SHL scores explained

How an SHL score is worked out

SHL's sample Verify Ability Test Report shows how its ability tests are reported (SHL sample report):

• A percentile for each test, such as numerical, verbal or inductive reasoning. The report explains that a percentile of 50 means the person performed better than 50% of the people in the comparison group.
• A named comparison group, for example "General Population" at a "Graduate/University" level. The group is the yardstick your result is measured against.
• A short narrative, such as "above average" or "average" compared with that group, with a sentence on what it suggests for the job.
• Technical scores for trained users: a T-score, with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10, and a sten score on a 10-point scale, with a mean of 5.5 and a standard deviation of 2.

So your SHL score is not "you got 18 out of 24". It is where your performance sits within a group of comparable test takers.

Norm groups and percentiles, worked through

A percentile only means something next to its comparison group.

Example 1. Your report says you are at the 70th percentile against a graduate-level group. That means you scored better than 70% of that group. It does not mean you answered 70% of the questions correctly, and it does not mean you are in the "top 70%".

Example 2. Two candidates both have a T-score of 60. With a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10, that is one standard deviation above the group average. On a bell curve, about 84% of a group sits below that point, so a T-score of 60 is roughly the 84th percentile.

Example 3. A sten of 7.5 is also one standard deviation above average (5.5 + 2). A sten of 3.5 is one standard deviation below (5.5 - 2).

Why the group matters. The sample report compares graduate-level reasoning tests with one group and operational-level checking and calculation tests with another. A percentile against one group is not the same as a percentile against another, so always read the number together with the group named beside it.

Work rate, hit rate and adaptive tests

The sample report also gives two accuracy measures (SHL sample report):

• Work rate: the number of questions you attempted divided by the total in the test. Attempting 21 of 24 is a work rate of 87.5%.
• Hit rate: the number you answered correctly divided by the number you attempted. Getting 15 right out of 20 attempted is a hit rate of 75%.

The important caveat. SHL explains that because each candidate receives a different set of questions, there is no direct link between hit rate and percentile: a person with a lower hit rate may achieve a higher percentile, and the other way round.

Do wrong answers cost points? SHL's candidate support says incorrect responses do not affect your test score, and that you are expected to answer every question rather than skip any (SHL support). In practice, never leave a question blank: make your best choice and move on.

Verification tests

SHL ability tests can be taken online without supervision. The sample report says that if the tests were unsupervised, there is a small possibility the scores do not reflect the person's actual ability, and it recommends a Verification Test (SHL sample report).

According to the report, the Verification Test is shorter than the original, must be taken in a supervised setting, and marks the original result as Verified or Not Verified. The same page lists other ways an employer may confirm ability, such as work simulations, qualifications and structured interviews.

What this means for you: take the online test honestly and on your own. If you are invited to a supervised session later, it may include a shorter check of the same ability, and your preparation still counts.

What candidates see and what they do not

Your results go to the employer. SHL's candidate support says your employer, or potential employer, controls your personal data, and that its contracts with clients prevent it from giving you your assessment results. To ask for feedback, contact the organization that asked you to take the test (SHL support).

The exception is SHL's own practice site. The same article says that if you took a practice test there, you should be able to log in and view the report. SHL's practice page says some practice tests currently provide a report and others do not, and that practice difficulty may not exactly match the test you will be asked to take (SHL Direct). It also says practice results are for your own use and must not be shared with third parties.

Employers read more than one number. The sample report says its results should be used as part of a broader evaluation of a person's suitability for the job, not on their own.

Retakes and cooling periods

There is no single SHL retake rule; the employer controls it.

• Ask the recruiter. SHL's candidate support suggests contacting your recruiter or consultant for a chance at reattempting a test, and says its support teams cannot reset completed tests without authorization (SHL support).
• Cooling periods. The same support pages describe a cooling period: a time window in which recruiters restrict repeat attempts by the same candidate. You are told how long it lasts.
• Employer settings. SHL's help for employers using TalentCentral+ says they can choose how many days a participant must wait before re-attempting an assessment (SHL support).

Before you start, plan for one attempt. SHL's support pages also note that a timed test keeps running if you step away, and an expired test submits automatically. Use a stable connection, a quiet room and a time when you will not be interrupted.

What counts as a good SHL score

SHL does not publish a pass mark, and employers rarely share theirs. Each employer chooses which test to use and decides how much weight the result carries next to your application and interviews. Websites that quote a "passing percentile" for SHL tests are guessing.

A useful way to think about it: the percentile tells you how you compare with a group, not whether you passed. In SHL's own sample report, results at the 59th, 63rd and 67th percentiles are described as "average" and results at the 76th and 87th as "above average" against their groups. Those are descriptions in one sample, not pass marks (SHL sample report).

How to raise your SHL score

Because the score compares you with other candidates, small gains in speed and accuracy move your percentile.

• Find out which test you face. The invitation often names it. Our SHL-style practice test explains the common versions and lets you practice tables, charts and passages.
• Fix the arithmetic that tables rely on. Percentage change and share of a total come up constantly; see our percentage questions and ratio questions guides.
• Master true, false and cannot say for verbal reasoning, using only the passage. Our verbal reasoning test drills this.
• Never leave a blank. SHL says incorrect answers do not reduce your score, so a reasoned choice always beats no answer.
• Practice at the real pace, on the same device and calculator you will use on the day.