Illustrative example
80 Before→100 After
What is the percentage increase?
Numerical reasoning
Interpret numerical information within Sova’s role-specific assessment.
View guidanceSova Assessment
The blended whole-person format, the numerical, verbal and logical reasoning inside it, the situational judgement scenarios, the personality questionnaire and the video interview. How the employer configures the activities and their timing, and how the result is read against a norm group.
- 10 practice tests in the Sova pack
- 100 questions, all solved
Prepare for employers like
What is a Sova assessment?
A Sova assessment is a blended online assessment from the UK publisher Sova, which combines numerical, verbal and logical reasoning, situational judgement and personality questions into a single whole person assessment rather than separate timed tests. It runs on any device, timing depends on the activities selected, and the mix is configured to the employer and role, so no two Sova assessments look quite the same.
Which Sova test you sit depends on the employer and the role: an entry-level position will not be given the same assessment as a graduate or managerial one.
How a Sova test works
Four things to know before you sit one. Timings and difficulty vary with the level of the role.
- FormatOne blended assessment
- Rather than separate tests, Sova builds one assessment for the employer and role, mixing reasoning, situational and personality questions. It runs on any device, and some employers add a recorded video interview.
- PaceCheck each activity’s instructions
- The assessment is configured for the employer and role. Read the timing and response instructions for each activity before starting.
- DifficultyNo prior knowledge
- The reasoning questions need general intelligence, not revision; the situational and personality questions have no right answers beyond the role's requirements.
- ScoringResults against role requirements
- The employer selects the assessment mix. Reasoning, personality and situational judgement measure different things; follow the instructions rather than assuming one scoring rule for every activity.
Sova: assessment names, formats and timings
Match the name in your invitation to the assessment below. Timings marked “approx.” are completion estimates; other published durations are limits for the named version.
| Assessment | What it measures | Questions | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Numerical reasoning | Arithmetic, percentages, fractions and averages applied to data sets; multiple choice | Set by employer | See activity instructions |
| Verbal reasoning | A passage you read or listen to, then true, false or cannot say | Set by employer | See activity instructions |
| Logical reasoning | Sequences, pictures and statements with four options; deductive, inductive or abstract | Set by employer | See activity instructions |
| Situational judgement | The most and least effective of three or four responses to a scenario | Set by employer | See activity instructions |
| Personality questionnaire | Most like me and least like me from groups of four statements | Set by employer | See activity instructions |
| Video interview | Recorded answers to the employer's questions; one attempt each | Set by employer | See activity instructions |
Counts and timings vary by role level and by the version an employer licences. Check the instructions on the screen before you start. Facts checked 11 September 2026.
Sova blends assessments for each role. Public product guidance does not specify a universal question count, video preparation time or answer limit; these are shown in your invitation and assessment instructions.
Official sources for assessment names and timings
What Sova assessment formats look like
A visual guide to the skills and response formats covered on this page. Your invitation tells you which assessments to prepare for.
Illustrations by Practice Aptitude Tests · not official test screenshots
Illustrative example
Find the missing shape
Illustrative example
A customer needs an update, but you are still waiting for an answer.
Consider the response
Explain what you know and agree when to follow up.
Wait until everything is resolved.
Employers who set Sova tests
If you know which company invited you, start there: the employer guide tells you which Sova assessment sits at which stage of that firm's process.
- Bain & CompanyOnline personality, numerical, verbal and logic tests after the application
- NationwideAptitude tests, with a Sova feedback report against a norm group
Not listed? Browse all employer guides.
Understanding practice scores
These results come from our own practice test in a format covered on this page. They are not official Sova results, a benchmark for our entire Sova practice pack, or an employer pass mark.
How our test takers score
Results from our numerical reasoning test.
Average score65%
75th-percentile score90%
0%50%100%
Average75th percentile
Source: Practice Aptitude Tests
Based on 2827 completed practice sittings, all time. Checked 30 September 2026.
The 75th percentile marks the boundary of the top quarter of recorded scores; tied scores can share that boundary. These are our practice results, not employer pass marks.
How we calculate these figures
We use all-time completed, scored attempts at this practice test. Repeat attempts count separately, so the sample is sittings rather than unique people.
The average is the mean score across those sittings. The 75th percentile comes from their recorded score distribution. The “checked” date is when we retrieved the figures, not the period when the tests were taken.
Sharing these figures? Please credit Practice Aptitude Tests and link to this page.
Practise the real thing
One question tells you the style. A pack gives you the pace: timed and marked, with the working shown.
Unlock 10 Sova practice tests
£39 a year, or £29 a month. Cancel any time
- 10
- practice tests
- 100
- questions, all solved
Sova numerical reasoning
Not a maths test as such: numerical reasoning in a Sova assessment asks you to interpret data and draw conclusions from it, with general arithmetic, percentages, fractions and averages. Questions are multiple choice and you are scored on the right answer and on how long you took.
Example numerical reasoning question
Which age bracket showed the largest proportional difference in voting between the two genders?
1) 18–25
2) 26–35
3) 36–50
4) 50–65
The answer is 1, as the largest proportional difference is 18-25: (26%-21%) / 21% = 23.81%
Sova verbal reasoning
You read, or sometimes listen to, a passage and decide whether a statement is true, false or cannot be said from it. The verbal reasoning section measures how quickly and accurately you process written information, so speed counts here too.
Example verbal reasoning question
Statement: The passage suggests that it is safer to spread your savings across a range of different investments.
1) True
2) False
3) Cannot say
The answer is true: the third sentence explains that the very rich have been diversifying their portfolios to reduce the risk of sudden changes in share prices.
Sova logical reasoning
A statement, picture, graph or sequence with four options, one right. The questions may be deductive, inductive, diagrammatic or abstract, and none needs prior knowledge.
Example logical reasoning question
Which of the boxes comes next in the sequence?
The answer is A. The half-circle is shaded for two frames, then unshaded for two frames with each turn. The rectangle appears with every alternate turn. The square moves from top-left corner to bottom-left corner with every turn.
Sova situational judgement
Scenarios, sometimes brought to life with video, animation or imagery, each with three or four responses. You pick the most effective and the least effective, using only what the scenario tells you. Take “most” and “least” literally: none of the options need be what you would do, and you are ranking them against each other.
Example situational judgement question
Read the passage below and select how you would most likely and least likely respond.
1) Call the client back as soon as you get chance to try and smooth over the situation on behalf of your colleague.
2) Talk to your manager as soon as you can and explain what you observed so that the situation can be rectified as soon as possible.
3) Accept that your colleague is more senior than you and that they must know what they are doing.
4) Give your colleague some time to calm down and then ask them if they’d like to join you for a coffee. Give them a chance to discuss the call and if that doesn’t generate an appropriate response, talk to your manager.
The best answer for most likely is 4. The customer’s satisfaction is of upmost importance and the ideal situation would be for your colleague to smooth things over themselves. This approach gives them the opportunity to talk things through with you and then to speak to the client themselves. If that fails, you know you can always talk to your manager.
The best answer for least likely is 3. By accepting the behaviour of your colleague you are condoning the way they spoke to the client and this brings the risk of losing that client. It can be hard to give feedback to a more senior colleague but the relationship with the client is vital.
Sova personality questionnaire
Statements in groups of four; you pick the one most like you and the one least like you, as in a Myers-Briggs style questionnaire. There are no right answers, but the profile of your motivation, flexibility, decision-making, resilience and openness is read against the employer’s values.
Frequently asked questions
What candidates ask us most often
How long is a Sova assessment, and does speed count?
Sova assessments are configured for the employer. There is no universal question count or time allowance across every assessment. Check the instructions for each activity and any overall deadline in your invitation.
Is the Sova assessment the same at every employer?
No. Sova configures the blend for each employer and role, so one candidate meets reasoning, situational and personality questions in a single sitting while another sits them as separate sections on an assessment day. The question types are the same; the mix, the branding and the scenarios are the employer’s.
What is a Sova video interview like?
Recorded video interviews use the employer’s questions. Preparation time, answer limits and whether you can record another attempt depend on the setup. Read the instructions and use any offered practice question to check your camera and microphone.
How will I take my Sova assessment?
Online, on any device, at a time that suits you or the recruiter. Where an employer runs a virtual assessment centre on top, it uses Zoom, so you will need a camera, a microphone and a stable connection. Keep pen, paper and a calculator to hand for the reasoning questions.
Reviews
Rated 4.9 out of 5 across 37 reviews. A selection:
logic based questions are pretty good
i really liked the format of the logic-based questions as they may actually be at the same level as the actual exam
Good practice in tracking multiple components
These tests are invaluable when it comes to logical sequence questions. Good practice in tracking multiple shapes and not answering too quickly.
Overall nice practice
It was a little tiring as there was only abstract pattern questions. I think I'd prefer it to mix various tasks.
Sova is a trademark of its respective owner. Practice Aptitude Tests is not affiliated with Sova and our practice tests are not endorsed by them.
Start practising today
Take a free test in any format, then upgrade when you know which one you need.