SHL Inductive Reasoning Test: Formats and Worked Examples
The SHL inductive reasoning test explained: interactive and multiple choice formats, timings, two worked pattern questions, and a rule-finding method that works.
SHL·Aptitude Test Prep Team · Sep 2, 2026 · 7 min read
The SHL inductive reasoning test shows you a sequence of abstract figures and asks you to work out the rule that generates them. There are no words and no numbers to calculate. SHL describes it as measuring your ability to draw inferences from, and understand relationships between, various concepts. In practice you get shapes that change across a row: dots multiply, arrows rotate, shading alternates, a small square walks around a border. Your job is to name the rules, then apply them one step further. The current interactive form gives you 15 tasks in 18 minutes and asks you to build the missing figure by dragging elements. The standard multiple choice form gives you 18 questions in 24 minutes. Both reward a fixed method far more than raw pattern instinct.
TL;DR
- Interactive inductive: 15 tasks in 18 minutes. Standard multiple choice: 18 questions in 24 minutes. Older CEB logical forms ran 24 questions in 25 minutes.
- Inductive reasoning finds the rule. Deductive reasoning applies a rule you were given. They are different tests.
- Track one feature at a time across the whole row. Never look at a whole figure at once.
- The five features that carry almost every SHL item are count, rotation, shading, position and size.
- On interactive items you build the answer, so you cannot eliminate options and guessing is worth very little.
- Verify G+ includes an inductive strand, so a G+ invitation means preparing three reasoning types, not one.
What is inductive reasoning and how is it different from deductive?
Inductive reasoning moves from examples to a rule. You see four figures and infer what governs them. Deductive reasoning moves from a rule to a conclusion. You are told the constraints of a schedule and asked what must be true. SHL sells both as separate cognitive assessments and combines them inside Verify G+.
The distinction changes how you prepare. Deductive practice is about being systematic with given constraints. Inductive practice is about building a fast, repeatable search for hidden rules. If your process also includes a numerical sift, calibrate your clock discipline with five free timed numerical questions first, because the pacing habit is the part that transfers.
How long is the SHL inductive reasoning test?
| Form | Questions | Time | How you answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verify Interactive Inductive Reasoning | 15 | 18 minutes | Build the figure by dragging elements |
| Verify Inductive Reasoning (standard) | 18 | 24 minutes | Multiple choice, pick the next figure |
| Older CEB logical or inductive form | 24 | 25 minutes | Multiple choice |
| Verify G+ inductive strand | 8 to 10 of 30 items | Part of 36 minutes | Mixed with numerical and deductive |
The interactive form gives you 72 seconds per task, the standard form 80 seconds, and the older CEB form about 62 seconds. None of those is generous once you factor in reading the answer options.
What method finds the rule fastest?
Do not stare at the figures. Run a fixed checklist across the row, one feature at a time, and write the sequence down in the margin or on your scrap paper.
- Count. How many elements are in each frame? Look for plus one, doubling, or an alternating count.
- Rotation. Does anything turn? Quantify it: 45, 90 or 180 degrees, and clockwise or anticlockwise.
- Shading. Black, white, striped. Alternating shading is the most common SHL secondary rule.
- Position. Does an element move around a grid or a border, and by how many steps per frame?
- Size and shape identity. Does a square become a pentagon, or does one element grow?
Almost every SHL item is two of these rules stacked. Once you have two that hold across every frame, stop searching and apply them. The extra 20 seconds spent hunting a third rule is where most candidates lose the clock.
What does an SHL inductive question look like?
Because the real items are pictures, here they are described feature by feature, exactly as your checklist would record them.
Worked example 1: next in the series
Five frames. Frames 1 to 4 are given, frame 5 is missing.
| Frame | Dots | Arrow direction | Arrow shading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Up | White |
| 2 | 2 | Right | Black |
| 3 | 3 | Down | White |
| 4 | 4 | Left | Black |
| 5 | ? | ? | ? |
Working. Count increases by one each frame, so frame 5 has 5 dots. The arrow turns 90 degrees clockwise each frame: up, right, down, left, then back to up. Shading alternates white and black, so after black comes white.
Answer: five dots, arrow pointing up, arrow unshaded.
Note that all three rules are independent and each is simple. That is the SHL design pattern. Difficulty comes from tracking three simple rules at once under a clock, not from any single rule being clever.
Worked example 2: odd one out
Five figures. Each is a regular polygon divided into segments, with some segments shaded.
| Figure | Sides | Shaded segments |
|---|---|---|
| A | 4 | 2 |
| B | 6 | 3 |
| C | 8 | 4 |
| D | 5 | 2 |
| E | 10 | 5 |
Working. Test the relationship between the two columns. For A, 4 divided by 2 is 2. For B, 6 divided by 3 is 2. For C, 8 divided by 4 is 2. For E, 10 divided by 5 is 2. In every case the shaded count is exactly half the number of sides. For D, half of 5 is 2.5, and only 2 segments are shaded, so D does not follow the rule.
Answer: D.
The trap is that D is the only odd-sided figure, so many candidates pick D for the wrong reason and then get the next item wrong when odd sides are the pattern rather than the exception. Always name the rule out loud before choosing.
What are the interactive inductive tasks like?
On the interactive form you do not pick from options. You assemble the answer. Reported task styles include manipulating on-screen shapes and character sequences to create the correct figure yourself. Two practical consequences follow.
First, elimination strategies are useless. You cannot work backwards from plausible answers, so you must actually solve the rule. Second, SHL says its interactive assessments use a partial-scoring method that lets a test ask fewer questions while keeping accuracy. A near-correct configuration is better than an empty one, so always place something before you move on.
For the multiple choice cousins of these items and general abstract practice, see the logical reasoning test practice guide.
How is the SHL inductive test scored and who uses it?
Scores are reported as percentiles against a norm group of comparable candidates, not as raw marks, and the employer sets the cut. Prep publishers report SHL Verify assessments in use at large employers including Microsoft, Amazon, Morgan Stanley, Deloitte, Accenture, Lloyds Bank and IBM. Some processes then run a supervised verification test that re-checks whether your unsupervised result holds up.
If your invitation names Verify G+ rather than a standalone inductive test, inductive is only one of three strands. Read the SHL general ability test guide before you plan revision, and cover the numerical strand with the SHL numerical reasoning test practice guide.
How should you practise in the last week?
Sit short timed sets rather than long ones, because inductive fatigue is severe and a 40 minute session teaches you your tired accuracy rather than your real one. After every set, write the rule you missed in plain words. Over a week you will find your blind spot is one specific feature, usually rotation direction or position steps around a border. Drill that one. Speed on a screen matters too: practise on the device you will use, since dragging with a trackpad is slower than with a mouse.
Broader sift preparation, including the practical setup on test day, is covered in how to pass online assessment tests. If your employer uses a general cognitive screen instead, the CCAT test guide covers a very different pacing problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the SHL inductive reasoning test the same as abstract reasoning?
In practice, yes. Different publishers call the same shape-pattern format inductive, abstract, diagrammatic or logical reasoning. SHL uses inductive.
Can I use a calculator or scrap paper?
A calculator is irrelevant here, but scrap paper is valuable. Writing the feature sequence in short notes is the difference between tracking three rules and losing one.
How many rules are in a typical item?
Most SHL inductive items stack two or three independent rules. If you have found three that hold across every frame, you almost certainly have the full pattern.
Is guessing worth it?
On the multiple choice form, yes, since there is no published penalty for a wrong answer. On the interactive form, place your best partial configuration rather than leaving the task empty.
How much can practice improve my score?
Practice mainly removes format shock and improves pacing. Treat published improvement claims from prep vendors with caution, and measure your own timed accuracy across a week instead.