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EPSO Translator study materials
EPSO Translator study resources

EPSO Translator: Numerical and Abstract Reasoning

EPSO Translator · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.

All guide sections

Numerical and Abstract Reasoning

Numerical and abstract reasoning covers two EPSO computer-based test types. Numerical items ask you to interpret tables, percentages, ratios and changes; abstract items ask you to find the rule governing a sequence of shapes or symbols. Both test rule-based problem solving under time pressure, not memorised formulas. Accuracy depends on setting up the problem correctly before calculating.

Core rules: numerical

  • Percentage change = (new − old) ÷ old × 100. Divide by the original value, never by the new one.
  • Distinguish percentage points from percent: a rise from 10% to 12% is 2 percentage points but a 20% increase.
  • Reverse a change by dividing: if a value rose 15%, the original = new ÷ 1.15.
  • Check units and scales: thousands versus millions, per year versus per month. Estimate first to catch gross errors.
  • Weighted averages weight each group by its size, not by the number of groups.

Core rules: abstract

  • Test one transformation at a time: rotation, reflection, movement, addition or removal, alternation, numerical progression.
  • Check whether two rules alternate across terms, and verify a rule on at least two transitions.
  • Use the answer options to eliminate, but confirm the rule rather than choosing by appearance.

Worked example

A programme budget rises from €80 million to €92 million in year one, then is cut by 10% in year two. What is the net percentage change from the original? Reasoning: year-one increase = 12 ÷ 80 = 15%. The year-two cut applies to €92m, not €80m: 92 × 0.90 = €82.8m. Net change = (82.8 − 80) ÷ 80 = 2.8 ÷ 80 = 3.5% increase. The trap is to subtract 10% from 15% and answer 5%.

Traps that cost marks

  • Using the final value as the base for a percentage change.
  • Adding or subtracting percentages instead of applying them successively.
  • Mixing units or ignoring a scale factor in a table.
  • Rounding intermediate results and then choosing an answer that is close but wrong.
  • In abstract items, assuming one rule when features alternate, or confusing clockwise with anticlockwise.