

Practice tests, solutions, and tips to help you pass employers' logical reasoning tests.

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Updated: 08 April 2024

• What is a logical reasoning test?

A logical reasoning test is used measure a candidate’s problem solving ability. They assess the ability to come to conclusions based on logic. You are presented with a series of shapes and are required to find patterns and rules to help you find the correct answer. These tests may be encountered for any position at any level of recruitment, but they may be particularly common when recruiting for positions which require significant problem solving ability or higher use of logic.

What is an example of logical reasoning?

Here are screenshots of our logical reasoning tests to understand what an example question involves:

Page contents:

• How we can help with logical tests
• Logical reasoning tutorial - Part 1
• Free logical reasoning test
• Logical reasoning tutorial - Part 2

Different types of logical reasoning

• Most common logical reasoning tests
• Logical reasoning test advice

Logical reasoning FAQs

How assessmentday can help with logical reasoning tests.

AssessmentDay offer numerous types of logical reasoning test which can help you perform to your best in the real thing. Practising logical reasoning tests is an ideal method of preparation as it allows you to learn from your mistakes, improving performance with every practice trial. Similarly experiencing time limits, the test layout and the overall test experience can help ease worries and anxieties about the test by familiarising yourself with them. It goes without saying that a candidate that has undertaken a logical reasoning test numerous times and seen their prior mistakes, and learned from them will be less nervous than a first time test candidate.

Logical Reasoning Video Tutorial - Part 1

Free practice logical reasoning test

Free logical reasoning test.

This free shortened logical reasoning test contains 10 questions and has a time limit of 70 seconds per question .

Logical Reasoning Test 1

• 12 questions

Logical Reasoning Test 2

Logical reasoning test 3, logical reasoning test 4, logical reasoning video tutorial - part 2.

There are numerous types of logical reasoning test, and many of these are used interchangeably. These tests tend to be similar in their layout and methodology, but with subtle and important differences.

Survey results

We analysed a sample of logic-based tests, to find the most common terms/most popular type was: Inductive reasoning

Here is a breakdown of the most common logical ability tests:

• Inductive reasoning: - Inductive reasoning is the ability to reach general conclusion based on perceived patterns observed in specific events. Inductive logic is often used in everyday life and is therefore practical to a work place environment. In these tests candidates will be provided with a series of diagrams with an evident pattern. Candidates will need to identify the pattern in the sequence of diagrams and select the next diagram in the sequence.
• Deductive reasoning: - Deductive reasoning involves a general rule or principle that leads to a specific conclusion. These tests will evaluate and measure a candidate's ability to make logical arguments and draw sound conclusions based on provided data, as well as identify flaws in a piece of information. As a result this is a useful tool in selection procedures as this type of reasoning will be used in the workplace. This type of reasoning will often be used in verbal reasoning tests and numerical tests, and is therefore very likely to be encountered in recruitment processes.
• Abstract reasoning: - Abstract reasoning, also known as conceptual reasoning measures your lateral thinking ability. In these tests candidates will be tested on their ability to identify relationships, patterns and trends. Candidates will be provided with a series of images that follow a logical sequence or underlying rules. This may include following a rule in a sequence, identifying a code or finding a missing diagram.
• Diagrammatic reasoning: - Diagrammatic reasoning is a specific form of abstract reasoning. Tests which assess this ability will typically show a flowchart of diagrams and symbols, with an input and an output. Candidates will need to identify which inputs effect diagrams, and therefore generate a specific output based on those rules.
• Critical thinking: - Critical thinking tests are a type of verbal critical reasoning task which assesses various different types of logical reasoning in arguments, assumptions and conclusions. Typical logical abilities tested include analysing arguments, making inferences and evaluating conclusions.

The most common logical reasoning tests used by employers

Did you know.

Different test publishers use different names for their assessments. The term logical reasoning is used by TalentQ. Other companies may call their test abstract, inductive, or diagrammatic reasoning. It is good advice when being asked to sit a logical reasoning test to speak to the person who invited you and ask for a bit more detail; they may even give you a few example questions so you know what to expect.

Our 2020 study asked candidates about their logical reasoning test experience, in doing so we managed to find the most popular test publishers from our sample:

• 1. Talent Q Elements Logical Ability - the important feature of these tests is that they are adaptive. That is to say the difficulty of each question is automatically determined by your performance in the previous question. So the questions become more difficult as you progress in order to quickly find your level of logical reasoning ability. There are typically 12 questions to these TalentQ logical tests and a time limit of 75 seconds per question.
• 2. Kenexa Logical Reasoning - this test published by Kenexa is actually very similar in style to what SHL call an inductive reasoning test. They are effectively the same thing; the candidate is asked to select which diagram fits within the given series from a choice of five options. Typically Kenexa will give the candidate 20 minutes for 24 questions for their logical reasoning test.
• 3. Ravens Progressive Matricies (Ravens APM / Ravens SPM) - The grid-style of symbols each following a pattern is also used in the Ravens Progressive Matrices assessments. With Raven's logical test, there are two levels of this test: Advanced Progressive Matrices (23 questions, 42 minutes) and Standard Progressive Matrices (28 questions, 47 minutes). Our logical tests are suitable for Raven's APM-III and Raven's SPM tests, you can alter the time limit with of our tests to create a more authentic experience.

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General logical reasoning test advice

Although all tests evaluate a specific logical ability, or set of abilities, there are general strategies which can be applied to ensure maximum performance in a logical reasoning test.

Here is a list of useful tips and advice for logical reasoning tests:

• 1. Stay calm: - Logical reasoning tests of all kinds can be nerve racking, particularly ones which are time limited. As a result it is important to stay calm as to allow optimum performance during your exam. A small amount of anxiety can be a performance booster, maximise focus and therefore performance. However, serious test anxiety can severely hamper performance. Proper practice, enough sleep the night before and deep and regular breathing can all help settle your nerves, and perform to your best on the day of your test.
• 2. Research the type of test: - Learning as much about the test beforehand can help you dive straight into the test once you have received it, saving you time. Similarly after researching the test, and the logical abilities which it assesses, can help you hone these skills and ensure you demonstrate the particular aptitude required for the test, optimising your performance.
• 3. Clarify what type of test: - If an employer states that you will need to undertake a logical reasoning test, it is important to gauge what type of logical reasoning will be tested due to the broad nature of logical reasoning. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification to identify which logical reasoning test will be used, and which logical reasoning skill will be tested as this information will be invaluable for your pre test preparation.
• 4. Figure out the answer first: - A general tip for logical reasoning tests is to figure out the correct answer/sequence/rule before looking at the multiple choices. This way once you have an idea in your head of the correct answer, you can simply pick it out. If you look at the multiple choice answers first, you will be more inclined to pick the answer which best looks like the correct answer, rather than take the time to evaluate it logically. Your logic will be subject to more bias if you base your answer on which answer seems correct on face value, instead of evaluating it using the logical skills being tested.
• For more advice on logical reasoning tests, check out our logical reasoning tips where we go through an example question and give you advice on how to pass logical tests.

Yes, logical reasoning is a skill just like numerical reasoning which can be developed and practised. Some people will naturally be talented with logical reasoning and be able to solve logical puzzles much easier than others. Logical reasoning involves being able to solve logic puzzles and draw conclusions from patterns.

Logical reasoning is important for your ability to solve problems and generate creative ideas. It's this reason that many employers use logical reasoning tests in their application process.

The best way to practise logic skills is by using logical reasoning tests. These will provide the best practise as they directly involve all the skills needed in solving logic problems. You can also practise things like word puzzles or any kind of puzzle that requires you to identify patterns to find answers.

26 Expert-Backed Problem Solving Examples – Interview Answers

Published: February 13, 2023

Interview Questions and Answers

Actionable advice from real experts:

Biron Clark

Former Recruiter

Contributor

Dr. Kyle Elliott

Career Coach

Hayley Jukes

Editor-in-Chief

Biron Clark , Former Recruiter

Kyle Elliott , Career Coach

Hayley Jukes , Editor

As a recruiter , I know employers like to hire people who can solve problems and work well under pressure.

 A job rarely goes 100% according to plan, so hiring managers are more likely to hire you if you seem like you can handle unexpected challenges while staying calm and logical.

But how do they measure this?

Hiring managers will ask you interview questions about your problem-solving skills, and they might also look for examples of problem-solving on your resume and cover letter. 

In this article, I’m going to share a list of problem-solving examples and sample interview answers to questions like, “Give an example of a time you used logic to solve a problem?” and “Describe a time when you had to solve a problem without managerial input. How did you handle it, and what was the result?”

• Problem-solving involves identifying, prioritizing, analyzing, and solving problems using a variety of skills like critical thinking, creativity, decision making, and communication.
• Describe the Situation, Task, Action, and Result ( STAR method ) when discussing your problem-solving experiences.
• Tailor your interview answer with the specific skills and qualifications outlined in the job description.
• Provide numerical data or metrics to demonstrate the tangible impact of your problem-solving efforts.

What are Problem Solving Skills? 

Problem-solving is the ability to identify a problem, prioritize based on gravity and urgency, analyze the root cause, gather relevant information, develop and evaluate viable solutions, decide on the most effective and logical solution, and plan and execute implementation. 

Problem-solving encompasses other skills that can be showcased in an interview response and your resume. Problem-solving skills examples include:

• Critical thinking
• Analytical skills
• Decision making
• Research skills
• Technical skills
• Communication skills
• Adaptability and flexibility

Why is Problem Solving Important in the Workplace?

Problem-solving is essential in the workplace because it directly impacts productivity and efficiency. Whenever you encounter a problem, tackling it head-on prevents minor issues from escalating into bigger ones that could disrupt the entire workflow. 

Beyond maintaining smooth operations, your ability to solve problems fosters innovation. It encourages you to think creatively, finding better ways to achieve goals, which keeps the business competitive and pushes the boundaries of what you can achieve. 

Effective problem-solving also contributes to a healthier work environment; it reduces stress by providing clear strategies for overcoming obstacles and builds confidence within teams. 

Examples of Problem-Solving in the Workplace

• Correcting a mistake at work, whether it was made by you or someone else
• Overcoming a delay at work through problem solving and communication
• Resolving an issue with a difficult or upset customer
• Overcoming issues related to a limited budget, and still delivering good work through the use of creative problem solving
• Overcoming a scheduling/staffing shortage in the department to still deliver excellent work
• Troubleshooting and resolving technical issues
• Handling and resolving a conflict with a coworker
• Solving any problems related to money, customer billing, accounting and bookkeeping, etc.
• Taking initiative when another team member overlooked or missed something important
• Taking initiative to meet with your superior to discuss a problem before it became potentially worse
• Solving a safety issue at work or reporting the issue to those who could solve it
• Using problem solving abilities to reduce/eliminate a company expense
• Finding a way to make the company more profitable through new service or product offerings, new pricing ideas, promotion and sale ideas, etc.
• Changing how a process, team, or task is organized to make it more efficient
• Using creative thinking to come up with a solution that the company hasn’t used before
• Performing research to collect data and information to find a new solution to a problem
• Boosting a company or team’s performance by improving some aspect of communication among employees
• Finding a new piece of data that can guide a company’s decisions or strategy better in a certain area

Problem-Solving Examples for Recent Grads/Entry-Level Job Seekers

• Coordinating work between team members in a class project
• Reassigning a missing team member’s work to other group members in a class project
• Adjusting your workflow on a project to accommodate a tight deadline
• Speaking to your professor to get help when you were struggling or unsure about a project
• Asking classmates, peers, or professors for help in an area of struggle
• Talking to your academic advisor to brainstorm solutions to a problem you were facing
• Researching solutions to an academic problem online, via Google or other methods
• Using problem solving and creative thinking to obtain an internship or other work opportunity during school after struggling at first

How To Answer “Tell Us About a Problem You Solved”

When you answer interview questions about problem-solving scenarios, or if you decide to demonstrate your problem-solving skills in a cover letter (which is a good idea any time the job description mentions problem-solving as a necessary skill), I recommend using the STAR method.

STAR stands for:

It’s a simple way of walking the listener or reader through the story in a way that will make sense to them. 

Start by briefly describing the general situation and the task at hand. After this, describe the course of action you chose and why. Ideally, show that you evaluated all the information you could given the time you had, and made a decision based on logic and fact. Finally, describe the positive result you achieved.

Note: Our sample answers below are structured following the STAR formula. Be sure to check them out!

EXPERT ADVICE

Dr. Kyle Elliott , MPA, CHES Tech & Interview Career Coach caffeinatedkyle.com

How can I communicate complex problem-solving experiences clearly and succinctly?

Before answering any interview question, it’s important to understand why the interviewer is asking the question in the first place.

When it comes to questions about your complex problem-solving experiences, for example, the interviewer likely wants to know about your leadership acumen, collaboration abilities, and communication skills, not the problem itself.

Therefore, your answer should be focused on highlighting how you excelled in each of these areas, not diving into the weeds of the problem itself, which is a common mistake less-experienced interviewees often make.

Tailoring Your Answer Based on the Skills Mentioned in the Job Description

As a recruiter, one of the top tips I can give you when responding to the prompt “Tell us about a problem you solved,” is to tailor your answer to the specific skills and qualifications outlined in the job description. 

Once you’ve pinpointed the skills and key competencies the employer is seeking, craft your response to highlight experiences where you successfully utilized or developed those particular abilities. 

For instance, if the job requires strong leadership skills, focus on a problem-solving scenario where you took charge and effectively guided a team toward resolution. 

By aligning your answer with the desired skills outlined in the job description, you demonstrate your suitability for the role and show the employer that you understand their needs.

Amanda Augustine expands on this by saying:

“Showcase the specific skills you used to solve the problem. Did it require critical thinking, analytical abilities, or strong collaboration? Highlight the relevant skills the employer is seeking.”  

Interview Answers to “Tell Me About a Time You Solved a Problem”

Now, let’s look at some sample interview answers to, “Give me an example of a time you used logic to solve a problem,” or “Tell me about a time you solved a problem,” since you’re likely to hear different versions of this interview question in all sorts of industries.

The example interview responses are structured using the STAR method and are categorized into the top 5 key problem-solving skills recruiters look for in a candidate.

1. Analytical Thinking

Situation: In my previous role as a data analyst , our team encountered a significant drop in website traffic.

Task: I was tasked with identifying the root cause of the decrease.

Action: I conducted a thorough analysis of website metrics, including traffic sources, user demographics, and page performance. Through my analysis, I discovered a technical issue with our website’s loading speed, causing users to bounce. 

Result: By optimizing server response time, compressing images, and minimizing redirects, we saw a 20% increase in traffic within two weeks.

2. Critical Thinking

Situation: During a project deadline crunch, our team encountered a major technical issue that threatened to derail our progress.

Task: My task was to assess the situation and devise a solution quickly.

Action: I immediately convened a meeting with the team to brainstorm potential solutions. Instead of panicking, I encouraged everyone to think outside the box and consider unconventional approaches. We analyzed the problem from different angles and weighed the pros and cons of each solution.

Result: By devising a workaround solution, we were able to meet the project deadline, avoiding potential delays that could have cost the company $100,000 in penalties for missing contractual obligations.

3. Decision Making

Situation: As a project manager , I was faced with a dilemma when two key team members had conflicting opinions on the project direction.

Task: My task was to make a decisive choice that would align with the project goals and maintain team cohesion.

Action: I scheduled a meeting with both team members to understand their perspectives in detail. I listened actively, asked probing questions, and encouraged open dialogue. After carefully weighing the pros and cons of each approach, I made a decision that incorporated elements from both viewpoints.

Result: The decision I made not only resolved the immediate conflict but also led to a stronger sense of collaboration within the team. By valuing input from all team members and making a well-informed decision, we were able to achieve our project objectives efficiently.

4. Communication (Teamwork)

Situation: During a cross-functional project, miscommunication between departments was causing delays and misunderstandings.

Task: My task was to improve communication channels and foster better teamwork among team members.

Action: I initiated regular cross-departmental meetings to ensure that everyone was on the same page regarding project goals and timelines. I also implemented a centralized communication platform where team members could share updates, ask questions, and collaborate more effectively.

Result: Streamlining workflows and improving communication channels led to a 30% reduction in project completion time, saving the company $25,000 in operational costs.

5. Persistence 

Situation: During a challenging sales quarter, I encountered numerous rejections and setbacks while trying to close a major client deal.

Task: My task was to persistently pursue the client and overcome obstacles to secure the deal.

Action: I maintained regular communication with the client, addressing their concerns and demonstrating the value proposition of our product. Despite facing multiple rejections, I remained persistent and resilient, adjusting my approach based on feedback and market dynamics.

Result: After months of perseverance, I successfully closed the deal with the client. By closing the major client deal, I exceeded quarterly sales targets by 25%, resulting in a revenue increase of $250,000 for the company.

Tips to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills

Throughout your career, being able to showcase and effectively communicate your problem-solving skills gives you more leverage in achieving better jobs and earning more money .

So to improve your problem-solving skills, I recommend always analyzing a problem and situation before acting.

 When discussing problem-solving with employers, you never want to sound like you rush or make impulsive decisions. They want to see fact-based or data-based decisions when you solve problems.

Don’t just say you’re good at solving problems. Show it with specifics. How much did you boost efficiency? Did you save the company money? Adding numbers can really make your achievements stand out.

To get better at solving problems, analyze the outcomes of past solutions you came up with. You can recognize what works and what doesn’t.

Think about how you can improve researching and analyzing a situation, how you can get better at communicating, and deciding on the right people in the organization to talk to and “pull in” to help you if needed, etc.

Finally, practice staying calm even in stressful situations. Take a few minutes to walk outside if needed. Step away from your phone and computer to clear your head. A work problem is rarely so urgent that you cannot take five minutes to think (with the possible exception of safety problems), and you’ll get better outcomes if you solve problems by acting logically instead of rushing to react in a panic.

You can use all of the ideas above to describe your problem-solving skills when asked interview questions about the topic. If you say that you do the things above, employers will be impressed when they assess your problem-solving ability.

More Interview Resources

• 3 Answers to “How Do You Handle Stress?”
• How to Answer “How Do You Handle Conflict?” (Interview Question)
• Sample Answers to “Tell Me About a Time You Failed”

About the Author

Biron Clark is a former executive recruiter who has worked individually with hundreds of job seekers, reviewed thousands of resumes and LinkedIn profiles, and recruited for top venture-backed startups and Fortune 500 companies. He has been advising job seekers since 2012 to think differently in their job search and land high-paying, competitive positions. Follow on Twitter and LinkedIn .

Read more articles by Biron Clark

About the Contributor

Kyle Elliott , career coach and mental health advocate, transforms his side hustle into a notable practice, aiding Silicon Valley professionals in maximizing potential. Follow Kyle on LinkedIn .

About the Editor

Hayley Jukes is the Editor-in-Chief at CareerSidekick with five years of experience creating engaging articles, books, and transcripts for diverse platforms and audiences.

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Cognitive Ability Test - Prepare with Free Practice Cognitive Questions & Tips

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What is a Cognitive Ability Test?

Cognitive ability tests are widely used by employers to predict job performance  and serve as an indicator of general cognitive ability. Cognitive tests may differ in format, but they typically contain 20-50 multiple-choice questions that measure core elements of cognitive ability and must be answered under a tight time limit.

On this page, you will find accurate examples of cognitive ability test questions that represent the questions you could find in some of the industry's leading cognitive ability tests, including  ASVAB ,  PI ,  Wonderlic , CCAT , WorkKeys , NOCTI , Bryq , Raven's and  P&G . Each question is followed by a full answer with useful information and tips for you to learn from, just like what you would find in JobTestPrep's many cognitive ability preparation packs. 

Looking to practice a specific test? Check out our exams below:

Free IBEW Test | PI Cognitive Assessment  |  Indeed Assessments Test |  Free Police Written Exam |  Free Civil Service Exam  |  Free TSA CBT Test |   Free CritiCall Test |  Free WorkKeysTest | Firefighter Test USPS Postal Exam (474 - 477) | Free NYPD Exam  | Watson Glaser Test  |  FEAST I Air Traffic Test |  ATSA Test |  HireVue  | Free Pymetrics Practice Test

Get the most accurate practice for any SHL test with our  All-Inclusive SHL Test preparation pack .

David , Psychometric Testing Expert at  JobTestPrep .

What do Cognitive Ability Tests Measure?

By combining questions of varying complexity from several fields with a stressful time limit , the cognitive ability test challenges the candidate's problem solving and processing speed abilities, and provides the employer with a measurement of general cognitive ability - a central component of intelligence.

Cognitive testing is such a popular hiring process tool because it is one of the most valid predictors of job success . By giving the employer a preview of a candidate’s cognitive abilities, the cognitive ability test increases the chances that the hiring process will be successful – to the benefit of the organization as well as the candidate.

What Topics are Included in Cognitive Ability Tests ?

Although there is a wide variety of cognitive ability tests that differ in format and difficulty, they generally all set out to measure the same fields:

• Numerical Reasoning – this is the broad term for number-based cognitive skill tests that range from basic math problems to complex numerical problem solving.
• Verbal Reasoning – these cognitive tests evaluate your language comprehension through a range of English language skills, such as vocabulary, grammar, reading comprehension, and critical reasoning.
• Deductive Reasoning – questions where you must deduce from certain rules given in a statement or argument in order to reach conclusions.
• Logical Reasoning – these questions assess your ability to understand complicated texts and, most importantly, to utilize critical thinking skills to draw conclusions and recognize important facts.
• Abstract Reasoning – these cognitive tests measure your ability to draw conclusions based on hidden information in symbols or matrices. You are asked to identify a missing item that completes a certain pattern of logic that you must recognize in a sample given to you.

Applying for a different test? Check out our designated free practice pages:   HireVue   |  IBEW  | TSA  | ASVAB | Criticall  | Watson Glaser  |  EIAT

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Job-seeking can be a long and frustrating process that can take several months. As part of this journey, you'll have to take a number of pre-employment tests or video interviews.

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Mix & match 3 PrepPacks of your choice at a 50% discount for 1 month / 3 months / 6 months.

Cognitive Test Example Questions

In this section, you will find 20 cognitive ability example questions simulating those you would find in the most respected cognitive ability tests in use today. Read each question carefully and select the answer you think is correct, and then read the full answer that follows. Good luck! 

1. Verbal Analogy:  find the relationship between the pair of words below, and identify the most similar relationship in the answer options.

REPLETE is to FAMISHED as:

The answer is C.

REPLETE means “full with,” and FAMISHED means “very hungry.” If a person is FAMISHED, they are not REPLETE with food. In a specific context, these two adjectives directly contradict one another.

If something is BLATANT it is very obvious, while if something is MASKED it is hidden. If something is MASKED, it is not BLATANT – these two words also directly contradict each other, and is, therefore, the correct answer.

Incorrect Answers A – SHROUD means “to cover,” and HASTEN means “to do something quickly.” These two words do not have a strong relationship.

B – PLAUSIBLE means “reasonable,” and PLACATE means “try to please.” These two words do not have a strong relationship.

D – COMMENCE means to begin, and a person GRADUATEs upon completing a course of study. Often, GRADUATION ceremonies are referred to as COMMENCEment ceremonies. These two words are related but do not contradict one another.

E – A person who is DEPRESSED may not be SUCCESSFUL, but these two words do not directly contradict each other.

2. Number Series:  identify the hidden pattern in the series of numbers below, and use it to predict the next / missing number:

8 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 17 | ?

The answer is: 25.

Answer explanation: This series is a variation of the famous Fibonacci sequence: each term equals the sum of the two previous terms minus 2.

3. Abstract Reasoning - the numbers in the figures below have the same mathematical relationship to one another.

What number should replace the question mark in the figure below?

The correct answer is: 2.

When solving this type of question it is important to understand the pattern that the three circles exhibit and the numerical relationship between them.

Focus on the quarter that the question mark appears in and check to see if there is a common relationship that repeats itself between that quarter and the other quarters of each of the circles.

In this example, the circles share the following pattern: (Top cell) minus (Diagonal-bottom-cell) = 1.

e.g. left circle: 6 (top-left) – 5 (bottom-right) = 1, 9 (top-right) – 8 (bottom-left) = 1; right circle: 0 (top-left) – (-1) (bottom-right) = 1.

According to the reasoning above the (top-left) cell – (bottom-right) cell = 1. Therefore, the (bottom-right) cell = 2.

4. Deductive Reasoning -  These cognitive test  questions measure your ability to analyze sentences and reach a logical conclusion. Some of the questions are numerical, and some are verbal, and the conclusion is generally reached by applying general rules.

If the first two statements are true, is the final statement true?

Most snakes are green. Most snakes are quick.

At least one snake is both green and quick.

The correct answer is A - Yes.

The way to solve this type of question is to examine the ratios and see if there could be an overlap between the two groups - if most of the snakes are green and most of the snakes are quick, we can deduce that there has to be at least one green snake that is also quick.

This happens because the subgroups of "green" and "quick" each constitute more than 50% of the entire snake population (most of the snakes means more than 50%) and consequently must overlap.

​ 5. Numerical Reasoning: Percentages and Word Problems. Percentage problems can take the form of word problems and are usually structured in the following way: "(this) is (a percentage) of (that)", which translates to = (to a decimal) × (that)".

If there are 32 students in the classroom and 12.5% of them own at least one pet, how many students do not own any pets?

The correct answer is 28.

It helps to memorize the most common fractions that represent each type of percentages/decimals.

For example: 1\4 = 0.25 = 25% 1\8 = 0.125 = 12.5%

If there are 32 students in the class and only 12.5% of them own at least one pet then all that is left is to divide 32\8 to know that 4 students own a pet and 28 do not.

6. Verbal Reasoning: Vocabulary

Clout most closely means -

The correct answer is prestige. The word clout has two meanings: (1) A heavy blow, especially with the hand (2) The power to influence, usually regarding politics or business. Prestige is close in meaning to the second definition of clout and is therefore the correct answer.

7. Numerical Reasoning: Word Problems

Shelley has 7 dresses, 8 pairs of shoes, and 7 necklaces. If she wears one combination of clothes per day. How many days can she go without wearing the same outfit?

The answer is 392. 

This is a classic combinations question. In order to solve the problem, you must figure the correct number of choices in each category. We have 3 categories: Dresses= a choice between 7 options. Shoes = a choice between 8 options. Necklaces = a choice between 7 options.

The overall number of combinations equals to a multiplication of the number of options within each category: 7*7*8=392

8. Verbal Reasoning: Synonym / Antonym

IMPERIOUS is the opposite of:

The correct answer is subservient.

Imperious means "domineering in a haughty manner; dictatorial; overbearing," so the antonym is subservient. Arrogant is a similar word but not a synonym. Quiet, stormy, and gloomy are not related.

Therefore, the correct answer is subservient.

Questions 2-8 are the type of cognitive questions you will face in the Wonderlic Test . For a full length Wonderlic practice test, click here .   

9. Abstract Reasoning - Spatial  

Which of the following boxes should replace the question mark (?) to complete the pattern?

The arrows move 90 degrees counterclockwise, and the colors change between black, grey and white in cycles of three.

Based on the progression of the arrows, the following arrow in the series must be gray and pointing downwards.

10. Logical Reasoning - Syllogisms are a type of deductive reasoning where a conclusion is drawn from two premises provided to you in the question. 

Assume the first two statements are true:

All athletes are hard workers.

Alice is not an athlete.

Alice is not a hard worker.

Is the final statement:

You can deduce from the first statement that all athletes are hard workers, but you do not have any information about non-athletes.

Therefore, according to the second statement, you cannot conclude anything regarding Alice, who is not an athlete.

The final statement is uncertain.

11. Numerical reasoning - Word Problems

In a popular music station, songs are played fully and uninterrupted (i.e., no commercial breaks). The popular music broadcast "Hits All Around Us" lasts 2 hours and 15 minutes, in which two-song lengths are played – songs that last 3 minutes and songs that last 6 minutes.

How many songs will be played during the broadcast?

Two hours and 15 minutes are 135 minutes in total.

The most songs that can be played are 45 (45 songs X 3 minutes each = 135 minutes).

The last songs that can be played are 23 (22 songs X 6 minutes each + 1 song X 3 minutes = 132 + 3 = 135)

12. Verbal Reasoning - sentence completion.  Choose the word that, when inserted in the sentence to replace the blank, best fits the meaning of the sentence.

Electronic information and automated systems are essential to ____ all major federal operations.

The sentence refers to electronic information that is fundamental to (something) all major federal operations. The sentence's general idea implies that electronic information is essential to practically / nearly / almost all primary federal operations.

Therefore, the only word accurately reflecting that meaning in the sentence's context is "virtually".

13. Abstract Reasoning - these types of cognitive questions require finding hidden patterns or rules in shapes. There are many types of abstract reasoning questions in cognitive tests, in which you need to pay attention to different elements. In the following question, you must pay attention to shape and movement. 

In this series, alternating vertical lines or vertical chains of circles are added to each figure, depending on the previous figure.

The middle circle in the vertical chain is always black. Since the last figure in the series contained an additional vertical chain of circles, the next figure should include an additional vertical line.

The figure appearing in answer option A is the only one that fits.

 14. Letter Series -  What would be the next group of letters in the following series?

zone --> ynnd --> xmnc --> wlnb --> ?

The pattern in this question is that all the letters move one letter backward in the alphabet except the letter "n" which stays constant.  Therefore the answer is vkna.

Tip -  at first glance, this type of cognitive ability question seems confusing. It is in fact no different than a number series! To help you solve these questions quickly, write down the ABC with a corresponding number beneath each letter (A-1, B-2 etc.). This will help you identify the pattern.  

Cognitive question examples 9-14 are the type of questions you will encounter in the CCAT Test . To practice more questions, try our Free CCAT Practice Test.

15. Logical Reasoning -  In the following question you will be presented with a fact and a pursuant conclusion. It is up to you to decide if the conclusion can be proven or not. 

FACTS: If Jason is late to the meeting, Kevin will have to work late. Lois will not cook dinner for Kevin unless Kevin gets home from work on time. If Lois does not cook dinner for Kevin, Kevin will order pizza for dinner. Lois cooked dinner for Kevin.

CONCLUSION: Jason was late to the meeting.

The facts disprove the conclusion 

If Jason is late to the meeting then Kevin will not get home from work on time because he will have to work late. Lois will cook dinner for Kevin only if Kevin gets home from work on time Thus, if Lois cooked dinner for Kevin, Jason could not have come late to the meeting.

16. Verbal Reasoning - Odd One Out. In this type of cognitive question, you need to select the word that stands out in regard to its meaning.

Which word does not belong on this list?

The correct answer is archaic 

Archaic is a word used to describe something that belongs to an earlier period of time, while the other words are used to describe sad and gloomy states of mind or facial expressions. 

17. Abstract Reasoning - Odd One Out

Choose the odd one out:

The correct answer is C.

The logic: In all of the options except for option three, there is a vertical line which separates these boxes into two, equal, symmetrical halves which mirror one another. If these boxes were pieces of paper which were folded vertically, the items in the boxes would be matching and perfectly identical. The right and left halves are mirror-images of one another. This is not the case for option three. In option 3, there is no mirroring effect between the halves. Both hearts have to be either on the top or on the box's bottom for there to be symmetry.

You have probably noticed that the amount, shape and color of the items are insignificant features and are simply distracters.

 18. Numerical Reasoning - Word Problems

When a smartphone is connected to a charger the battery charge increases by 4.5% per minute. When applications are in use the battery decreases by 3% per 2.5 minutes.

What is the percentage of charging rate per minute if the phone is connected to a charger while several applications are in use?

The correct answer is 3.3%.

In order to tackle this question we will first need to understand that there are two opposite "forces" in this question - charging and discharging (i.e. application usage) of the battery. The charger works in a "positive direction" and the applications in a "negative direction". Now we can address the given information: Charger's work rate: 4.5/1 (4.5% charge per minute) Applications' work rate: -3/2.5 = -1.2/1 (1.2% discharge per minute) Thus, the total charging rate ("sum of forces"): 4.5/1 – 1.2/1 = 3.3/1, meaning: 3.3% per minute.

19. Logical Reasoning

Assumptions:

Most technicians work on the first floor. All accountants work on the second floor. No secretaries work on the third floor.

Conclusion:  Rose, a technician, works on the third floor.

If the assumptions are true, is the conclusion:

According to the first assumption, most technicians work on the first floor. This means that there is at least one technician who does not work on the first floor. Thus, Rose may or may not work on the third floor.

Therefore, the conclusion Cannot be determined based on the information

20. Abstract Reasoning - Next in Series

  Which block completes the following sequence:

The correct answer is D.

The two black sections of the circle move around it clockwise in a different pattern: the section on the upper left side of the circle moves two sections each step. The second section (upper right side in the first frame) stays in the same spot for a step and then moves two sections in the next two steps. When the two sections land on the same spot, they appear as one, such as in the third frame.

In the next frame of the sequence, the first section should appear on the upper right side of the circle, so answers (A), (B), and (E) can be ruled out. The second section should stay where it is, which leaves the answer (D).

  Cognitive questions 15-20 are the types of questions commonly found in the PI cognitive assessment . To practice more questions like these, try our free Predictive Index Practice Test.

Prepare for your Cognitive Ability Test

Cognitive tests present two major obstacles: short time frames, and questions that include known tricks and distracters . Luckily, you can overcome these two obstacles with the right practice.

JobTestPrep's cognitive test preparation packs offer a comprehensive review of all the question types seen on contemporary employers' cognitive ability tests. Practicing the full range of numerical, verbal, deductive, spatial, and logical reasoning questions under strict time frames can greatly assist in improving your scores.

We also provide detailed answer explanations, helping you to understand the logic behind each question. Furthermore, our insightful score reports can help you assess your own cognitive abilities, strengths, and weaknesses.

Start preparing today with one of our specialized prep packs!

Tips to Help You Pass Your Cognitive Test

Cognitive tests can be daunting, and the stress that accompanies them due to the high stakes that are involved can make them even more so. However, there are a number of tips and hacks that can help you improve your cognitive test score before even beginning to practice!

• Don't waste too much time on one question. There will always be a question that you don't get and find yourself wasting time on. You've been asked what placate means and you don't remember? The best option is to guess and move on. Good time management is one of the most vital tools you will gain with our cognitive ability practice. 
• Read the instructions carefully. Reading the instructions for each cognitive test question will help ensure you are not missing any important details, and keep you from missing out on points you had in the bag.

Given that an incorrect answer yields the same 1-point reduction from your cognitive ability score, it is best to not leave any questions unanswered and try guessing instead. This strategy is great in helping you earn as many points as you can, rather than losing points for leaving questions blank.

Use scrap paper. 

The questions in cognitive tests are built to overload your brain. Using a piece of scrap paper to make calculations or visualize a tricky abstract reasoning question can make a big difference.

Types of Cognitive Ability Tests

While cognitive ability tests generally measure similar fields, they can vary significantly in length, time limit, and difficulty. Below are some of the most popular cognitive tests being used today, click on the link to learn more about how each one measures cognitive abilities:

• Wonderlic – also known as the Wonderlic Personnel Test-Revised (WPT-R), this cognitive test pits you against 50 multiple-choice questions that must be completed in 12 minutes - meaning processing speed and time management are particularly important.
• Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT) – a cognitive test that measures a candidate's cognitive aptitude , problem-solving abilities, skill-learning capabilities, and critical thinking. It consists of 50 questions and has a 15-minute time limit.
• Predictive Index (PI) Cognitive Assessment  – formerly known as the Professional Learning Indicator (PLI), this is a 12-minute cognitive test comprised of 50 questions. The PLI is given to potential hires to test for skills not easily found on a resume or during an interview and measures your capacity to solve problems, learn, and adapt in the workplace.
• The Universal Cognitive Aptitude Test (UCAT) is a job application assessment that measures your critical thinking, problem-solving, analytical, and mathematical abilities. It consists of 40 questions, and you are given 20 minutes to complete it. Unlike the CCAT exam, the UCAT excludes verbal reasoning and verbal ability sections.
• The Revelian Cognitive Ability Test (RCAT) , previously known as Onetest, assesses three areas: verbal, numerical, and abstract reasoning. The test's difficulty increases as you proceed. You have 20 minutes to answer its 51 questions.
• SHL Tests - SHL is a longtime giant of psychometric testing, with a set of recognized, well-validated assessments. Most common among them are the SHL Numerical , SHL Verbal , SHL Inductive , and SHL Deductive tests. These four are sometimes grouped together to create the SHL General Ability Test . Other cognitive assessments include the SHL Calculation Test , SHL Checking Test , and SHL Mechanical Comprehension .
• The Caliper Assessment , commonly referred to as the Caliper Profile, is a pre-employment test designed to measure the alignment of your personality traits and cognitive skills with the demands of the job you're seeking. It's frequently used for senior, managerial, and leadership positions.  Try free Caliper test questions . 
• Procter and Gamble Assessment - this cognitive abilities test is adaptive (changes in difficulty based on your answers) and fully interactive. It measures a number of cognitive abilities such as spatial orientation and memory, as well as personality traits through a personality test a situational judgment test. 
• Pymetrics - The Pymetrics games test comprises a set of twelve activities crafted to evaluate your personality traits and cognitive abilities. The primary hurdle of the Pymetrics assessment lies in grasping the intended result of each test, along with the aspects being gauged and rated.
• Free IBEW Practice  - The IBEW Aptitude Test stands as a notably demanding cognitive assessment, mandatory for aspiring licensed electricians to successfully clear.
• The Hogan Business Reasoning Inventory - a cognitive test, typically used to assess reasoning and decision-making skills for senior positions. 
• Aon Assessments - Aon’s assessment tests are unique in their interface, gamified assessments, and their particular ways of evaluating your competencies, abilities, characteristics, and behavioral tendencies required in the workplace.

Mercer Mettl Test  - assessing cognitive abilities, technical skills, and personality traits. With adaptive testing, it adjusts question difficulty based on your responses, offering precise insights for job applications and personal development.

Many tests include cognitive ability sections along with other topics. You can find army-related cognitive ability sample questions on our Free ASVAB Practice and Free AFOQT Practice Test . 

While not a cognitive test, interviews play a significant part in the hiring process for most employers. The most notorious one is the pre-recorded video interview .

Cognitive Ability Test Scores

Cognitive tests measure your cognitive abilities - but how are the scores used to decide which candidate gets the job?

There are two main scoring methods to compare cognitive ability scores:

Relative score -  your score is placed on a bell curve along with the scores of other candidates so that your score is compared to theirs and a certain cutoff point is decided. For example, an employer might decide that only the top 10% of the scores move on to the next step of the hiring process. 

Absolute score -  a threshold is set by the employer in advance, and your cognitive ability score needs to pass it. For example, getting more than 30 questions right in the Wonderlic Test . 

For more scoring methods, you can observe our ASVAB Scores guide.

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Problem Solving Assessment – Everything You Need to Know

In any company, challenges occur that require recruiters to hire people prepared to cope with them. Problem-solving is essential for various jobs, particularly those demanding employees to deal with constantly changing situations and tight deadlines.

So, as an employer, you should ask job-related questions and aid in identifying the candidate’s true capabilities. With problem solving interview questions , you can separate results-oriented candidates from those that crumble under pressure.

Problem Solving Assessments: A Boon For Recruiters 

The proces s of finding a solution to a problem is known as problem -solving. Employers use problem solving tests to assess potential applicants’ ability to overcome challenges. People who are good at solving problems have specific skills like:

• Maintaining objectivity
• Undertaking good collaborations
• Being Action-oriented
• Staying observant
• Owning leadership skills

Practical problem -solving necessitates a diverse skill set that allows people, teams, and enterprises to achieve their goals. It entails the capacity to describe an issue, break it down into manageable components, develop creative and analytical solutions to the problem, and execute successfully.

You can use problem- solving tests to find applicants who have the above mentioned skills. In these tests, candidates are given common problem-solving scenarios such as scheduling based on various conditions, determining the best sequence of actions based on several business principles, and drawing conclusions based on textual and numerical data.

Candidates need to identify the correct answers to the questions in a restricted period on the test. Successful applicants can instantly identify the problem’s core aspects and go through it fast and accurately without making mistakes. This is an excellent test to evaluate candidates’ general analytical abilities.

Problem Solving Tests: The Need of the Hour

Problem-solving is a skill that is applied to any career. Every workplace necessitates the ability to tackle challenges ranging from simple to complex. Employees face daily problems, ranging from where to get the next business lunch to imposing discipline to handle a medical emergency. Because a person’s problem-solving talents impact their job performance, you want employees’ problem-solving abilities to match the job’s needs. 

Different positions necessitate varying degrees of problem-solving. For example, laborers, models, waiters, mail carriers, and painters have few problem-solving chances. On the other hand, jobs like CEO, air traffic control, and midwives necessitate more excellent problem-solving. Therefore, before hiring someone, it’s critical to learn how they tackle difficulties.

Problem Solving Interview Questions

Problem solving interview questions assess and evaluate candidates’ responses to complex and uncommon situations. These questions examine how well candidates respond to challenges such as comprehending the problem and considering the pros and cons before making a sound decision. The five most commonly asked interview questions used in problem solving assessments are: 

• Describe a challenge you helped to solve at your previous company. What was the outcome?

You want to hire people that get things done and actively solve problems. As a result, an excellent response should demonstrate that the candidate exhibited initiative, didn’t behave rashly, was willing to ask questions, and worked well with others.

• Give an example of a time when you perceived a possible problem as an opportunity. What exactly did you do?

This question assesses candidates’ ability to spot opportunities in challenges. Every company has minor and major issues, and you should be able to trust your staff to recognize and resolve them.

• Give an example of a moment when you discovered a mistake made by a colleague. How did you handle the situation? What was the result?

This question assesses their ability to communicate with others. A good response should demonstrate that the candidate was polite and helpful, i.e., someone who assists their colleagues in solving difficulties rather than only highlighting them.

• Describe a personal flaw you had to overcome to improve your professional effectiveness. How did you pull it off?

This question puts their self-awareness and commitment to test. An excellent response demonstrates a candidate’s desire to develop, whether by learning new skills or perfecting their abilities. In addition, because this is a complicated problem-solving interview question , a positive response demonstrates their competence.

• Explain a time when you were taken off guard by an unexpected event.

This question evaluates their ability to work under duress. Even the most cautious minds can come across an unforeseen situation; what matters is how they deal with it. You want a response that demonstrates composure, solution, and optimism.

The Way Forward

To conduct interesting interviews and hire the most outstanding personnel for your company, you should evaluate candidates based on more than just their test scores; that is, you should focus on evaluating their organizational congruence , emotional qualities, and so on. If you want to succeed, employ our problem solving tests and soar to new heights!

Discover Assessments provides world-class DISC-based evaluations that are easy to use, administer, and conduct. You can revolutionize your employment process with our gamified assessments . We offer psychometric profiling solutions to remodel and reinvent your workforce, transforming your company into one of the leading brands.

Problem Solving Assessment -FAQs

The best way to assess your problem-solving skills is to undertake an online assessment that is benchmarked against the global norms

A problem-solving test is an assessment that can identify the level of problem-solving skills that a person has.

By sharing examples of the steps by which you solved a problem in the past.

Explaining how you planned an office party when the cake delivery got canceled would be a good example of problem-solving

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Critical Thinking Test: Sample Questions with Explanations (2024)

Employers value and seek candidates who demonstrate advanced critical thinking skills. They often administer critical thinking tests as part of their hiring process. Critical thinking tests can be very difficult for those who don’t prepare. A great way to start practicing is by taking our critical thinking free practice test.

What Does The Critical Thinking Test Include?

The Critical Thinking Test assesses your capacity to think critically and form logical conclusions when given written information. Critical thinking tests are generally used in job recruitment processes, in the legal sector. These tests measure the analytical critical thinking abilities of a candidate.

Why Is Critical Thinking Useful?

Critical thinking is put into action in various stages of decision-making and problem-solving tasks:

• Identify the problem
• Choose suitable information to find the solution
• Identify the assumptions that are implied and written in the text
• Form hypotheses and choose the most suitable and credible answers
• Form well-founded conclusions and determine the soundness of inferences

What is Watson Glaser Test and what Critical Thinking Skills it Measures?

The most common type of critical thinking test is the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (W-GCTA). Typically used by legal and financial organizations, as well as management businesses, a Watson Glaser test is created to assess candidates’ critical thinking skills.

The test consists of 10 questions to be answered in 10 minutes approx (although there is no timer on the test itself). Our test is slightly harder than the real thing, to make it sufficiently challenging practice.

You need to get 70% correct to pass the test. Don’t forget to first check out the test techniques section further down this page beforehand.

Questions          25

Pass percentage          70%.

The test is broken down into five central areas:

• Assumptions
• Interpretation

Critical Thinking Course

• 1 BONUS Interview Prep Video Guide Buy this Course: Get full access to all lessons, practice tests and guides.

The Five Critical Thinking Skills Explained

1. recognition of assumption.

You’ll be presented with a statement. The statement is then followed by several proposed assumptions. When answering, you must work out if an assumption was made or if an assumption was not made in the statement. An assumption is a proclamation that an individual takes for granted. This section of the tests measures your ability to withhold from forming assumptions about things that are not necessarily correct.

• 1: Assumption Made
• 2: Assumption Not Made

Although the passage does state that Charlie’s fundraising team is doing its best so that the charity event can meet its goal, nowhere did it state that their team is leading the event.

2. Evaluation of Arguments

You will be presented with an argument. You will then be asked to decide whether the argument is strong or weak. An argument is considered strong if it directly connects to the statement provided, and is believed to be significant.

No, participation awards should not be given in every competition because studies have shown that this would cause the participants to put in less effort because they will get a prize no matter what the outcome is.

• 1: Strong Argument
• 2: Weak Argument

This is a strong argument as it provides evidence as to why participation awards should not be given in every competition

3. Deductions

In deduction questions, you will need to form conclusions based solely on the information provided in the question and not based on your knowledge. You will be given a small passage of information and you will need to evaluate a list of deductions made based on that passage. If the conclusion cannot be formed for the information provided, then the conclusion does not follow. The answer must be entirely founded on the statements made and not on conclusions drawn from your knowledge.

In a surprise party for Donna, Edna arrived after Felix and Gary did. Kelly arrived before Felix and Gary did.

• 1: Conclusion Follows
• 2: Conclusion Does not Follow

For questions like this, jot down the clues to help you out. Use initials as a quick reference.

K | F&G | E

Looking at the simple diagram, “K”, which stands for “Kelly,” arrived before Edna “E” did. The answer is A.

4. Interpretation

In these questions, you are given a passage of information followed by a list of possible conclusions. You will need to interpret the information in the paragraph and determine whether or not each conclusion follows, based solely on the information given.

A number of students were given the following advice:

“The use of powerful words is a technique, which makes you a better writer. Your choice of words is very important in molding the way people interaction with the article. You should use powerful words to spice up your article. Power words should be used liberally to enhance the flavor of what you write! ”

In the fourth sentence, it is stated, “Power words should be used liberally to enhance the flavor of what you write!”

Thus, if you were to write an essay, using powerful words can give more flavor to it.

5. Inferences

An inference is a conclusion made from observed or supposed facts and details. It is information that is not apparent in the information provided but rather is extracted from it. In this section, you will be provided with a passage of information about a specific scene or event. A list of possible inferences will then be given, and you will need to decide if they are ‘true’, ‘false’, ‘possibly true’, ‘possibly false’, or whether it is not possible to say based on the information provided.

With the advancement of technology, the need for more infrastructure has never been higher. According to the plan of the current U.S. Administration, it aims to put a $1 trillion investment on improving infrastructure, a portion of which will include priority projects and technologies that can strengthen its economic competitiveness such as transportation, 5G wireless communication technology, rural broadband technologies, advanced manufacturing technologies, and even artificial intelligence.

It stated that it expects to work with Congress to develop a comprehensive infrastructure package, which is expected to have a budget of $200 billion for certain priorities.

• 2: Probably True
• 3: Not Enough Information
• 4: Probably False

Although it was mentioned in the passage that the U.S. government is to allocate $200 billion on certain priorities, it did not specify if these certain priorities were for ‘transportation, 5G wireless communication technology, rural broadband technologies, advanced manufacturing technologies, and artificial intelligence’ or if the aforementioned priorities will have a different allocation.

What we can be sure of, however, is that at least a portion of the $1 trillion infrastructure budget will be used on the mentioned priorities regardless, meaning that there is a chance that $200 billion will be used on those aforementioned areas.

Improve Your Score with Prepterminal’s Critical Thinking Course

The Critical Thinking test is difficult, but not impossible to overcome with practice. At PrepTerminal our psychometric test experts have developed a critical thinking preparatory test to provide you with the material you need to practice for your critical thinking test. Prepare with us to increase your chance of successfully overcoming this hurdle in the recruitment process.

Prepterminal’s preparatory critical thinking course features a structured study course along with critical thinking practice tests to help you improve your exam score. Our course includes video and text-based information presented in a clear and easy-to-understand manner so you can follow along at your own pace with ease.

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Creative Problem-Solving Test

Do you typically approach a problem from many perspectives or opt for the same old solution that worked in the past? In his work on human motivation, Robert E. Franken states that in order to be creative, you need to be able to view things from different perspectives.

Creativity is linked to fundamental qualities of thinking, such as flexibility and tolerance of ambiguity. This Creative Problem-solving Test was developed to evaluate whether your attitude towards problem-solving and the manner in which you approach a problem are conducive to creative thinking.

This test is made up of two types of questions: scenarios and self-assessment. For each scenario, answer according to how you would most likely behave in a similar situation. For the self-assessment questions, indicate the degree to which the given statements apply to you. In order to receive the most accurate results, please answer each question as honestly as possible.

After finishing this test you will receive a FREE snapshot report with a summary evaluation and graph. You will then have the option to purchase the full results for $6.95

This test is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional diagnosis or for the treatment of any health condition. If you would like to seek the advice of a licensed mental health professional you can search Psychology Today's directory here .

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39 Best Problem-Solving Examples

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Learn about our Editorial Process

Problem-solving is a process where you’re tasked with identifying an issue and coming up with the most practical and effective solution.

This indispensable skill is necessary in several aspects of life, from personal relationships to education to business decisions.

Problem-solving aptitude boosts rational thinking, creativity, and the ability to cooperate with others. It’s also considered essential in 21st Century workplaces.

If explaining your problem-solving skills in an interview, remember that the employer is trying to determine your ability to handle difficulties. Focus on explaining exactly how you solve problems, including by introducing your thoughts on some of the following frameworks and how you’ve applied them in the past.

Problem-Solving Examples

1. divergent thinking.

Divergent thinking refers to the process of coming up with multiple different answers to a single problem. It’s the opposite of convergent thinking, which would involve coming up with a singular answer .

The benefit of a divergent thinking approach is that it can help us achieve blue skies thinking – it lets us generate several possible solutions that we can then critique and analyze .

In the realm of problem-solving, divergent thinking acts as the initial spark. You’re working to create an array of potential solutions, even those that seem outwardly unrelated or unconventional, to get your brain turning and unlock out-of-the-box ideas.

This process paves the way for the decision-making stage, where the most promising ideas are selected and refined.

Go Deeper: Divervent Thinking Examples

2. Convergent Thinking

Next comes convergent thinking, the process of narrowing down multiple possibilities to arrive at a single solution.

This involves using your analytical skills to identify the best, most practical, or most economical solution from the pool of ideas that you generated in the divergent thinking stage.

In a way, convergent thinking shapes the “roadmap” to solve a problem after divergent thinking has supplied the “destinations.”

Have a think about which of these problem-solving skills you’re more adept at: divergent or convergent thinking?

Go Deeper: Convergent Thinking Examples

3. Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a group activity designed to generate a multitude of ideas regarding a specific problem. It’s divergent thinking as a group , which helps unlock even more possibilities.

A typical brainstorming session involves uninhibited and spontaneous ideation, encouraging participants to voice any possible solutions, no matter how unconventional they might appear.

It’s important in a brainstorming session to suspend judgment and be as inclusive as possible, allowing all participants to get involved.

By widening the scope of potential solutions, brainstorming allows better problem definition, more creative solutions, and helps to avoid thinking “traps” that might limit your perspective.

Go Deeper: Brainstorming Examples

4. Thinking Outside the Box

The concept of “thinking outside the box” encourages a shift in perspective, urging you to approach problems from an entirely new angle.

Rather than sticking to traditional methods and processes, it involves breaking away from conventional norms to cultivate unique solutions.

In problem-solving, this mindset can bypass established hurdles and bring you to fresh ideas that might otherwise remain undiscovered.

Think of it as going off the beaten track when regular routes present roadblocks to effective resolution.

5. Case Study Analysis

Analyzing case studies involves a detailed examination of real-life situations that bear relevance to the current problem at hand.

For example, if you’re facing a problem, you could go to another environment that has faced a similar problem and examine how they solved it. You’d then bring the insights from that case study back to your own problem.

This approach provides a practical backdrop against which theories and assumptions can be tested, offering valuable insights into how similar problems have been approached and resolved in the past.

See a Broader Range of Analysis Examples Here

6. Action Research

Action research involves a repetitive process of identifying a problem, formulating a plan to address it, implementing the plan, and then analyzing the results. It’s common in educational research contexts.

The objective is to promote continuous learning and improvement through reflection and action. You conduct research into your problem, attempt to apply a solution, then assess how well the solution worked. This becomes an iterative process of continual improvement over time.

For problem-solving, this method offers a way to test solutions in real-time and allows for changes and refinements along the way, based on feedback or observed outcomes. It’s a form of active problem-solving that integrates lessons learned into the next cycle of action.

Go Deeper: Action Research Examples

7. Information Gathering

Fundamental to solving any problem is the process of information gathering.

This involves collecting relevant data , facts, and details about the issue at hand, significantly aiding in the understanding and conceptualization of the problem.

In problem-solving, information gathering underpins every decision you make.

This process ensures your actions are based on concrete information and evidence, allowing for an informed approach to tackle the problem effectively.

8. Seeking Advice

Seeking advice implies turning to knowledgeable and experienced individuals or entities to gain insights on problem-solving.

It could include mentors, industry experts, peers, or even specialized literature.

The value in this process lies in leveraging different perspectives and proven strategies when dealing with a problem. Moreover, it aids you in avoiding pitfalls, saving time, and learning from others’ experiences.

9. Creative Thinking

Creative thinking refers to the ability to perceive a problem in a new way, identify unconventional patterns, or produce original solutions.

It encourages innovation and uniqueness, often leading to the most effective results.

When applied to problem-solving, creative thinking can help you break free from traditional constraints, ideal for potentially complex or unusual problems.

Go Deeper: Creative Thinking Examples

10. Conflict Resolution

Conflict resolution is a strategy developed to resolve disagreements and arguments, often involving communication, negotiation, and compromise.

When employed as a problem-solving technique, it can diffuse tension, clear bottlenecks, and create a collaborative environment.

Effective conflict resolution ensures that differing views or disagreements do not become roadblocks in the process of problem-solving.

Go Deeper: Conflict Resolution Examples

11. Addressing Bottlenecks

Bottlenecks refer to obstacles or hindrances that slow down or even halt a process.

In problem-solving, addressing bottlenecks involves identifying these impediments and finding ways to eliminate them.

This effort not only smooths the path to resolution but also enhances the overall efficiency of the problem-solving process.

For example, if your workflow is not working well, you’d go to the bottleneck – that one point that is most time consuming – and focus on that. Once you ‘break’ this bottleneck, the entire process will run more smoothly.

12. Market Research

Market research involves gathering and analyzing information about target markets, consumers, and competitors.

In sales and marketing, this is one of the most effective problem-solving methods. The research collected from your market (e.g. from consumer surveys) generates data that can help identify market trends, customer preferences, and competitor strategies.

In this sense, it allows a company to make informed decisions, solve existing problems, and even predict and prevent future ones.

13. Root Cause Analysis

Root cause analysis is a method used to identify the origin or the fundamental reason for a problem.

Once the root cause is determined, you can implement corrective actions to prevent the problem from recurring.

As a problem-solving procedure, root cause analysis helps you to tackle the problem at its source, rather than dealing with its surface symptoms.

Go Deeper: Root Cause Analysis Examples

14. Mind Mapping

Mind mapping is a visual tool used to structure information, helping you better analyze, comprehend and generate new ideas.

By laying out your thoughts visually, it can lead you to solutions that might not have been apparent with linear thinking.

In problem-solving, mind mapping helps in organizing ideas and identifying connections between them, providing a holistic view of the situation and potential solutions.

15. Trial and Error

The trial and error method involves attempting various solutions until you find one that resolves the problem.

It’s an empirical technique that relies on practical actions instead of theories or rules.

In the context of problem-solving, trial and error allows you the flexibility to test different strategies in real situations, gaining insights about what works and what doesn’t.

16. SWOT Analysis

SWOT is an acronym standing for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

It’s an analytic framework used to evaluate these aspects in relation to a particular objective or problem.

In problem-solving, SWOT Analysis helps you to identify favorable and unfavorable internal and external factors. It helps to craft strategies that make best use of your strengths and opportunities, whilst addressing weaknesses and threats.

Go Deeper: SWOT Analysis Examples

17. Scenario Planning

Scenario planning is a strategic planning method used to make flexible long-term plans.

It involves imagining, and then planning for, multiple likely future scenarios.

By forecasting various directions a problem could take, scenario planning helps manage uncertainty and is an effective tool for problem-solving in volatile conditions.

18. Six Thinking Hats

The Six Thinking Hats is a concept devised by Edward de Bono that proposes six different directions or modes of thinking, symbolized by six different hat colors.

Each hat signifies a different perspective, encouraging you to switch ‘thinking modes’ as you switch hats. This method can help remove bias and broaden perspectives when dealing with a problem.

19. Decision Matrix Analysis

Decision Matrix Analysis is a technique that allows you to weigh different factors when faced with several possible solutions.

After listing down the options and determining the factors of importance, each option is scored based on each factor.

Revealing a clear winner that both serves your objectives and reflects your values, Decision Matrix Analysis grounds your problem-solving process in objectivity and comprehensiveness.

20. Pareto Analysis

Also known as the 80/20 rule, Pareto Analysis is a decision-making technique.

It’s based on the principle that 80% of problems are typically caused by 20% of the causes, making it a handy tool for identifying the most significant issues in a situation.

Using this analysis, you’re likely to direct your problem-solving efforts more effectively, tackling the root causes producing most of the problem’s impact.

21. Critical Thinking

Critical thinking refers to the ability to analyze facts to form a judgment objectively.

It involves logical, disciplined thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded, and informed by evidence.

For problem-solving, critical thinking helps evaluate options and decide the most effective solution. It ensures your decisions are grounded in reason and facts, and not biased or irrational assumptions.

Go Deeper: Critical Thinking Examples

22. Hypothesis Testing

Hypothesis testing usually involves formulating a claim, testing it against actual data, and deciding whether to accept or reject the claim based on the results.

In problem-solving, hypotheses often represent potential solutions. Hypothesis testing provides verification, giving a statistical basis for decision-making and problem resolution.

Usually, this will require research methods and a scientific approach to see whether the hypothesis stands up or not.

Go Deeper: Types of Hypothesis Testing

23. Cost-Benefit Analysis

A cost-benefit analysis (CBA) is a systematic process of weighing the pros and cons of different solutions in terms of their potential costs and benefits.

It allows you to measure the positive effects against the negatives and informs your problem-solving strategy.

By using CBA, you can identify which solution offers the greatest benefit for the least cost, significantly improving efficacy and efficiency in your problem-solving process.

Go Deeper: Cost-Benefit Analysis Examples

24. Simulation and Modeling

Simulations and models allow you to create a simplified replica of real-world systems to test outcomes under controlled conditions.

In problem-solving, you can broadly understand potential repercussions of different solutions before implementation.

It offers a cost-effective way to predict the impacts of your decisions, minimizing potential risks associated with various solutions.

25. Delphi Method

The Delphi Method is a structured communication technique used to gather expert opinions.

The method involves a group of experts who respond to questionnaires about a problem. The responses are aggregated and shared with the group, and the process repeats until a consensus is reached.

This method of problem solving can provide a diverse range of insights and solutions, shaped by the wisdom of a collective expert group.

26. Cross-functional Team Collaboration

Cross-functional team collaboration involves individuals from different departments or areas of expertise coming together to solve a common problem or achieve a shared goal.

When you bring diverse skills, knowledge, and perspectives to a problem, it can lead to a more comprehensive and innovative solution.

In problem-solving, this promotes communal thinking and ensures that solutions are inclusive and holistic, with various aspects of the problem being addressed.

27. Benchmarking

Benchmarking involves comparing one’s business processes and performance metrics to the best practices from other companies or industries.

In problem-solving, it allows you to identify gaps in your own processes, determine how others have solved similar problems, and apply those solutions that have proven to be successful.

It also allows you to compare yourself to the best (the benchmark) and assess where you’re not as good.

28. Pros-Cons Lists

A pro-con analysis aids in problem-solving by weighing the advantages (pros) and disadvantages (cons) of various possible solutions.

This simple but powerful tool helps in making a balanced, informed decision.

When confronted with a problem, a pro-con analysis can guide you through the decision-making process, ensuring all possible outcomes and implications are scrutinized before arriving at the optimal solution. Thus, it helps to make the problem-solving process both methodical and comprehensive.

29. 5 Whys Analysis

The 5 Whys Analysis involves repeatedly asking the question ‘why’ (around five times) to peel away the layers of an issue and discover the root cause of a problem.

As a problem-solving technique, it enables you to delve into details that you might otherwise overlook and offers a simple, yet powerful, approach to uncover the origin of a problem.

For example, if your task is to find out why a product isn’t selling your first answer might be: “because customers don’t want it”, then you ask why again – “they don’t want it because it doesn’t solve their problem”, then why again – “because the product is missing a certain feature” … and so on, until you get to the root “why”.

30. Gap Analysis

Gap analysis entails comparing current performance with potential or desired performance.

You’re identifying the ‘gaps’, or the differences, between where you are and where you want to be.

In terms of problem-solving, a Gap Analysis can help identify key areas for improvement and design a roadmap of how to get from the current state to the desired one.

31. Design Thinking

Design thinking is a problem-solving approach that involves empathy, experimentation, and iteration.

The process focuses on understanding user needs, challenging assumptions , and redefining problems from a user-centric perspective.

In problem-solving, design thinking uncovers innovative solutions that may not have been initially apparent and ensures the solution is tailored to the needs of those affected by the issue.

32. Analogical Thinking

Analogical thinking involves the transfer of information from a particular subject (the analogue or source) to another particular subject (the target).

In problem-solving, you’re drawing parallels between similar situations and applying the problem-solving techniques used in one situation to the other.

Thus, it allows you to apply proven strategies to new, but related problems.

33. Lateral Thinking

Lateral thinking requires looking at a situation or problem from a unique, sometimes abstract, often non-sequential viewpoint.

Unlike traditional logical thinking methods, lateral thinking encourages you to employ creative and out-of-the-box techniques.

In solving problems, this type of thinking boosts ingenuity and drives innovation, often leading to novel and effective solutions.

Go Deeper: Lateral Thinking Examples

34. Flowcharting

Flowcharting is the process of visually mapping a process or procedure.

This form of diagram can show every step of a system, process, or workflow, enabling an easy tracking of the progress.

As a problem-solving tool, flowcharts help identify bottlenecks or inefficiencies in a process, guiding improved strategies and providing clarity on task ownership and process outcomes.

35. Multivoting

Multivoting, or N/3 voting, is a method where participants reduce a large list of ideas to a prioritized shortlist by casting multiple votes.

This voting system elevates the most preferred options for further consideration and decision-making.

As a problem-solving technique, multivoting allows a group to narrow options and focus on the most promising solutions, ensuring more effective and democratic decision-making.

36. Force Field Analysis

Force Field Analysis is a decision-making technique that identifies the forces for and against change when contemplating a decision.

The ‘forces’ represent the differing factors that can drive or hinder change.

In problem-solving, Force Field Analysis allows you to understand the entirety of the context, favoring a balanced view over a one-sided perspective. A comprehensive view of all the forces at play can lead to better-informed problem-solving decisions.

TRIZ, which stands for “The Theory of Inventive Problem Solving,” is a problem-solving, analysis, and forecasting methodology.

It focuses on finding contradictions inherent in a scenario. Then, you work toward eliminating the contraditions through finding innovative solutions.

So, when you’re tackling a problem, TRIZ provides a disciplined, systematic approach that aims for ideal solutions and not just acceptable ones. Using TRIZ, you can leverage patterns of problem-solving that have proven effective in different cases, pivoting them to solve the problem at hand.

38. A3 Problem Solving

A3 Problem Solving, derived from Lean Management, is a structured method that uses a single sheet of A3-sized paper to document knowledge from a problem-solving process.

Named after the international paper size standard of A3 (or 11-inch by 17-inch paper), it succinctly records all key details of the problem-solving process from problem description to the root cause and corrective actions.

Used in problem-solving, this provides a straightforward and logical structure for addressing the problem, facilitating communication between team members, ensuring all critical details are included, and providing a record of decisions made.

39. Scenario Analysis

Scenario Analysis is all about predicting different possible future events depending upon your decision.

To do this, you look at each course of action and try to identify the most likely outcomes or scenarios down the track if you take that course of action.

This technique helps forecast the impacts of various strategies, playing each out to their (logical or potential) end. It’s a good strategy for project managers who need to keep a firm eye on the horizon at all times.

When solving problems, Scenario Analysis assists in preparing for uncertainties, making sure your solution remains viable, regardless of changes in circumstances.

How to Answer “Demonstrate Problem-Solving Skills” in an Interview

When asked to demonstrate your problem-solving skills in an interview, the STAR method often proves useful. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result.

Situation: Begin by describing a specific circumstance or challenge you encountered. Make sure to provide enough detail to allow the interviewer a clear understanding. You should select an event that adequately showcases your problem-solving abilities.

For instance, “In my previous role as a project manager, we faced a significant issue when our key supplier abruptly went out of business.”

Task: Explain what your responsibilities were in that situation. This serves to provide context, allowing the interviewer to understand your role and the expectations placed upon you.

For instance, “It was my task to ensure the project remained on track despite this setback. Alternative suppliers needed to be found without sacrificing quality or significantly increasing costs.”

Action: Describe the steps you took to manage the problem. Highlight your problem-solving process. Mention any creative approaches or techniques that you used.

For instance, “I conducted thorough research to identify potential new suppliers. After creating a shortlist, I initiated contact, negotiated terms, assessed samples for quality and made a selection. I also worked closely with the team to re-adjust the project timeline.”

Result: Share the outcomes of your actions. How did the situation end? Did your actions lead to success? It’s particularly effective if you can quantify these results.

For instance, “As a result of my active problem solving, we were able to secure a new supplier whose costs were actually 10% cheaper and whose quality was comparable. We adjusted the project plan and managed to complete the project just two weeks later than originally planned, despite the major vendor setback.”

Remember, when you’re explaining your problem-solving skills to an interviewer, what they’re really interested in is your approach to handling difficulties, your creativity and persistence in seeking a resolution, and your ability to carry your solution through to fruition. Tailoring your story to highlight these aspects will help exemplify your problem-solving prowess.

Go Deeper: STAR Interview Method Examples

Benefits of Problem-Solving

Problem-solving is beneficial for the following reasons (among others):

• It can help you to overcome challenges, roadblocks, and bottlenecks in your life.
• It can save a company money.
• It can help you to achieve clarity in your thinking.
• It can make procedures more efficient and save time.
• It can strengthen your decision-making capacities.
• It can lead to better risk management.

Whether for a job interview or school, problem-solving helps you to become a better thinking, solve your problems more effectively, and achieve your goals. Build up your problem-solving frameworks (I presented over 40 in this piece for you!) and work on applying them in real-life situations.

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 19 Top Cognitive Psychology Theories (Explained)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 119 Bloom’s Taxonomy Examples
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ All 6 Levels of Understanding (on Bloom’s Taxonomy)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Self-Actualization Examples (Maslow's Hierarchy)

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The test for problem solving enables you to assess your analytical and decision-making perspective in a work environment.

Skills measured

Critical thinking, analytical or logical thinking, decision making, contrasting, evaluating and selecting, stakeholder management, problem solving, available in.

Cognitive Ability

Intermediate

Use of Problem Solving test

Problem solving demands a diverse skill set that enables individuals, teams, and businesses to achieve their goals. This involves the ability to define problems, develop creative and analytical solutions, and execute these solutions effectively. The Testlify problem-solving test is designed to identify candidates who possess these talents. It presents a common problem-solving situation, such as scheduling according to various conditions, figuring out the optimal sequence of operations based on business rules, and making conclusions using textual and numerical data. Successful candidates can quickly pinpoint the key elements of a problem and solve it efficiently without errors. This test is an excellent hiring tool for assessing candidates' overall analytical abilities.

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Critical thinking is the ability to analyze and evaluate information, arguments, and situations in a logical and systematic way. In problem solving, critical thinking helps individuals identify and define problems, gather and evaluate relevant information, generate possible solutions, and make sound decisions. This skill is important because it enables individuals to think independently, make informed decisions, and solve complex problems effectively. By honing their critical thinking skills, individuals can become better problem solvers and decision-makers, leading to greater success in both their personal and professional lives.

Analytical or logical thinking skills are essential in problem solving as they enable individuals to break down complex issues into smaller, more manageable components. By analyzing information, identifying patterns, and drawing logical conclusions, individuals are able to develop effective solutions to problems. This skill also allows individuals to think critically, evaluate different perspectives, and make informed decisions based on evidence and reasoning. Overall, analytical and logical thinking skills are crucial in problem solving as they help individuals to approach challenges systematically, identify root causes, and devise innovative solutions.

Making appropriate situational decisions with the given resources is a vital problem-solving skill. A candidate should make suitable choices after identification and careful consideration of the problem, thinking about the possible solutions and repercussions of the issue.

Contrasting, evaluating, and selecting are important skills in problem solving as they help individuals analyze different solutions and determine the most effective one. Contrasting involves comparing and contrasting different options to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Evaluating requires critically assessing the potential outcomes and consequences of each option. Selecting involves choosing the best solution based on the evaluation process. These skills are crucial in problem solving as they help individuals make informed decisions that are likely to lead to successful outcomes. By mastering these skills, individuals can approach problems with a systematic and logical approach, resulting in more efficient and effective solutions.

Managing stakeholders requires knowledge about the interests of different parties involved and careful coordination to minimize damages to the overall business. Satisfied stakeholders are critical to the long-term sustainability of any project, and extensive problem-solving skills are required to handle them.

Problem solving is the ability to identify and analyze problems, develop effective solutions, and implement them efficiently. This skill is crucial in both personal and professional settings as it enables individuals to overcome challenges, make informed decisions, and achieve goals. By honing their problem-solving skills, individuals can enhance their critical thinking, creativity, and decision-making abilities, leading to increased productivity and success. Effective problem solvers are valued in the workplace for their ability to adapt to changing circumstances, think critically, and find innovative solutions to complex problems.

The Problem Solving test is created by a subject-matter expert

Testlify’s skill tests are designed by experienced SMEs (subject matter experts). We evaluate these experts based on specific metrics such as expertise, capability, and their market reputation. Prior to being published, each skill test is peer-reviewed by other experts and then calibrated based on insights derived from a significant number of test-takers who are well-versed in that skill area. Our inherent feedback systems and built-in algorithms enable our SMEs to refine our tests continually.

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Top five hard skills interview questions for Problem Solving

Here are the top five hard-skill interview questions tailored specifically for Problem Solving. These questions are designed to assess candidates’ expertise and suitability for the role, along with skill assessments.

1. Can you walk me through your process for solving complex problems?

Why this matters.

Problem-solving is a critical skill in any business or technical role, and a skilled problem solver should have a well-defined process for approaching complex problems.

What to listen for?

Listen for the candidate to describe a structured approach to problem-solving, including how they define the problem, gather information, analyze data, generate potential solutions, evaluate those solutions, and implement the best one. Look for examples of how the candidate has used this process to solve complex problems in the past.

2. How do you handle situations where you don't have all the information you need to solve a problem?

Problem-solving often involves incomplete or ambiguous information, and a skilled problem solver should be able to handle those situations effectively.

Listen for the candidate to describe their approach to handling incomplete or ambiguous information, including how they identify gaps in their knowledge, how they gather additional information, and how they make assumptions and test those assumptions. Look for examples of how the candidate has successfully solved problems with incomplete information.

3. Can you describe a particularly challenging problem you solved and how you approached it?

This question allows the candidate to showcase their problem-solving abilities and provides insight into their problem-solving process.

Listen for the candidate to describe a particularly challenging problem they solved, and how they approached it. Look for examples of how the candidate defined the problem, identified potential solutions, evaluated those solutions, and implemented the best one. Also, listen for how the candidate communicated their solution to stakeholders and how they measured the success of their solution.

4. How do you prioritize and manage multiple competing problems or projects?

Effective problem solvers should be able to prioritize and manage multiple competing priorities to maximize productivity and efficiency.

Listen for the candidate to describe their process for prioritizing and managing multiple competing problems or projects. Look for examples of how they've managed complex projects and how they've dealt with competing demands for their time and attention. Also, listen for how the candidate balances short-term and long-term priorities.

5. Can you give an example of a problem you encountered that required you to think outside the box to find a solution?

Innovative thinking and creativity can be valuable assets in problem-solving, and this question helps assess those skills.

Listen for the candidate to describe a problem that required them to think outside the box to find a solution. Look for examples of how they generated unique and creative solutions, and how they tested and refined those solutions. Also, listen for how the candidate communicated their solution to stakeholders and how they evaluated the success of their solution.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) for Problem Solving Test

1. what is problem solving assessment.

A problem-solving assessment is a process used to evaluate an individual's ability to identify and solve problems in a systematic and logical manner. It may be conducted as part of a job application process, in order to determine whether a candidate has the necessary skills and experience to perform a particular role.

2. How to use the Problem Solving assessment for hiring?

Implementing problem-solving tests in the hiring process helps identify candidates with the ability to address issues swiftly, creatively, and effectively. These tests include various questions designed to measure critical thinking, reasoning skills, reading comprehension, and a potential employee’s overall ability to perform workplace duties. This method offers a thorough evaluation of each candidate's abilities and potential.

3. What roles can I use the Problem Solving assessment for?

Management, Project leadership, Team leadership, Project management, and Operations Logistics.

4. What topics are covered in the Problem Solving assessment?

Critical Thinking, Analytical or Logical Thinking, Decision Making, Contrasting, Evaluating and Selecting, Stakeholder Management, Problem Solving.

5. Why is Problem Solving assessment important?

Problem solving test questions are designed to measure critical thinking, reasoning skills, reading comprehension, and offer a more comprehensive view of each candidate and their abilities.

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Problem and Solution

Ai generator.

A problem is a situation, condition, or issue that creates difficulty or presents an obstacle to achieving a desired goal or outcome. Problems can be identified in various contexts, including personal, professional, social, and technical environments. They require resolution to improve circumstances, processes, or performance. A solution is a method, process, or action taken to resolve a problem or address an issue.

Writing a short problem statement can help clearly define the issue at hand. For instance, a business problem solving proposal outlines the steps and strategies needed to tackle specific business challenges. In academic settings, a thesis problem statement articulates the research problem and its significance. Crafting a comprehensive problem statement is essential for setting the stage for finding effective solutions. Addressing a communication problem involves identifying barriers to effective communication and implementing strategies to overcome them.

What is Problem and Solution?

A problem and solution refers to a framework used to identify an issue and propose a way to address or resolve it. This approach involves clearly defining the problem, analyzing its causes and effects, and then developing and implementing strategies or actions to solve it. This method is commonly used in various fields such as business, education, engineering, and everyday life to systematically tackle challenges and improve outcomes.

Examples of Problem and Solution

• Traffic congestion: Build more public transportation options.
• Air pollution: Implement stricter emissions regulations for factories.
• Water scarcity: Develop advanced water recycling systems.
• Deforestation: Promote reforestation and sustainable logging practices.
• Obesity: Increase public awareness about healthy eating and exercise.
• Homelessness: Provide affordable housing and job training programs.
• Cybersecurity threats: Enhance encryption and cybersecurity protocols.
• Plastic waste: Promote the use of biodegradable materials and recycling.
• Climate change: Increase the use of renewable energy sources.
• Unemployment: Offer job retraining and education programs.
• Poor education quality: Invest in teacher training and educational resources.
• Food insecurity: Create community gardens and food banks.
• Income inequality: Implement progressive tax policies and social programs.
• Lack of healthcare access: Expand healthcare coverage and services.
• Energy consumption: Develop and promote energy-efficient technologies.
• Animal extinction: Enforce wildlife protection laws and conservation efforts.
• Ocean pollution: Regulate and reduce plastic disposal and cleanup efforts.
• Mental health issues: Increase mental health resources and support services.
• Traffic accidents: Improve road infrastructure and enforce traffic laws.
• Noise pollution: Implement noise control measures and urban planning strategies.

Types of Problem and Solution

1. Technical Problems

• Description : Issues related to technology , software , or hardware.
• Solutions : Debugging code, replacing faulty hardware, updating software, optimizing network configurations.

2. Operational Problems

• Description : Challenges in day-to-day operations and processes.
• Solutions : Streamlining processes, improving logistics, automating tasks, implementing new operational strategies.

3. Strategic Problems

• Description : Issues affecting the long-term direction and success of an organization.
• Solutions : Conducting market research, revising strategic plans, aligning organizational objectives, adopting new business models.

4. Financial Problems

• Description : Challenges related to the management of finances.
• Solutions : Creating a detailed budget, improving financial planning, cutting unnecessary costs, finding new revenue streams.

5. Human Resource Problems

• Description : Issues involving the workforce and employee management.
• Solutions : Enhancing employee engagement, offering competitive benefits, providing training and development, improving recruitment strategies.

6. Customer Service Problems

• Description : Challenges in delivering satisfactory customer service.
• Solutions : Implementing better customer service protocols, training staff, using customer feedback to improve services, adopting customer relationship management (CRM) systems.

7. Marketing Problems

• Description : Issues related to marketing and advertising strategies.
• Solutions : Developing targeted marketing campaigns, using data analytics, enhancing digital marketing efforts, rebranding.

8. Legal Problems

• Description : Issues involving legal compliance and regulations.
• Solutions : Ensuring compliance with laws, consulting with legal experts, protecting intellectual property, revising contracts.

9. Environmental Problems

• Description : Challenges related to environmental impact and sustainability.
• Solutions : Implementing sustainable practices, reducing waste, using renewable resources, enhancing environmental policies.

Problem and Solution in Research

1. identifying the research problem.

• Description : The research problem is a specific issue, difficulty, contradiction, or gap in knowledge that a researcher aims to address.
• Example : Lack of effective treatment for a certain disease, unclear mechanisms behind a social phenomenon, or inefficiencies in a technological process.

2. Formulating the Research Problem

• Description : Clearly defining and articulating the problem in a way that guides the research objectives and questions.
• Example : “What are the underlying factors contributing to the low recovery rate of patients with XYZ disease?”

3. Literature Review

• Description : Conducting a comprehensive review of existing research and theories related to the problem to understand the current state of knowledge.
• Example : Reviewing past studies, articles, and reports on XYZ disease to identify what has been discovered and what gaps remain.

4. Developing Research Questions

• Description : Formulating specific questions that the research aims to answer, derived from the research problem.
• Example : “What treatments have been most effective in improving recovery rates for XYZ disease?” or “How do socioeconomic factors influence recovery rates?”

5. Choosing the Research Methodology

• Description : Selecting appropriate methods and techniques to gather and analyze data that will address the research questions.
• Example : Deciding between qualitative methods (like interviews and focus groups) or quantitative methods (like surveys and experiments).

6. Data Collection

• Description : Gathering data using the chosen methods to obtain information relevant to the research problem.
• Example : Conducting surveys among patients, collecting medical records, or performing laboratory experiments.

7. Data Analysis

• Description : Analyzing the collected data to identify patterns, relationships, and insights that address the research questions.
• Example : Using statistical analysis to determine the effectiveness of different treatments or thematic analysis to identify common themes in interview responses.

8. Presenting the Solution

• Description : Proposing solutions or recommendations based on the findings of the research.
• Example : Recommending a new treatment protocol based on the data showing its higher effectiveness or suggesting policy changes to address identified socioeconomic barriers.

9. Evaluating the Solution

• Description : Assessing the proposed solutions for feasibility, effectiveness, and potential impact.
• Example : Conducting pilot studies to test the new treatment protocol or evaluating the practicality of suggested policy changes.

10. Disseminating the Findings

• Description : Sharing the research findings and proposed solutions with the wider community through publications, presentations, and reports.
• Example : Publishing in academic journals, presenting at conferences, or preparing reports for policymakers and practitioners.

Problem and Solution Synonyms

Uses of Problem and Solution

• Critical Thinking and Analysis : The problem and solution framework helps develop critical thinking and analytical skills. By systematically identifying a problem, analyzing its causes, and brainstorming possible solutions, individuals enhance their ability to think logically and solve complex issues.
• Education and Learning : Teachers and educators use the problem and solution approach to enhance learning experiences. It encourages students to engage with material actively, apply knowledge to real-world scenarios, and develop problem-solving skills essential for academic and personal success.
• Business and Management : In business, identifying problems and devising solutions is crucial for maintaining competitiveness and efficiency. Managers use this framework to address operational issues, improve processes, resolve conflicts, and innovate products and services.
• Engineering and Technology : Engineers and technologists rely on the problem and solution framework to design and develop new products, systems, and technologies. They identify technical challenges, analyze requirements, and create solutions that meet specific needs and constraints.
• Healthcare and Medicine : Healthcare professionals use the problem and solution approach to diagnose and treat medical conditions. By identifying symptoms (problems), they can determine the underlying causes and develop appropriate treatment plans (solutions).
• Policy Making and Public Administration : Policymakers use this framework to address societal issues such as poverty, education, and public health. By understanding the root causes of problems, they can create and implement policies aimed at providing effective solutions.
• Environmental Management : Environmental scientists and managers use the problem and solution approach to address issues like pollution, climate change, and resource depletion. Identifying environmental problems allows them to develop and implement strategies to mitigate negative impacts and promote sustainability.
• Project Management : Project managers use this framework to identify potential risks and issues that could affect project success. They develop risk mitigation plans and solutions to ensure projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the desired quality standards.

What are common problem-solving methods?

Common methods include brainstorming, root cause analysis, trial and error, and the scientific method.

What is root cause analysis?

Root cause analysis identifies the fundamental cause of a problem to address it effectively.

How does brainstorming help in problem-solving?

Brainstorming generates diverse ideas and solutions through collaborative thinking.

What is the scientific method’s role in problem-solving?

The scientific method uses systematic observation, measurement, and experimentation to identify solutions.

How do you prioritize problems?

Prioritize problems based on their urgency, impact, and feasibility of solutions.

What is a problem statement?

A problem statement clearly defines the issue, its context, and its impact.

How can you evaluate potential solutions?

Evaluate solutions by considering their effectiveness, feasibility, and potential consequences.

What is the role of creativity in problem-solving?

Creativity introduces novel and innovative approaches to finding solutions.

How can collaboration aid in solving problems?

Collaboration brings diverse perspectives and expertise, enhancing solution development.

What are the steps in the problem-solving process?

Steps include identifying the problem, analyzing it, generating solutions, implementing solutions, and evaluating outcomes.

Text prompt

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• Professional

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