Ace the case - consulting case interview type tests

Paid members to numericalguru can now try out a new beta case interview type test which is a good way to check your case handling concepts.

For now, read more at http://www.numericalguru.com/case or just try the test!

Stay tuned for more. 

A few chosen posts for reading

• top 10 mistakes by test takers
• don't be this type of a test taker!
• taking advantage of test modes
• tips & tricks
• mini-book on preparation
• in the age of Excel why improve numerical skills?
• learning how to deal with zeros

3 rules to improvement in numerical tests

1. Be mentally prepared before starting. Once you start, don't stop. Simulate test conditions
2. Analyse performance objectively, focus on weakness areas. You're not alone in how you feel
3. Repeat test with learning mode and get every question right before moving on to next test


This list of 10 mistakes by test takers is a good read on what not to do

numericalguru tests on iPad

Well, for those that want to do tests on the fly, numericalguru works just fine on the Apple iPad too. That means you can continue practice even when you're out and about and have just the iPad with you.

While we haven't checked it, it should work fine on the Android tablets too - whether Acer Iconia or Toshiba Transformer etc.

Story: Job Hunting

AB writes to us...


"I am an Engineer with a strong background in research. I recently finished my masters in Manufacturing Engineering and shifted my line of focus to lean/six sigma and process improvement. I have been working for a few years leading continuous improvement efforts with one of the world class OEM.

I am currently actively looking for a job preferably in consulting that would leverage both my analytical skills and manufacturing experience. I have been using random internet(Indeed.com), professional networking (LinkedIn, friends etc) without too much results.

Words of wisdom - Emailing MRI recruiters specializing in my areas in USA have been proving quite effective in my case. I have a few leads and possibly a onsite interview with Capital One depending on whether i clear my "Numerical Reasoning"


Good luck on your job hunt and we hope that practicing on our site will help you in some small way!

Story - Lee from UK

"Hello, my name is Lee, I’m a qualified accountant originally from France but I have lived in the UK for 10 years. I’ve worked as a senior  analyst in my past role but was made redundant a few months ago because of a major restructuring in my company.

I have found the job market incredibly tough and have been in contact with many many agencies. There’s  no doubt there is a lot of competition out there and companies are becoming very picky and require specific experience in specific industries.

But I’m trying not to lose hope. I’ve got significant experience and hopefully I will find the right job and the right company. I’m preparing myself as much as I can for interviews and tests, I find that numericalguru .compractice tests really help. It’s been ages since I have done these tests and I really need to practice and practice again to get myself up to speed. I do find your tips and examples useful and hopefully they will help me get the job of my dreams."

Well, Lee, your license has been sent. We do hope you get the job you want and wish you the very best.

We're alive!

Yes, Yes. Haven't said much recently though, have we?

We decided to keep quiet for a while and let the current tests run as they are. It's interesting to note that the pattern of people finding the current set sufficient continues. We are thinking about perhaps adding case interview material - but we're not sure yet.

On which day do users execute most tests?

We just got curious on when most people execute tests. Perhaps much more on a weekend and only a few on weekdays?

Here's a graph -

What? Most people do their tests on a ... Monday?! Well, that's what our data says. And that data is taken from several months and several thousand tests!

Perhaps many of them come back from classes and work and do tests in the evening ...? We can't check that conclusively as our test takers are from around the world and therefore time data could be distorting. But it's always interesting to see how data can (dis)prove some commonly held beliefs - such as most people would practice on weekends.

Well, we suppose that any day is a good day to do your practice numeracy tests, as long as

1. You are in the right frame of mind
2. Have silent, "no disturbance" conditions conducive to doing a test
3. You are prepared to finish what you started

So, Monday it is!

test modes and learning mode - a way to get better practice in our tests

Not everyone is a whiz and breezes through numerical tests. We've all been through phases of struggle. On numericalguru we now provide three test modes, so we'll explain why they are useful

the test mode is what you should do first. It is timed and feels like a real test, you can't even go back and forth between questions.

the test mode with skip is timed and feels like a real test, but you can go back and forth between questions. Many real world tests do allow you to go back-and-forth, and if you want that feature, use this mode

Then there's the learning mode - it's for you to do after you do a test, and now want to re-do it for practice. When you start a test in learning mode, a few things happen:

1. You can't 'submit' the test - it's only for practice
2. The moment you choose an answer, a visual cue will tell you if you got it right or wrong. The intention is you keep trying until you get the answer correctly. Learn the techniques
3. There is no time pressure - the clocks will run but it's for you to see how you're doing. You will see a countdown and you will see a question specific timer too.

We've seen many of our members have begun to try the learning mode. It's a good way to go at your pace while learning how to solve the questions correctly. Get the concepts and techniques right, and then try a new test. That's how you would gradually improve.

Look how we're growing! more people joining, more taking advantage of our numerical tests

Here are 2 interesting graphs for you to look at. We're a very young service and have a long way to go. Our journey is not without ups-and-downs, but it's always been interesting.

First, look at these graphs. The first one shows how many users registered with us (primary axis), and how many placed orders (secondary axis). You can see how steadily we've grown, and it's been rapid in the last phase. There was an intermediate redesign phase, and things took off stronger than before.

What's interesting is the 'orders' line - prior to our redesign we had a lesser % of registrants converting to a full purchase. But post redesign, a sharp uptake, just what we wanted. What was amazing was that in the aftermath of a redesign, our orders went up by 325% and then again by 55%. We're glad our members are beginning to take advantage of our numerical reasoning tests and are focusing on improvements.

The graph below is just of interest, it shows registrations by day for a sample period. We're beginning to have our best periods ever, thank you all!

If you are from a University or a graduate looking for jobs, remember you get 40% off - now that's terrific value. And if your career service site isn't giving a link to our free tests, you should tell them and help others get some practice too.

With this - it's time for us to put our thinking hat into what's next. Maybe we could partner with another content provider. Maybe we could... well, we'll think about it. If you're someone with a complementary offering, get in touch with us. Perhaps we could plot world domination muahahah!