Tips to Succeed in Mental Arithmetic Tests

Mental arithmetic tests are typically taken to assess candidates on how correctly they answer the given questions in the allocated time and how quickly they can answer them. They are also given to assess candidates’ intellectual capabilities by how well they respond to complex questions that require reasoning and sampling. 

• Understand what mental arithmetic tests are

These tests are usually a combination of several complex questions that require your serious attention. Since they are designed to measure your level of reasoning on several realms, you need to first go through some sample questions on the internet to understand what you will be facing on the actual test day. 

• Practice what’s important

You should determine the kind of questions you will be asked in the test beforehand. This will help you in practising and enhancing your skills only for those particular questions or problems.

• Know what your employer is looking for

It is a good idea to call the recruiter and ask them the kind of attributes they are looking for in the ideal candidate, if possible. This will help you in guessing the kind of questions they will include in the test as well as the type of response they might be expecting. 

• Make a Practice Strategy

Once you have identified the kind of questions you expect to get in the test, make a strategy. You may focus your training on the aspects you perform the worst. This would not merely help in enhancing your skills in that particular aspect but on the actual test day, you will be able to answer it more quickly than before.

• Read the instructions carefully

It is essential to look into the questions and understand them thoroughly. There is a possibility that you may be given specific instructions for particular questions as to how they may be attempted or what is expected of you. Thus, you should not overlook any guideline and go through the instructions. Once you are done, you should make double checks on your answers, if this is possible, to ensure that everything has been answered properly.

• Be sure about the time duration

Before answering the questions, you should make yourself aware of the total time you have to answer all the questions. You should divide your time wisely for each question according to their complexity and significance. Later on, you should stick to these divisions. Moreover, if at any given point you think that you are unable to answer any question or you need more time to think about their answers, you should immediately move on to the next question and then come back to this specific one later on, if this is possible. This will save you from wasting your time and you’d remain calm and confident through the test considering that you are achieving all the little time-related milestones you have set for yourself for each question.

• Keep all the necessary tools with you

You should take all the necessary tools with you to the test day. This might include a few pens, pencils, some rough working sheets, a calculator, watch, etc. if these are allowed. However, you should be familiar with everything that you will be using on the test day. For instance, if you have just bought a new calculator and have not practised on it before the test day, you may end up wasting a considerable amount of your time while working on it.

• Maintain your physical and mental health

To keep maximum concentration, you should ideally be in a good mental condition. This means you should take proper rest before appearing for the test. Since these questions usually require your uninterrupted focus to properly analyze the answers before penning them down, you need to be mentally present and active. Also, as a tip, give yourself a couple of minutes’ break before moving on to the next question so that you regain enough energy before each new question.

Considering the importance of all the tips mentioned above, one thing that should not be overlooked is investing as much time as possible in practising and preparing for all kinds of questions expected. The more you practice, the better and quicker you will get in attempting the test. Moreover, be well rested so you don’t feel drowsy and tired during the test session. This is because mental arithmetic questions challenge the candidates to stretch their mental capabilities and have a greater level of attention to detail. You will only be able to achieve this with your undistracted focus. Apart from this, spend enough time researching the company you have applied to, its culture and the kind of people working for them. This will help you know the personality attributes as well as the average level of intelligence of people working at the company. As a result, you will be able to mould your personality accordingly as a first step to giving out the impression that you are the best fit.

How can Assessment-Training.com help you ace your Mental Arithmetic test?

Assessment-Training.com is your number 1 online practise aptitude test and assessment provider. We aim to help you ace your assessment by providing you with practise aptitude tests that mimic the tests used by employers and recruiters. Our test developers have years of experience in the field of occupational psychology and developed the most realistic and accurate practice tests available online. Our practise platform uses leading-edge technology and provides you feedback on your scores in form of test history, progress and performance to your norm group.

Check out our tailor-made Mental Arithmetic Test Pack to fully prepare you for your assessment

The Assessment-Training.com data science team found that candidates increased their scoring accuracy through practice and went into their assessments more confident. Remember, you need to practice to make sure you familiarize yourself with the test formats, work on your accuracy and experience performing under time pressure.