Brilliant Numeracy Tests

G You tend to procrastinate, or get easily distracted.

G You haven’t kept up with your initial commitment to do as

much preparation as possible.

Common concerns

If you are feeling apprehensive about your test take comfort in

knowing that you are not alone – many people find the prospect

of sitting a test quite daunting. Let’s look at a few common con-

cerns.

How do I know I am improving?

Effective feedback is the key to improving your overall perform-

ance. That means going through the answer explanations in

detail. Try other practice sections or, after a period of time,

attempt the same test questions again. This will allow you to

gauge your improvement in performance over time.

G Have you learnt where your strengths and weaknesses are in

terms of overall numerical reasoning abilities? Is it ratios, or

percentages that you are still having trouble with? Once you

are aware of where any weakness lies then it is important to

focus future practice testing on this area.

G Be honest with yourself about how much time you need to

commit for extra practice.

G Keep a record of how many questions you get right.

Here are some questions to ask yourself in order to raise your

awareness of potential pitfalls.

Did you rush through the questions rather than

working at a steady pace?

Most tests are timed so you need to cultivate a focused and

alert approach. Your first priority is to work accurately. There’s

no benefit in getting questions wrong. But don’t take a leisurely

Getting started 21

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22 brill iant numeracy test s

approach, either. The guy sitting next to you may pass because

he answered more questions than you – even though he also got

more questions wrong.

Did you miss out any questions? If so did you make a

note and go back to these at the end of your session?

This is a key test-taking strategy. It only works if you make

sure to mark the question you omitted.You also need to work at

such a pace that you have time to return to it at the end. Still, I

can’t recommend the strategy highly enough. We all encounter

questions that we can’t do, or just don’t like the look of. If you

find that you are spending longer than you would like on one

question then make the judgement call and move on.

Did you spend too much time going over the question

itself and the numerical information given at the start?

It is tempting to be over cautious. Did the question really say

that? What were the units again? You need to cultivate a focused

concentration that allows you to read the question, memorise

what you’re being asked to do and then know once you have the

required answer.

brilliant

tip

Remember that all questions are worth the same. No one cares if

you leave a couple out. The important thing is to answer as many

correctly as you can.

Where do I need to improve most?

It’s vital to know where you need to improve most. Knowing this

will help you to use your preparation time wisely – enabling you

to tailor your practice sessions around the areas you most need

to improve. Ask yourself the following questions to home in on

any problem areas.

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Getting started 23

Is there a pattern emerging in what type of questions

I get wrong?

If a particular type of question recurs then it makes sense to

spend additional time making sure that you are comfortable with

these questions. Don’t assume that you can pass without

learning how to answer that sort of question.

Is there a pattern emerging in where I get questions

wrong?

If you make more mistakes near the start of your practice

session then this could be a consequence of nerves and taking

time to settle down.You need to work on focusing 100% as soon

as you start the test. If you make more mistakes near the end of

your practice session then this could be a result of losing concen-

tration or rushing the last few questions. Practise pacing

yourself. You need to learn to work steadily, and in a high state

of mental alertness, throughout an entire test.

Were there particular types of numerical reasoning

questions that I guessed?

This may be a sign that you need to go back to basics. If you

are guessing questions involving percentages then you need to

learn the basics of how percentages work. Do this before

attempting any more practice questions.

I’m not getting any better . . .

Are you sure? Don’t be too hard on

yourself – remember that your

improvement will occur gradually,

not after just one practice session.

You’ll only get better if you learn

from your mistakes, though, so

reflect upon the following questions.

your improvement will

occur gradually, not

after just one practice

session

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