Psychometric Test (PET) study guide
Psychometric Test (PET) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Psychometric Entrance Test (PET) is a standardized, multiple-choice battery used in admissions to assess general reasoning rather than subject knowledge. It is aimed at candidates applying to selective academic programs who need to demonstrate verbal, quantitative, and figural reasoning ability, plus English proficiency. The exam is organized into four domains: Verbal Reasoning (30%), Quantitative Reasoning (30%), Figural Reasoning (30%), and English Proficiency (10%). Verbal items test vocabulary in context, analogy and relationship logic, and reading comprehension. Topics on this exam: Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, Figural Reasoning, and English Proficiency. The Psychometric Test (PET) study guide has 4 sections and about 1,284 words.
01Verbal Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning measures how precisely you handle word meaning and logical relationships. Questions typically ask you to complete analogies, spot the odd word out, choose synonyms or antonyms in context, finish sentences, or judge which conclusion follows from a short set of statements. General knowledge is rarely required; the marks come from identifying the exact relationship being tested. For analogies, state the link in a short sentence: 'a chisel is the tool a sculptor uses.' Then apply the same sentence to each option.
335 words, about 2 min02Quantitative Reasoning
Quantitative Reasoning tests numerical fluency under time pressure: arithmetic, percentages, ratios, averages, number series, and short data sets. Most questions reward setting up the calculation cleanly rather than doing lengthy arithmetic. Watch the units and the base of every percentage. Check first differences, then ratios, then second differences.
308 words, about 2 min03Figural Reasoning
Figural Reasoning uses abstract shapes rather than words or numbers. You may see sequences, 3×3 matrices, odd-one-out sets, rotations and reflections, paper folding, or cube nets. The test measures pattern detection and spatial manipulation; each figure is a set of separate features, not one indivisible image. For every shape, note position, orientation, size, shading, line style, and count.
324 words, about 2 min04English Proficiency
English Proficiency covers standard written English: grammar and usage, vocabulary in context, sentence completion, error identification, and short reading passages. It tests control of conventions that appear in academic and workplace writing, not literary interpretation. Make the verb agree with its subject, not with a phrase between them: 'The list of items is long.' With 'neither … nor,' the verb agrees with the nearer subject: 'Neither the manager nor the assistants were informed.' Keep tenses consistent, keep lists parallel ('planning, writing, and editing'), and place modifiers next to what they describe. Use the sentence's logic before the options: contrast words ('although,' 'but') point to an opposite; cause words ('because,' 'therefore') point to a consequence.
317 words, about 2 min