A grid with most of it missing. Every cell you can fill is forced by the ones already there — the skill is finding which one to fill first.
Free to start. Every item is generated fresh, marked with a full worked solution, and ranked on a 1–9 stanine band that recalibrates as more candidates practise.
5
difficulty levels
3 min
timed run
0
guesswork required
What it measures
Deductive reasoning here measures constraint propagation: given a partly filled grid where each symbol appears once per row and column, how efficiently do you find the cell that only has one possible occupant, and then the one that opens up next. There is never a step that requires a guess.
The format
Where marks are lost
Starting from the emptiest row because it looks like it needs the most work. The opening move should be the most constrained cell, not the most conspicuous gap. Our hint system exists for exactly this: it reveals, one figure at a time, the shortest chain that actually forces the target — so you learn to spot the entry point rather than being handed the answer.
Why practise here
Puzzles verified by an independent solver, so every one is provably solvable by elimination alone
The hint reveals the shortest chain step by step, teaching route choice instead of shortcutting it
Difficulty scales by removing cells and lengthening the forced chain — the way the real format gets harder
Levels are audited so that level 1 is genuinely easier than level 5, not just differently drawn
A stanine band so you can see whether your solving speed is competitive
Where you will meet it
Hiring stages where this format is commonly used. Persona Prep is not affiliated with Aon and does not reproduce their questions — we build practice in the same format, from our own generators.
With Persona Prep Pro
One subscription covers the whole assessment library, not just this exercise — because almost nobody is invited to sit only one module.
The full aptitude library
SHL Verify, Aon cut-e, Hogan and Saville formats — numerical, verbal, inductive, deductive, mechanical, checking and the interactive modules.
A rank, not just a score
Every run is placed on a 1–9 stanine band that recalibrates as the candidate pool grows, so you know your position.
A course per exercise
What it measures, the trap that costs marks, and worked items from every format — then the exercise itself.
Unlimited fresh items
Everything is generated, so you never run out and never memorise a bank.
Written + voice AI coach
Reads your results across exercises and tells you which two to fix first.
Personality practice too
SHL OPQ32, Hogan HPI/HDS/MVPI, Saville Wave, ADEPT-15 and 16PF, with full profile reports.
It is Aon cut-e's deductive reasoning format: a grid of symbols with most cells removed, where each symbol appears once per row and column. You fill cells back in until the target cell is determined. Every step is forced by elimination — there is never a point where you have to guess.
Start from the most constrained cell, not the emptiest row. Look for a row or column where only one symbol can legally go, place it, and let the consequences cascade. Choosing the wrong opening move is what costs candidates the clock, not the difficulty of any individual deduction.
Yes, and deliberately not by revealing the answer. The hint uncovers, one figure at a time, the shortest chain of deductions that actually forces the target cell, so you learn where the entry point was. Every puzzle is verified by an independent solver before it is served.
Aon
cut-e (Aon) assessment battery
cut-e is not one test — it is a set of very short, very fast interactive modules, and each one punishes a different habit. Practise them the way they are actually served.
Aon
Applied Numeracy
Practical arithmetic against a clock: convert the unit, scale the quantity, take the percentage, find the area. No calculator dexterity required — just no slips.
SHL
Verify Inductive Reasoning
A row of figures changes by one consistent rule. Find the rule, pick what comes next. No numbers, no words, no cultural loading — which is exactly why employers like it.
Playable sample questions, worked solutions, instant feedback.
What candidates commonly report facing, and which format to train.
All employers →