Numerical Reasoning
Numerical Reasoning
Numerical Reasoning tests your ability to extract numbers from tables, charts, or word problems and perform the right calculation under time pressure. It is not a maths syllabus test; it rewards clean setup and unit discipline.
Core rules
- Percentage change = (new − old) ÷ old × 100. An increase from 40 to 50 is 25%, not 10%.
- Percentage points differ from percent: a rise from 20% to 25% is 5 percentage points but a 25% relative increase.
- Ratios scale by multiplying both parts by the same factor; convert to fractions of the total when asked for shares.
- Averages: total ÷ count. If two groups are combined, weight by group size, not by averaging the averages.
- Keep units consistent (€, kg, hours) and round only at the end.
Worked example
A shop sells 240 items in January and 300 in February. What is the percentage increase? Difference = 300 − 240 = 60. Divide by the original: 60 ÷ 240 = 0.25. Multiply by 100 = 25%. Answer: 25%.
Traps
- Dividing by the new value instead of the original when computing change.
- Mixing percentage and percentage points.
- Averaging two averages without weighting.
- Reading the wrong row or column in a table, especially when totals are included.
- Rounding intermediate values and losing precision.