Aon scales practice test (cut-e)

What the real test usually looks like

The scales tests are short, fast online tests. They come from cut-e, a Hamburg-based online assessment firm that Aon acquired in 2017 (Insurance Journal), which is why many people still call them cut-e tests. Aon lists them on its page for test takers, each with a fixed time and a "finish as many as you can" format (Aon). The two this practice test is about:

• scales numerical: 37 tasks in 12 minutes. You judge whether statements are true and accurate based on numerical data.
• scales verbal: 49 tasks in 12 minutes. You judge whether statements are true and accurate based on written information.

How they work. Aon's practice guides describe both tests the same way: several data sheets of figures or text, and a series of statements to evaluate against them. Each statement relates to one data sheet, and every statement has three answer options, TRUE, FALSE and CANNOT SAY, with only one correct. You can move between statements, but Aon recommends working in the order given. For the numerical test, Aon says to have a pen, paper and a calculator to hand (Aon numerical guide; Aon verbal guide).

You are not expected to finish. Aon's guides say the real test is timed but you are not expected to answer every question: the aim is to get as many right as you can in the time. Aon also says that once you start a test you cannot interrupt it, and that any aid you may use is explained in the test's introduction (Aon).

Other scales tests. The same Aon page lists other scales tests, such as scales ix (inductive reasoning, 20 tasks in 5 minutes), scales clx and scales cls (both pattern tests), scales lt (language skills) and scales eql (basic mental arithmetic). Your invitation says which ones you will take.

What our mocks cover. Our full mocks are in the style of scales numerical and scales verbal: 86 questions in 24 minutes, 37 numerical statements on data tables then 49 verbal statements on short passages, each with True, False and Cannot say in that order. You can go back and flag questions, and a calculator is allowed. They leave out the picture-based scales tests (ix, clx and cls) and the other scales tests listed above. If your invitation gives a different length, practice at that pace too.

Question types with worked examples

One worked example for each kind of statement, with the trap most people fall into.

1. Numerical: watch the units. Sheet: "Costs ($000): Marketing 1,250." Statement: "Marketing costs were over $1 million." 1,250 thousand is $1.25 million, so it is True. Trap: reading the raw number as dollars. Aon's own practice solution makes the same point about a table in thousands (Aon numerical guide).

2. Numerical: exactly versus more than. Sheet: a team of 40, of whom 10 work part time. Statement: "More than a quarter of the team works part time." 10 is exactly a quarter, so it is False. Trap: rounding in your head. Boundaries decide many statements.

3. Numerical: data that is not on the sheet. Sheet: sales for this year only. Statement: "Sales grew this year." There is no earlier figure, so Cannot say. Trap: assuming growth because the numbers look large.

4. Verbal: "Cannot say" versus "False". Passage: "Members who renew online get a 10% discount." Statement: "Members who renew by post pay full price." The passage does not say what postal renewals cost, so Cannot say. Trap: treating "only the online offer is mentioned" as "the others do not get it".

5. Verbal: same meaning, different words. Passage: "The firm imports all of its fabric." Statement: "The firm buys its fabric from other countries." Importing means bringing in from abroad, so it is True. Trap: answering Cannot say because the exact words differ. Aon's own verbal solution accepts a match in meaning, such as "imported" for "sourced outside" a country (Aon verbal guide).

How to prepare

1. Check your invitation. It says which scales tests you will take and how long each is. Aon says once you start a test you cannot interrupt it, so plan a quiet slot (Aon).
2. Work through Aon's practice tasks. Aon publishes free practice PDFs and short videos for scales numerical and scales verbal on the same page. Try them before the solutions.
3. Have your tools ready for numerical. Aon suggests a pen, paper and a calculator for the numerical test (Aon numerical guide).
4. Learn the three answers as rules. True: the sheet shows it. False: the sheet shows the opposite. Cannot say: the sheet does not show it either way.
5. Get fast at finding the right sheet. Each statement uses one data sheet. Read the statement first, then go straight to the sheet and line it needs.
6. Be quick but careful. Aon advises answering quickly but carefully, and says points are usually added for each correct answer and deducted for each incorrect one, so wild guessing is not a free win (Aon).
7. Practice at the real pace. 37 tasks in 12 minutes is under 20 seconds each, and 49 in 12 is about 15 seconds. Take full timed mocks so that speed feels normal.

How scoring usually works

What Aon says. For its performance tests, Aon says points are usually added for each correct answer and deducted for each incorrect answer. Each test has a feedback report that explains the results, which the hiring company may make available to you, and Aon notes that retests are often used, for example a repeat module at an interview stage (Aon). The employer decides how to use the result.

Our practice score is the number of our own statements you judged correctly, with a breakdown by part (numerical and verbal), so you can see where to focus. It does not deduct points for wrong answers. It is a practice score: it is not an Aon score, percentile or cut-off, and it does not predict whether you will pass.

Common mistakes on scales-style statements

• Ignoring the units. Tables in thousands or millions are where many True and False statements are decided.
• Missing exact boundaries. "More than half" is false when the figure is exactly half.
• Filling gaps with common sense. If the sheet does not show it, the answer is Cannot say, however likely it seems.
• Treating different words as a mismatch. A statement can be True when it says the same thing in other words.
• Trying to finish. You are not expected to answer everything. Accuracy on the questions you do answer matters more than reaching the end.
• Guessing at random. Aon says incorrect answers usually cost points. If you have a reasoned choice, take it; if you have no idea, think before you click.