SHLAptitude

SHL Checking test practice

A reference record, a copy, and a clock. Say whether they match. Simple to describe, and the format where careless speed is punished hardest.

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.

2

scores: speed + accuracy

3 min

timed run

1–9

stanine rank

What it measures

What Checking is actually testing

Checking measures sustained attention to detail at speed. The comparisons are trivial in isolation; the test is whether your error rate stays flat as the pace rises and the records start to blur. Employers use it where a transposed digit has a real cost.

The format

How the real assessment runs

Format
A source record and one or more copies. Mark each field or each copy as matching or not.
Timing
Deliberately short. You are not expected to finish; the score is what you got through and how cleanly.
Marking
Speed and accuracy are reported separately. A fast, sloppy run and a slow, perfect run both read badly.
Differences
Transposed digits, single-character substitutions and near-identical strings — the mismatches you skim past.

Where marks are lost

The trap that costs the most marks

Reading the copy instead of comparing it. Under pace the eye starts recognising the shape of a string rather than checking it character by character. The fix is mechanical: fix a scan order, keep it, and never let a familiar-looking record shorten it.

Why practise here

What this practice gives you

01

Speed and accuracy reported separately, so you can see which one is actually holding your score down

02

Mismatch types drawn from the ones that genuinely slip past — transpositions and single-character swaps

03

Short, repeatable runs so you can drill the scan discipline rather than the content

04

A stanine band on the combined measure, recalibrated as more candidates run it

05

Fresh records every run

Where you will meet it

Who uses this format

Operations and back-office rolesBanking and paymentsInsurance administrationLogistics and supply chainApprenticeship screening

Hiring stages where this format is commonly used. Persona Prep is not affiliated with SHL and does not reproduce their questions — we build practice in the same format, from our own generators.

With Persona Prep Pro

Everything you need to walk in ready

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.

Checkingfrequently asked questions

What is an SHL checking test?

A checking test presents a source record and one or more copies and asks you to say whether they match. The comparisons are easy individually; the test measures whether your error rate stays flat as the pace increases over several minutes.

How is a checking test scored?

Speed and accuracy are reported separately, which is what makes the format unusual. Rushing produces a fast run with a poor accuracy figure, and over-caution produces a clean run with too few items. Both read badly. Our practice reports both so you can see which one is limiting you.

How do I improve at checking tests?

Fix a scan order — same direction, same field sequence, every record — and never shorten it because a record looks familiar. Most misses are transposed digits and single-character substitutions, which the eye skips when it starts recognising shapes instead of comparing characters.

Start your Checking practice

Free to start · fresh items every run · full worked solutions

Practice free — no account

Playable sample questions, worked solutions, instant feedback.

All free tests

Preparing for a specific employer?

What candidates commonly report facing, and which format to train.

All employers