EPSO Numerical Reasoning study plan
EPSO Numerical Reasoning · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Percentage calculations and percentage change
Compute percentage change between two values in under 30 seconds without a calculator, using the (new minus old) divided by old method on at least 20 practice pairs.
Convert fluently between fractions, decimals and percentages for the common set (halves through twentieths, plus thirds and eighths) and recall them from memory in a timed drill.
Solve reverse-percentage problems (find the original value given the result and the percentage applied) by setting up a single equation rather than trial and error.
Distinguish and correctly apply successive percentage changes (for example a 20% rise then a 15% fall) including why they do not simply add.
Your checkpoint
A one-page personal formula sheet plus a logged score on a 25-question percentage set, with every wrong answer reworked by hand and the error cause labelled (misread, method, arithmetic).
Percentage calculations and percentage change & Ratios, proportions and scaling
Apply percentage-point versus percent distinctions correctly in at least 15 mixed statements, deciding when a change is absolute and when relative.
Set up ratio problems by writing the parts-to-total relationship explicitly before calculating, covering share-of-total and given-one-find-other variants.
Scale quantities proportionally up and down, including map-style and recipe-style scaling, and check answers by reversing the operation.
Translate a word problem into a ratio equation in under 45 seconds for 10 problems drawn from tables and short paragraphs.
Your checkpoint
A timed 30-question set mixing percentages and ratios, scored and reviewed, with a written note on which of the two domains cost more time per question.
Ratios, proportions and scaling & Fractions, decimals and order-of-magnitude estimation
Estimate answers to two- and three-step fraction and decimal problems to one significant figure before calculating exactly, then compare the estimate with the exact result.
Rank sets of five fractions and decimals in ascending order without converting all of them to decimals, using benchmark comparison.
Simplify multi-step expressions by cancelling common factors before multiplying, and demonstrate the shortcut on 10 worked examples.
Use order-of-magnitude reasoning to eliminate at least two answer options on every question in a 20-question set.
Your checkpoint
A log of 20 questions where the estimate is written down first and the exact answer second, showing how often the estimate alone would have identified the correct option.
Averages, weighted averages and combined groups
Compute simple averages and weighted averages for combined groups, including the case where two groups of different sizes are merged.
Solve 'find the missing value given the mean' problems by working backwards from the total sum.
Handle average-speed and average-per-unit traps where the naive average of two rates is wrong, and explain in writing why the weighted form is correct.
Complete a 25-question averages set with at least 80% accuracy under a strict time limit.
Your checkpoint
A mid-point mock of 20 questions covering percentages, ratios, fractions and averages, taken under exam timing, with a scored review sheet listing the three weakest question types.
Rates, speed, distance and time & Work rates, production and resource allocation
Solve speed, distance and time problems in both directions, converting units (minutes to hours, metres to kilometres) before substituting into the formula.
Set up work-rate problems using the combined-rate method for two or more workers or machines, and solve 'how long together' and 'how long remaining' variants.
Allocate a fixed resource across competing uses in proportion to given rates, and verify that the allocation sums back to the total.
Recognise and avoid the classic traps: average of two speeds, adding rates incorrectly, and mixing time units within one calculation.
Your checkpoint
A worked set of 15 rate and work-rate problems, each showing unit conversion explicitly, plus a checklist of the four trap types with a one-line countermeasure for each.
Table and chart interpretation (absolute vs relative values) & Financial and budget arithmetic (costs, revenue, indexation)
Read a table or chart and state whether a requested figure is absolute or relative, then compute the correct derived value from the raw cells rather than from a pre-computed percentage.
Calculate index-linked changes (a value rebased to a new base period) and apply an index to update a cost or budget figure.
Build a small budget from given costs and revenues, computing totals, margins and the effect of a percentage cost increase on the bottom line.
Identify when a chart's visual impression conflicts with the underlying numbers, and justify the correct reading from the data alone.
Your checkpoint
A self-made summary sheet of six chart-reading rules (absolute versus relative, base period, axis start, rounding, percentage of what, unit mismatch) each illustrated with a worked numeric example you constructed yourself.
Probability, combinatorics and simple counting & Data sufficiency and logical validation of numerical statements
Count arrangements and selections using the multiplication principle, distinguishing cases where order matters from cases where it does not.
Compute simple probabilities for draws without replacement and check that the probabilities of all outcomes sum to one.
Evaluate data-sufficiency statements by testing whether each piece of information alone is enough, and classify the answer before attempting full calculation.
Validate numerical claims in short statements by finding a single counterexample or confirming the claim holds in all stated cases.
Your checkpoint
A 20-question mixed set on counting, probability and data sufficiency, with a written verdict for each sufficiency item explaining why the information was or was not enough.
Percentage calculations and percentage change & Averages, weighted averages and combined groups & Table and chart interpretation (absolute vs relative values)
Re-run full timed mocks across all ten domains and record per-question timing to confirm the heaviest domains are now the fastest per question.
Revisit every logged error from weeks 1 to 7 and re-solve it cold, marking any that fail a second time for final review.
Practise a triage routine for the exam: skip any question exceeding a set time budget, flag it, and return only after clearing the rest.
Confirm accuracy of at least 85% on the two heaviest domains under full time pressure.
Your checkpoint
A final two-mock scorecard showing per-domain accuracy and average seconds per question, plus a one-page exam-day routine covering time budget, skip rule and arithmetic-check habit.
Milestones
Week 4: Score at least 75% on the 20-question mid-point mock covering domains 1, 2, 3 and 5, with no single domain below 60%.
Week 6: Complete a 15-question table-and-chart set in 20 minutes with at least 80% accuracy, and correctly classify absolute versus relative in every question.
Week 8: Achieve at least 85% accuracy on domains 1 and 3 under full timing, and finish two full mocks within the time limit with fewer than three unanswered questions.