1. Three-Minute Summary
Most large Korean companies screen applicants with a standardized assessment known as the Korean-style aptitude test (인적성검사): a timed battery of verbal, numerical, and logical reasoning questions paired with a personality inventory. If your market uses similar assessments — SHL-style tests, cognitive ability screens — the preparation logic below transfers directly.
If this is your first time, today's to-do list has three items:
- Take one 20-minute mini mock test.
- Tag every wrong answer by type: verbal, numerical, data interpretation, logical reasoning, spatial, or situational judgment.
- Screenshot the official test guide for your target company — number of questions, time limit, whether wrong answers are penalized, and whether it's computer-based.
This is not a test you win by grinding volume. It's a test you win by finding the question types you get wrong and shrinking them fast.
2. The Test at a Glance
| Component | What it measures | Typical questions | How to prepare | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personality inventory | Disposition, organizational fit | Collaboration, conflict, rule compliance | Anchor answers to real episodes from your life | Don't role-play an idealized person |
| Aptitude test | Reasoning, calculation, comprehension | Verbal, numerical, logic, spatial | Repeated practice by question type | Time-limit management |
3. Strategy by Question Type
| Type | Technique you can use immediately |
|---|---|
| Verbal reasoning | Read the answer choices before the passage and mark keywords |
| Numerical / data interpretation | Before calculating, check units, ratios, and base years |
| Logical reasoning | Convert conditions into symbols instead of reading them as prose |
| Spatial reasoning | Track the rotation axis, the touching faces, and the folding direction |
| Situational judgment | Judge in this order: company policy → customer impact → team collaboration |
4. How to Diagnose Your First Mock Test
- Take one full test under timed conditions.
- Record your accuracy rate and average time for each question type.
- Pick only the two types with the lowest accuracy or slowest times as your priorities.
- Keep the remaining types warm with short daily practice.
Trying to fix every question type from day one inflates study hours without moving your score.
5. Study Plans by Available Time
| Time available | Plan |
|---|---|
| 7 days | 2 past/mock tests, condensed error review, computer-based test (CBT) environment check |
| 14 days | 5 days on core question types, 6 days on company-specific mock tests, 3 days of CBT practice |
| 30 days | 10 days on fundamentals, 10 days on weak types, 7 days of full simulations, 3 days of final review |
6. The Time-Management Formula
Set your per-question target time like this:
Target time per question = total time × 0.85 ÷ number of questions
The remaining 15% is reserved for marking answers, reviewing, and handling questions you got stuck on.
During the actual test, proceed in this order:
- On the first pass, solve only the easy questions.
- If you're stuck for more than 40 seconds, flag it and move on.
- If wrong answers are penalized, treat flagged items as candidates to leave blank.
- If there's no penalty, make a reasoned guess rather than leaving blanks.
- Spend the final 5 minutes only on flagged questions.
7. Error-Log Template
| Question | Type | Time spent | Why I got it wrong | Rule for next time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data interpretation #12 | Ratios | 2 min 10 sec | Confused units (millions vs. hundreds of millions) | Circle the table title and units before calculating |
8. Personality Inventory Consistency Sheet
Before the test, write down one real episode for each item below.
| Item | My real episode |
|---|---|
| Collaboration | |
| Conflict | |
| Rule compliance | |
| Pressure situations | |
| Ethics | |
| Leadership |
9. Day-Before Checklist for Online/CBT Tests
- Photo ID
- Laptop power and charger
- Backup internet or a mobile hotspot
- Webcam and microphone working
- The designated browser installed
- Pop-up blockers disabled
- A cleared desk
- Confirmation of whether calculators or scratch notes are allowed
- Login time added to your calendar
- One mock test solved on the actual monitor you'll use
For online tests, your environment matters as much as your ability. The day before, don't cram new problems — practice solving on the real screen without interruptions.
10. FAQ
Is guessing okay?
If wrong answers are penalized, judge carefully. If the guide says there's no penalty, minimize blanks.
How long should I prepare?
Two weeks as a baseline; four weeks is safer if numerical or logical reasoning is a weak spot.
Which prep book should I start with?
One general-purpose book to learn the question types, then move to mock tests for your specific target company.
What's the very first thing to do?
Screenshot your target company's official test guide. If you don't know the question count, time limit, penalty policy, and whether it's computer-based, your study plan will point in the wrong direction.
Evidence and Scope
The 7-, 14-, and 30-day plans and the time-allocation formula are training heuristics, not statistical guarantees of a passing score. Adjust them after the first timed mock, and treat the current instructions from the employer as authoritative for format and scoring.
- SHL Candidate Support: Practice Tests and Assessment Advice — official candidate guidance on using practice material to learn an assessment format.
- Aon: Prepare for Your Assessment — official candidate preparation resources and assessment categories.
