SHL Cognitive Test Guide for ATC Candidates

What SHL Is

SHL is a major psychometric provider whose tests appear in graduate and professional hiring worldwide. Your invitation will usually name SHL or point you to TalentCentral, their online delivery platform. The corporate branding has shifted over the years (CEB, then the broader Talogy group), but candidates still say "SHL test" regardless of the logo on the login page.

In ATC recruitment, "SHL test" usually means a Verify-style cognitive battery: timed, computer-based tasks measuring verbal logic, numerical interpretation, calculation speed, and pattern recognition. It is a general aptitude screen, not an aviation simulation. FEAST and SureSelect, by contrast, were designed around controller-specific task types.

SHL vs SureSelect

SureSelect, developed by Airways International, is the ATC-specific side of the equation: detail accuracy, coded reasoning, spatial judgment, skill simulations, and behavioural questionnaires. Airservices Australia and Airways New Zealand are among the ANSPs that publish SureSelect as part of controller selection.

Where both appear, the usual pattern at Airservices Australia looks like this:

1. Stage 1: SHL online cognitive tests, completed remotely, often shortly after application. This is a general aptitude filter. Candidate reports and public hiring guides describe sections covering verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, mental arithmetic, error checking, and spatial reasoning.
2. Stage 2: SureSelect ATC-specific assessments, a second online round focused on the cognitive and behavioural profile that predicts success in controller training. Only candidates who pass Stage 1 receive an invitation.
3. Later stages: video interview, assessment centre, medical, and security checks follow for those who progress.

Public hiring materials put general aptitude testing first and SureSelect later. A strong SHL result does not let you skip SureSelect preparation, and drilling SureSelect will not help if you never receive a Stage 2 invitation.

Some European pipelines centred on FEAST never mention SHL at all. If your letter names both providers, treat them as two separate prep projects.

Where You Will See It

The same timed item types also show up in banking and consulting graduate hiring. Different job, similar clocks.

Within ATC hiring:

• Australia: Airservices publishes online ability assessments as an early recruitment stage. Unsuccessful candidates have shared rejection emails stating the tests were "created in partnership with SHL"; that wording comes from Airservices correspondence, not from this article. SureSelect and assessment-centre steps follow for those who progress. This is the best-documented SHL-then-SureSelect sequence we know of.
• New Zealand and other SureSelect markets: Airways New Zealand and several Asia-Pacific ANSPs use SureSelect; whether SHL or another general provider appears upstream depends on the employer. Read the vacancy FAQ rather than assuming the Australian sequence.
• Europe and much of the EUROCONTROL FEAST footprint: FEAST is the dominant published battery; SHL is less commonly advertised in open ANSP materials, though individual authorities may add local psychometric steps.

Because providers and stage order change, treat your invitation email as the source of truth for test names, deadlines, and remote-completion rules.

What the Battery Tests

SHL offers many individual assessments. The cognitive battery for ATC applicants commonly includes some combination of the following. Exact sections and timings depend on the employer's configuration.

Verbal Reasoning

You read a short passage and judge statements as True, False, or Cannot Say based solely on the text provided. The trap is importing outside knowledge. "Cannot Say" is a valid answer more often than most candidates expect. If the passage does not contain enough information to decide, that is the correct choice.

Numerical Reasoning

Questions present data in tables, charts, or graphs. You interpret percentages, ratios, trends, and unit conversions to select the correct answer. The maths is usually straightforward; the challenge is locating the right figures quickly under a strict time limit.

Numerical Calculations

A separate speed-focused section tests raw mental arithmetic: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and basic conversions without lengthy data sets. Calculator use is often restricted. Automatic recall of common operations saves seconds that add up across dozens of items.

Inductive Reasoning

You identify patterns in sequences of shapes or symbols and select the next element in the series. SHL offers both multiple-choice and interactive versions of this section. Interactive items may ask you to drag and drop elements to complete a pattern, a format worth practising if your invitation specifies the Verify Interactive version.

Other Sections Candidates Report

Some ATC hiring guides also mention error checking (comparing two alphanumeric strings for discrepancies) and spatial reasoning (mental rotation and 3D visualization). These map closely to real controller skills: scanning callsigns, altitudes, and headings for accuracy, and maintaining a mental picture of traffic in three dimensions. If your invitation lists them, add targeted practice; if not, prioritise the four core sections above.

Format and Scoring

SHL cognitive tests are timed. Each section has its own clock, and you usually cannot go back to earlier questions. Some sections penalise unanswered items, so leaving blanks is often worse than a best-guess when time runs out.

Scores are typically norm-referenced: your performance is compared against a reference group of other test-takers, not just a fixed pass mark. That means adequate is not always enough; you need to score competitively relative to other applicants in the same intake.

SHL tests come in two broad formats: traditional multiple-choice and Verify Interactive, where you manipulate on-screen elements. If your invitation link shows which version you will take, practise that format specifically. The interactive version is gradually replacing the older style across many employers.

Results are sent to the hiring organisation, not to you directly. You may not receive a score breakdown unless the employer chooses to share it.

How to Prepare

Most people who struggle have never sat a full timed battery end to end, not because the content is impossible. A week of targeted section work fixes that for many candidates.

Do one complete run first. All sections, one sitting, clocks on. Afterwards, write down where you bled time: verbal passages, table questions, mental arithmetic, or inductive sequences. That short list is your drill order; ignore everything else until those items improve.

Verbal. The expensive mistake is treating Cannot Say as a failure state. If the passage does not state it, you cannot mark it True, no matter how plausible it sounds from general knowledge. Drill with one question only: stated, contradicted, or not decidable from the text?

Numerical. Speed comes from finding the right row in a table, not from harder maths. Read axes and units before you calculate. If your invitation restricts calculators on calculation sections, practise two-step arithmetic daily until you stop reaching for a phone.

Inductive. Say the rule out loud before you click: rotation, fill, count, position, one at a time. Invitation says Verify Interactive? Practise with a mouse; drag-and-drop costs more seconds than it looks on paper.

Sections rarely let you go back. Stuck on one item? Pick your best option and move. Blank answers hurt norm-referenced rankings more than a single wrong guess.

SureSelect is separate homework once SHL feels stable. Detail scanning and simulations use different pacing; mixing both in one evening study block usually creates confusion, not transfer.

Follow whatever preparation rules your employer publishes. Third-party materials should mirror SHL-style formats, not copy live employer or SHL item banks.

FAQ

Is the SHL test the same as SureSelect?

No. They sit in different layers of the same funnel at employers that use both: SHL measures broad reasoning speed; SureSelect measures ATC-relevant cognition and behaviour. Preparation for one does not substitute for the other.

Do I need to prepare for SHL if I am only applying in Europe?

Often no. Many European campaigns publish FEAST (or a national variant) as the main battery. SHL appears more often in documented Australian pipelines. Read the vacancy and invitation for the provider name. Do not infer SHL from the country alone.

Can I use a calculator during SHL numerical sections?

It depends on the section and employer configuration. Data-interpretation tasks may allow scrap paper; dedicated calculation batteries frequently prohibit calculators. The rules are stated in your invitation and again at section start. Assume nothing from a previous attempt or another candidate's report.

What happens if I fail the SHL stage at Airservices Australia?

You will not advance to SureSelect or later stages in that application round. Candidate reports and hiring guides describe a 12-month wait before reapplying for the trainee intake. Forum posts from 2024 onward and replies candidates received when asking Airservices directly suggest an older two-attempt lifetime cap no longer applies, but policies change, so read the current Airservices careers FAQ before you submit. Airservices typically does not send item-level feedback at this stage; use your own practice scores to see where you fell short.

SHL Verify vs Verify Interactive: does it matter?

Yes. Interactive means drag-and-drop and on-screen manipulation, not just clicking A/B/C. It is slower than static multiple choice for most people. If your link says Interactive, practise on the same device you will test on. A laptop with a mouse beats a phone.

Does independent SHL practice use official SHL questions?

No legitimate third-party product should copy live SHL item banks. Useful preparation mirrors the formats (True/False/Cannot Say passages, table-based numerics, mental arithmetic sets, inductive sequences) without reproducing proprietary content.