SHL results arrive as a page of numbers and coloured bars, and recruiters are often asked by hiring managers and candidates alike what those numbers mean. This guide explains how SHL scores work, what each report shows, what counts as a good score and how to use the results fairly. For the tests themselves, see our SHL test guide.
Cohesyve publishes this guide and is not affiliated with SHL. Product details come from SHL's own factsheets and candidate pages, checked in October 2026.
How are SHL scores calculated?
SHL ability tests are scored against a comparison group, and SHL's sample employer report shows the result as a percentile. The employer sees that percentile rather than a raw count of correct answers.
SHL's Verify G+ and Verify Interactive reasoning tests are adaptive. SHL's factsheets for Verify G+ and the Verify Interactive range say the adaptive design gives a shorter test and "a more precise score". Because the questions change with each answer, two candidates can see different questions and still be placed on the same scale. That is why a raw count of right answers would mislead: a candidate who got harder questions might answer fewer correctly and still score higher.
SHL also says its cognitive tests ask fewer questions because of a partial-scoring method, and it describes combining cognitive scores with other SHL results into "a job score" for each candidate.
| Term | What it means on an SHL report |
|---|---|
| Percentile | The share of the comparison group who scored below this candidate |
| Comparison (norm) group | The reference population the candidate is measured against |
| Band | A label shown next to the percentile, such as "Medium" on SHL's sample report |
| General ability score | One overall score from a test that mixes abilities, such as Verify Interactive G+ |
| Ability score | A separate score for numerical, deductive or inductive reasoning |
What is an SHL percentile?
An SHL percentile tells you where a candidate sits relative to a comparison group. A percentile rank is the percentage of people in the norm group who scored below the score in question, so the 52nd percentile means the candidate outscored about 52% of that group.
Three things follow, and they cause most of the confusion around SHL test results:
- The 50th percentile is the middle of the group. It is a position in the group, and says nothing about a 50% mark. A candidate at the 50th percentile did as well as a typical member of the comparison group.
- Percentiles are not equal steps. Scores bunch around the middle, so the gap between the 50th and 60th percentiles is usually a smaller difference in ability than the gap between the 89th and 99th.
- A percentile has no meaning without its group. The same answers can sit at a higher percentile against a general population group than against a group of graduates or experienced managers.
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What is a norm group, and why does it change the score?
A norm group is the set of people a candidate's result is compared with. Changing the group changes the percentile without the candidate doing anything differently.
For a recruiter, this is the single most useful thing to check. If a hiring manager says "everyone scored low this year", ask which comparison group the report uses before concluding anything. A demanding comparison group for an entry-level role will push most applicants into the lower bands, and a broad group for a specialist role will flatter them.
Ask your SHL account manager which comparison groups are available for your tests and which one your reports use. Choose the group closest to the people who actually apply for the role, and keep it the same across a hiring round so candidates are compared fairly.
What does an SHL score report show?
SHL produces different reports for the employer and for the candidate. SHL's 2024 factsheet for its Verify Interactive Process Monitoring test shows both:
| Report | Who it's for | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Detailed report | Employer | An overall score as a percentile (the sample shows the 52nd), a band label (the sample shows "Medium") and the test date |
| Candidate report | Candidate | Development advice written in plain language, with a bar; the sample shows no percentile |
| Ability breakdown (Verify Interactive G+) | Employer | A score for each of numerical, deductive and inductive reasoning, plus a general ability score |
| Personality report (OPQ) | Hiring manager | SHL says it covers each candidate's fit, potential and development gaps |
The candidate report is designed to be shared. The detailed report is designed for the people making the decision, so think before forwarding it to a candidate who asks for their score.
Personality questionnaires work differently from ability tests. SHL tells candidates its personality questionnaire has no right or wrong answers; they pick the statement most like them from sets of three, then choose again from the remaining two. So a personality report describes fit with a role profile and is not a score to pass or fail. Our SHL vs Hogan comparison covers the personality side in more depth.
What is a good SHL score?
A good SHL score is one that meets the level the role actually needs, measured against a sensible comparison group. SHL does not publish a universal pass mark, and any guide that quotes one is guessing.
In practice:
- For candidates, a score at or above the 50th percentile means you did at least as well as a typical member of the comparison group. Whether that is enough depends on the employer's cut-off, which most employers do not disclose.
- For employers, a sound cut-off comes from what the job needs. A round number picked for convenience is hard to justify. Work out how much reasoning the role uses day to day, look at how your current good performers score if you have that data, and set the threshold no higher than the job requires.
| Role type | How much weight to give a reasoning score |
|---|---|
| Analysis-heavy roles (finance, data, consulting) | More weight on numerical and deductive scores; still check with work-sample evidence |
| Mid-level roles that use data some of the time | A moderate cut-off to screen out clear mismatches, then other evidence |
| Hands-on or customer-facing roles | Low weight; look harder at evidence from the work itself |
| High-volume entry-level roles | Use a low cut-off or a band instead of a strict rank order, to avoid rejecting capable people on small differences |
SHL's numerical reasoning factsheet, for example, positions Verify Interactive Numerical Reasoning for mid-level positions, with sample tasks such as interpreting budgets, costs, trends and margins. Our guide to assessing numerical reasoning explains how to judge how much of it a role really needs, and SHL numerical reasoning describes that test.
How should employers use SHL test results?
Use SHL test results as one structured input to a decision, with a cut-off you can justify from the job. Don't rank a shortlist purely on percentile.
- Agree the cut-off before results come in, so it isn't adjusted to fit a favoured candidate.
- Use bands for close scores. The difference between the 61st and 64th percentiles is rarely meaningful. Treat candidates in the same band as equal on this measure.
- Combine with job-related evidence. A reasoning score tells you how someone handles abstract problems under time pressure. It does not tell you whether they can do the work. Pair it with a structured interview using an interview scorecard, or a task from the job.
- Check whether the score predicts performance in your roles. Our guide to criterion-related validity explains how to test that with your own hiring data.
- Handle adjustments properly. SHL tells candidates to request reasonable adjustments, such as extra time, from the recruiting organisation, which may be able to make them. Make the route to ask for one clear in your invitation email.
Can SHL cut-offs cause adverse impact?
Yes. Any cut-off on an ability test can screen out one group at a higher rate than another, and in the US that pattern can be treated as evidence of adverse impact. This section is a plain-English explainer, not legal advice.
Under the US Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (29 CFR 1607.4(D)), a selection rate for any race, sex or ethnic group that is less than four-fifths (80%) of the rate for the group with the highest rate will generally be regarded by federal agencies as evidence of adverse impact. Smaller differences can still count if they are statistically and practically significant.
Two practical steps follow. Monitor pass rates by group at each cut-off you use, and set the cut-off no higher than the job requires. If you use automated scoring to make or support decisions, our overview of AI hiring laws in 2026 covers the newer rules on top of this.
How can candidates prepare for an SHL test?
Candidates prepare best with SHL's own free practice tests on SHL Direct, which cover numerical, deductive, inductive and verbal reasoning as well as situational judgement and personality. Some of the practice tests produce a report, so candidates can see how they did.
Tips recruiters can pass on:
- Practise the format as well as the maths. SHL describes the Verify Interactive tests as activity-based and mobile-first, with tasks such as building charts and filling in spreadsheets. Our SHL Verify Interactive guide shows what they look like.
- Don't judge progress by difficulty. Adaptive tests get harder when you answer well.
- Ask for adjustments early. SHL advises telling the recruiting organisation as soon as possible, because waiting until test day may limit what is available.
- Ask for feedback afterwards. SHL notes that many organisations offer feedback whatever the outcome, and suggests asking if it isn't offered.
One caution for candidates: SHL's practice tests page says candidates may not share their results with any third party, so employers shouldn't ask for them either.
Where does Cohesyve fit?
A percentile tells you how a candidate reasons compared with a group. It doesn't show how they handle the actual work. Cohesyve takes a job description, sources candidates, does the outreach, puts them through AI job simulations of the real work and returns a ranked shortlist. It can sit alongside a general reasoning test, or replace it, when you want evidence closer to the job. It is a subscription from $199/month billed annually, and new accounts include 10 free candidates. If you are reviewing SHL more broadly, our SHL alternatives page compares other options.
Common questions
Do candidates see their SHL score? Often they see a candidate report with development advice rather than the employer's percentile. Whether they get any report depends on the employer's setup.
Is the 50th percentile a pass? Not by itself. It means an average result against the comparison group. The pass mark, if any, is set by the employer.
Why did a candidate score differently on two SHL tests? Different tests measure different abilities, and they may be compared with different norm groups. Verify Interactive G+, for example, reports each ability separately.
Can I compare SHL percentiles across hiring rounds? Only if the test and the comparison group are the same in both rounds.
Should I reject everyone below a percentile? Only with a cut-off you can justify from the job, monitored for adverse impact. Many teams use a low screening cut-off and decide on job-related evidence.
Can a candidate retake an SHL test? That is the employer's decision. Check your own policy and apply it consistently.
Where can I learn more about the tests themselves? Start with our SHL test guide, and our broader guide to cognitive ability tests for hiring.