For many roles in various organisations, Saville Assessments are used as part of the recruitment process to assess the aptitudes of candidates. Saville produces a range of test types, and the employers it names as clients include Fujitsu, Heathrow and Jaguar Land Rover.
What Is A Saville Assessment Practice Test?
Saville test, or Saville assessment, is a group of psychometric tests used mostly in recruitment to measure the aptitudes of candidates. They can also be used to assess employees for promotion and to identify training needs. As many different industries and businesses use Saville assessments, there are different levels of tests, which are all completed online through a platform called Oasys.
Saville Assessments was founded by Peter Saville, who was also one of the co-founders of SHL (another well-known testing publisher). Both publishers offer similar types of test, such as verbal and numerical reasoning, so practice for SHL tests can also be useful.
Saville Swift Assessments
While many companies will adopt a package of Saville Assessments based on the competencies, aptitudes and skills that are needed for the advertised role, Saville has created a group of tests known as Swift that are shorter, blended assessments based on the needs of certain job levels.
Swift assessments are short, combined tests. Saville shows the time for each part inside your assessment platform before you start.
Saville groups its Swift practice tests into ranges:
- Analysis range: Swift Analysis Aptitude, Swift Analysis Verbal & Numerical and Swift Executive Aptitude, alongside separate verbal, numerical, diagrammatic and abstract reasoning tests.
- Comprehension range: Swift Comprehension Aptitude and Swift Comprehension Verbal & Numerical, alongside separate verbal, numerical and error checking tests.
- Technical range: Swift Technical Aptitude and Swift Apprentice Aptitude, alongside separate spatial, mechanical and diagrammatic reasoning tests.
- Global: Swift Global Aptitude, one of the few Saville aptitude tests that can be taken on a mobile phone.
Saville says it matches its aptitude tests to the level of the role, from entry roles and early careers through to professionals and managers, with Executive Aptitude used for senior and leadership appointments.
Saville Assessment Categories
If you are required to take a Saville Assessment as part of the recruitment process for a new role, you will usually receive an invitation email with your own login link. Inside the platform you can see how long each part takes and try practice questions matched to your assessments.
Saville matches its aptitude tests to the level of the role you are applying for, rather than to a particular industry.
Below are the main test types Saville offers practice for, with our own description of each.
Numerical Aptitude Test
In this assessment, you will be presented with information in the form of tables, graphs and statistics. In order to answer the questions correctly, you will need to quickly understand and analyse the data provided and choose from multiple-choice answers based on your interpretation of the information.
These tests are similar to numerical reasoning tests by other publishers.
Verbal Aptitude Test
In a similar way to verbal reasoning tests, the verbal aptitude test is an assessment of your ability to quickly read, understand and analyse information presented as a paragraph of text.
Each question will be presented as a statement relating to the paragraph, and you will need to decide if the statement is true, false, or you cannot say based on the given information.
You do not need any previous knowledge of the subject, as all the information you need is in the text.
Mechanical Aptitude Test
Mechanical aptitude tests are designed to assess your knowledge of principles like direction, force and movement, as well as how well you understand the way gears, levers and pulleys work. As with Saville's other aptitude tests, you work to a strict time limit, which adds to the challenge.
Each question is based on an illustration or diagram, and the answers are multiple-choice. It is part of Saville's Technical Aptitude range.
Diagrammatic Aptitude Test
In the diagrammatic aptitude assessment, each question is based on a procedure diagram that usually shows an input, the process, and then the output alongside a reference key.
The questions relate to your understanding of the operators and what needs to happen in the diagram to get to the required result, alongside some questions on fault finding.
Each question has a multiple-choice answer.
Abstract Aptitude Test
Another image-based assessment, the abstract aptitude test is looking at your ability to make logical connections between pictures or shapes in sequence in order to identify the one that is missing.
These questions need you to find the pattern that governs the sequence, and then choose the right missing piece from the multiple-choice answers.
Speed and accuracy both matter, as the test is timed.
Spatial Aptitude Test
Spatial aptitude refers to the way you can imagine and understand the relationship in space between different objects. In this assessment, each question features four shapes and you need to decide which one is the odd one out.
These questions are made more challenging as the angle the shapes are at might be different so you need to be able to imagine every side in order to make the right decision.
Each question is multiple choice.
Error Checking Aptitude Test
Accuracy is an important skill in many job roles, and the error checking test assesses your accuracy at speed and under pressure.
You will be provided with two lists of near-identical information, which might be verbal, numerical, or coding based.
You need to find the errors by comparing the copy with the original, and the test is timed, so work quickly and accurately.
Workplace English
Saville's Workplace English test checks your use of English in work settings.
In this assessment, you will be presented with a number of sentences related to hypothetical work situations and have to choose the right words to replace the gaps.
Situational Judgement Test
In the Saville Assessments Situational Judgement Test, you will be presented with a number of scenarios. These scenarios are realistic yet hypothetical situations that are found in the job role you have applied for.
Each scenario comes with several possible responses, and you rate each one separately rather than picking a single answer.
Saville says there is no single correct answer to find. Your responses are scored against the behaviours the employer values, so the test measures judgement rather than knowledge.
Wave Personality Questionnaire
Wave is Saville's behavioural questionnaire. It looks at both what you are good at and what motivates you.
You are shown statements about how you work and rate each one.
Saville now offers Wave at three depths: about 6 minutes (Match 6.5) for early careers and high-volume entry roles, 13 minutes (Focus Styles) for most hiring decisions, and 35 minutes (Professional Styles) for leadership and senior appointments. You rate each statement and then rank any you rated equally, so you cannot claim to be strong at everything.
Your answers produce a profile and a report for the employer, which Saville says shows what you are likely to deliver at work and where you may struggle.
Tips To Pass Saville Assessments
Do Your Research
Saville's aptitude tests work to strict time limits, so it helps to know what to expect before you start.
You can research the topics that you are likely to face depending on the role you have applied for; if you are going for a production or technical role, you may be asked to take tests from Saville's Technical range, such as mechanical, spatial and diagrammatic reasoning, so brushing up on basic mechanical principles can help.
Practise Aptitude Tests
The best way to understand how a test works and what it will be like on the day is to practise aptitude tests. You can practise on the Saville Assessment website and there are other places that offer Saville Assessment preparation based on the structure, layout, and content of the test battery.
Use Exam Conditions
Practice is made more useful if you treat it like a mock exam. This means switching off your mobile phone, turning off notifications on your computer, and setting a timer.
This gives you an insight into how much focus you will need to answer the questions as quickly as you will need to in the test.
Repeat Hard Questions
During your practice, you will probably find some questions harder than others. It is perfectly normal to be better at one type of question than another, and if you focus your practice on repeating those harder questions you may feel more confident in the assessment.
You don't want to spend too long on challenging questions in the real test and lose the opportunity of easy marks for the questions you know you can answer.
