SHL Assessment: What to Expect on Verify, OPQ, and Job Simulations

When an employer tells you to take an "SHL assessment," they are not naming a single test. SHL is a psychometric publisher — founded in 1977 and headquartered in Thames Ditton in the UK — and its name covers a family of cognitive tests, personality questionnaires, and job simulations delivered through its TalentCentral platform. This guide explains which tests you are likely to see and how each one works.

Quick answer: SHL is a suite of pre-employment assessments, not one exam. The most common are the Verify G+ cognitive ability test, the OPQ32r personality questionnaire, and job simulations such as the Virtual Call Center Simulation. Cognitive results are reported as percentiles against a norm group, and a supervised verification test may confirm your online score.

SHL groups its assessments into several families, and employers mix and match them. The ones you are most likely to encounter are:

• Cognitive ability — the Verify suite, including Verify G+ and the newer Verify Interactive
• Personality — the Occupational Personality Questionnaire, or OPQ32r
• Motivation — the Motivation Questionnaire, MQM5
• Job simulations and skills — such as the Virtual Call Center Simulation
• Realistic Job and Culture Previews — designed to show you what a role is like

SHL markets to more than 10,000 companies across 150-plus countries, and an independent prep guide names Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, and Deloitte among employers that use it, particularly in graduate hiring. Many candidates have never heard of SHL despite how common it is at that level.

Verify G+ is SHL's general cognitive ability test. It contains 30 questions split evenly across three areas — 10 numerical, 10 deductive, and 10 inductive. Average testing time runs 32 to 36 minutes, with 36 minutes allowed.

Two features shape the experience. First, it is computer-adaptive, so the difficulty adjusts based on your answers. Second, it is designed for an unproctored environment, meaning you often take it at home. SHL's factsheet includes worked sample questions, such as a numerical problem built around a 15 percent discount and a deductive "must be true" logic item.

Independent prep guides describe Verify G+ as adaptive, long, and unforgiving on pace, at roughly 72 seconds per question. If your employer uses the current-generation Verify Interactive instead, expect scenario-embedded numerical, verbal, and inductive modules with an on-screen calculator, where a full battery of all three modules typically runs 75 to 90 minutes and some modules lock after each answer.

The OPQ32r is SHL's personality questionnaire, and it feels very different from Verify. It has 104 questions in a forced-choice format, is untimed at roughly 25 minutes, and is meant to be done in one sitting in an unproctored setting.

It measures 32 personality characteristics grouped into Relationships with People, Thinking Style, and Feelings and Emotions. There are no right or wrong answers. Prep guides describe the OPQ as a source of panic for the wrong reasons — it is untimed and cannot be failed in the usual sense, but the forced-choice format, where you pick the statement most and least like you, can feel constraining. Answer honestly rather than trying to project an ideal profile.

For broader context on how employers deploy these tests, our skills assessments hub gathers candidate guides across the category.

Cognitive results are reported as percentiles against a comparison or norm group — for example, a report might say you scored better than 87 percent of the people in that group. Adaptive tests estimate your score using Item Response Theory rather than a simple count of correct answers. A sample report shows percentile results for Inductive, Numerical, Verbal, Checking, and Calculation.

A few practical points on results:

• Scores are typically treated as valid for about 12 months.
• Results are forwarded automatically to the employer's recruitment system, and you cannot withhold or suppress them.
• Because unsupervised online tests cannot confirm your identity, the report may recommend a supervised verification test.

That verification step matters. Employers such as Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, and Deloitte are cited as administering a shorter supervised re-sit, often around 10 to 15 questions, at the assessment center. A large discrepancy between that supervised score and your online result can trigger disqualification, so your online score should reflect your genuine ability.

A few things catch candidates off guard.

The calculator trap. On Verify Numerical, an on-screen calculator can lull you into relaxing, but the questions are structurally more complex, with multi-step data extraction, so speed still matters.

Proctoring may be on. In July 2023 SHL added remote audio and video proctoring — automated capture of periodic audio and video snippets — plus an AI multiple-voice detection feature that flags more than one speaker in the room. It is off by default and enabled per client, and a July 2025 release added a customized proctoring index. Many Verify and OPQ tests are still designed for unproctored use, so check your invitation.

Finding good practice is hard. On the College Confidential forum, a candidate looking for real SHL prep described difficulty finding accurate practice materials and distrust of third-party prep vendors versus official ones.

• Use SHL Direct. SHL offers free official practice tests for both ability and personality assessments, which is the most reliable way to see the real question style.
• Practice under time. Verify G+ punishes slow pacing, so rehearse working quickly and accurately rather than perfectly.
• Do not over-rely on the calculator. Treat numerical items as multi-step data problems and read carefully before computing.
• Take the OPQ honestly. It is untimed with no right answers, and a supervised re-sit can expose an inconsistent profile.
• Request accommodations early. SHL maintains an Accessibility Support page and a Neurodiversity Information Hub, but you request adjustments primarily through the recruiting organization, which holds the legal obligation.

Is the SHL test hard

Verify G+ is challenging mainly because it is adaptive and unforgiving on pace, at roughly 72 seconds per question. The OPQ personality questionnaire, by contrast, cannot be failed in the usual sense because it has no right or wrong answers.

How long is the SHL assessment

It depends on the test. Verify G+ is 30 questions in about 32 to 36 minutes, the OPQ is 104 questions and untimed at roughly 25 minutes, and a full Verify Interactive battery can run 75 to 90 minutes.

Can you retake an SHL test

By default SHL does not allow retakes — the first sitting is your result — and retake decisions rest with the employer, not SHL. Legitimate exceptions include technical failures reported within about 24 hours, and reapplying to the same employer often means a 6 to 12 month cooling-off period.

What is the SHL verification test

It is a shorter supervised re-sit, often around 10 to 15 questions, used to confirm the score from your unproctored online test. A large gap between the two scores can lead to disqualification.

Does the OPQ have right or wrong answers

No. The OPQ32r measures 32 personality traits and has no right or wrong answers. The forced-choice format can feel constraining, but the best approach is to answer honestly and consistently.

How is the SHL test scored

Cognitive tests are reported as percentiles against a norm group, with adaptive versions estimated using Item Response Theory. Scores are typically valid for about 12 months and are sent automatically to the employer.

If you are earlier in your job search and want to understand how AI-driven screening and assessment is reshaping hiring more broadly, see our comparison of the best AI recruiting software of 2026.