barclays capital sample apitude test
TRANSCRIPT
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Barclays Capital
September 2002
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Why are aptitude tests used?
There is good evidence that tests, which are professionally used and evaluated, can provide
objective, reliable and relevant information concerning the likelihood of job success and
satisfaction.
Tests can help you:
be fairly assessed in a competitive situation
find out more about your own strengths and weaknesses
select a career path for which you are suited
to be comprehensively assessed for selection, development or counseling purposes
Tests enable the employer to: select people best suited to the demands of the job
identify areas of weakness for staff development
counsel staff appropriately
place personnel appropriately within the organisation
This collection of sample tests introduces you to the types of aptitude measures used by
Barclays Capital in their graduate recruitment. This document should help you familiarise
yourself with the types of questions that you will be asked at the test session.
What sorts of tests might I have to do?
The tests you will be asked to complete will measure skills relevant to the job, position or
responsibilities for which you are being considered. Different jobs make different demands
on individuals. However, extensive analyses of many managerial and professional jobs have
shown that competence in verbal and numerical critical reasoning is a common
requirement.
To see whether you feel you have the relevant skills required, work through the following
questions as quickly and accurately as you can. Please bear in mind that given enough
time, most people can complete the samples correctly. We are looking to test your natural
ability and as such you should be able to complete the samples quickly. In a test session,
you will have tight time constraints. You can use a calculator for the numerical reasoning
tests.
You will only be asked to take the diagrammatic and syntax checking tests if you are
applying for a role in technology.
The answers to the examples can be found on the back page. Results of the sample tests
will not be collected.
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Verbal Reasoning Test 3 Sample Questions
This test consists of three passages. From each passage you will be given 3 statementsrelating to the text in the passage. You will be asked to respond to each statement with
true, falseor cantsay.
Answer trueif the statement is evidently true given the information stated in the text, or
follows logically given the information contained in the text.
Answer falseif the statement is evidently untrue given the information stated in the text,
or the opposite follows logically given the information contained in the text.
Answer cant sayif you are not able to categorically answer true or false to the statement
given the information held in the text.
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Instructions
All of the tests are multiple
choice. For each question you
are given a number of possible
answers.
Only one answer is correct in
each case. Select your answer
and fill in the appropriate
circle on the answer sheet
provided.
Sample 1:
The government declared a state of disaster to deal with critical food
shortages, authorising emergency measures to assist food distribution.
The proclamation blamed the prevalent drought, but relief officials
said that agricultural disruption caused by government-sanctioned
farm invasions had worsened the problem. The country was once a
net grain exporter, but now more than half the population of 13
million urgently needs food aid. (The Economist)
1. Relief officials cited the government as contributing to the state of
disaster.
2. Food shortages are caused primarily by Governments sanctioned
farm invasions
3. Emergency measures to combat the critical food shortage include
food distribution strategies
Sample 2:
When business models dont work, its because they fail either the
narrative test (the story doesnt make sense) or the numbers test (the
P&L doesnt add up). The business model of on-line grocers, for
instance, failed the numbers test. The grocery industry has very thinmargins to begin with, and on-line merchants incurred new costs for
marketing, service, delivery, and technology. Since customers werent
willing to pay significantly more for groceries bought on-line than in
stores, there was no way the maths could work. Internet grocers had
plenty of company. Many ventures in the first wave of electronic
commerce failed simply because the basic business maths was flawed.
4. On-line grocery shopping was not the only type of e-commerce to
fail.5. On-line grocers failed to take into account increased costs in
offering their products via the internet.
6. Grocers usually operate on a 1.5 to 3 percent margin.
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A = True
B = False
C = Cant Say
Answer Sheet 1
Verbal Reasoning Test
A B C
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Sample 3:
Researchers said they suspect properties found in black and green tea
may be protecting the heart. The heavy tea drinkers in the study --
those who drank two or more cups of tea a day -- had a 44 percent
lower death rate following their heart attack, compared with
nondrinkers. The study found even a benefit in moderate tea drinkers.
Those who drank fewer than 14 cups a week had a 28 percent lower
death rate. In the study, researchers asked 1,900 heart attack
survivors about their tea consumption before their heart problem and
followed them for up to four years. Researchers said there's good
reason to believe it's the flavonoids antioxidants found naturally in
various foods derived from plants -- that are protecting the heart by
relaxing the blood vessels so blood can flow more easily. There's also
evidence to suggest flavonoids may prevent LDL cholesterol -- the so-
called bad cholesterol -- from becoming really bad cholesterol. The
study did not ask patients about decaffeinated tea use, but there's no
reason to believe caffeine makes a difference in the benefit. However,
herbal teas would not provide the same benefits since the chemical
makeup is different to that found in black and green tea. Dark beer,
wine and whiskey also contain flavonoids but in amounts lower thanthat found in tea.
7. Decaffeinated tea contains no flavonoids.
8. Dark beer is likely to be as effective as tea in helping people survive
heart attacks.
9. There is a linear relationship between tea consumption and
surviving heart attacks.
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Critical Reasoning Test - 1 Sample Question
You will be presented with a situation from which you will be asked 3 questions. Read the
questions carefully and select one of the 5 options given in each case.
Only one response is correct for each question.
Instructions
All of the tests are multiple
choice. For each question you
are given a number of possible
answers.
Only one answer is correct in
each case. Select your answer
and fill in the appropriate
circle on the answer sheet
provided.
Answer Sheet 2
Critical Reasoning Test
A B C D E
1
2
3
Sample 1
The XYZ building is bigger than the Town Hall, which is bigger
than the Convention Center.
The Train Station is bigger than the XYZ building.
The ABC building is the newest building in town and the Bus
Depot the oldest.
The Post Office is newer than the Town Hall, but older than the
Train Station.
The Department Store is newer than the Post Office.
New buildings are always bigger than older buildings.
1. Which is the smallest building in town?
a. Department Store
b. Bus Depot
c. Town Halld. Convention Center
e. Cant say
2. Which is the second newest building in town?
a. Post Office
b. Train Station
c. Department Store
d. XYZ building
e. Cant say
3. Which of the following is not true?
a. The department store is bigger than the Convention Center.
b. The Town Hall is bigger than the Convention Center.
c. The Convention Centre is bigger than the Post Office.
d. The XYZ building is smaller than the ABC building.
e. The post office is bigger than Town Hall.
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Numerical Test Section 1 3 Sample Questions
You will be presented with 3 questions, each of which has 5 options from which to choose.
Only one response is correct for each question.
Instructions
All of the tests are multiple
choice. For each question you
are given a number of possible
answers.
Only one answer is correct in
each case. Select your answer
and fill in the appropriate
circle on the answer sheet
provided.
Answer Sheet 3
Numerical Reasoning Test
A B C D E
1
2
3
Sample 1:
1. X is one-half as big as Y. Z is three times bigger than Y. How many
times bigger than X is Z?
a. 6
b. 7
c. 8
d. 9
e. 10
Sample 2:
2. One company adds employees at 3/5 the rate of another. If both
companies combined add 800 employees in four years, how many
employees does the faster growing company add in two years?
a. 150 employees
b. 225 employees
c. 250 employees
d. 300 employees
e. 500 employees
Sample 3:
3. When the rocket has burned 1/5 of its fuel, it has enough fuel left
to fly for another 24 seconds. How much longer will it have to fly
when it has burned 2/3 of its fuel?
a. 4 seconds
b. 6 secondsc. 7 seconds
d. 8.5 seconds
e. 10 seconds
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Numerical Section 2 3 Sample Questions
You will be presented with information in the form of tables, charts and text. You will be
given 3 questions relating to each piece of data, each of which has 5 options from which to
choose. Only one response is correct per question.
Instructions
All of the tests are
multiple choice. For
each question you are
given a number of
possible answers.
Only one answer is
correct in each case.
Select your answer and
fill in the appropriate
circle on the answer
sheet provided.
Sample 1:
College Year 1 Enrolment Year 2 Enrolment
Business 2007 2196
Education 1148 1263
Science & Social Studies 1102 1233
Fine Arts 809 617
General Studies 1304 1189
6370 6498
1. The College of Educations Year 2 enrolment increased by?
a. 5 percent
b. 7 percent
c. 11 percent
d. 10 percent
e. 9 percent
2. Which two colleges had the same number of students change their
enrolment between their Year 1 and Year 2?
a. Business & Education
b. Fine Arts & Education
c. Fine Arts & General Studies
d. General Studies & Education
e. none of the colleges
3. Overall enrolment change __________ per cent in Year 2?
a. increased 1
b. increased 1.5
c. increased 5
d. increased 2
e. increased 2.5
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Sample 2:
Red and Blue Plant Production Data
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
1998 1999 2000
Defects
Red Plant
Blue Plant
1998 1999 2000
Units Produced (m) 2 2 2.2
Turnover (%) 23 20 15Red Plant
Training Costs (,000s) 220 350 460
Units Produced (m) 1 1.5 2
Turnover 11 9 8Blue Plant
Training Costs (,000s) 80 80 50
4. Which of the following statements may not be true?
a. the blue plant is more productive
b. the red plant has higher training costs
c. defects & training costs have an inverse relationship
d. the red plants turnover costs are decreasing
e. none are false
5. The most efficient use of training in reducing defects occurred in:
a. the blue plant in 1998
b. the red plant in 1999c. the blue plant in 1999
d. the red plant in 2000
e. the blue plant in 2000
6. Assuming each defect costs the red plant $10,000, in what year did the
cost of training to eliminate defects exceed the costs of the defect?
a. 1998
b. 1999
c. 2000d. never has
e. always has
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Answer Sheet 4
Numerical Reasoning Test
A B C D E
1
2
3
4
5
6 7
8
9
Sample 3:
JADT Mining Summary Statistics
1997 Mine A Mine T Mine D Mine J
Revenue 17,943,092 12,002,993 7,255,092 23,034,782
Expenses 17,290,332 12,449,002 7,295,321 21,889,052
Employees 822 668 422 832
Tons Excavated 48.5 31.7 18.8 53.9
Gold Extracted 2.35 1.25 0.92 2.69
Silver Extracted 5.65 3.27 1.23 6.01
1998 Mine A Mine T Mine D Mine J
Revenue 18,562,910 11,478,659 8,522,202 23,592,228Expenses 17,840,772 11,866,002 7,963,729 22,190,442
Employees 856 631 456 848
Tons Excavated 50.2 30.0 20.7 54.4
Gold Extracted 2.12 1.55 1.01 2.79
Silver Extracted 5.82 3.44 1.35 6.06
7. Which mine showed the greatest absolute increase in revenue from
1997 to 1998?
a. Mine Ab. Mine T
c. Mine D
d. Mine J
e. Mines A and D had the same increase
8. Which mine produced the most gold as a percent of tons
excavated in 1997?
a. Mine A
b. Mine T
c. Mine D
d. Mine J
e. Mines T and D produced the same percentage.
9. Which mine produced the greatest gross profit in 1997?
a. Mine A
b. Mine T
c. Mine D
d. Mine J
e. None of the mines were profitable
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Diagrammatic Reasoning
In this test, you are shown a number of diagrams in which figures in
boxes are altered by rules shown as symbols in the circles.
The rules can alter each figure by changing its colour, its size or by
turning it upside down. Paths through each diagram are shown as
black or white arrows. You must follow paths which include only one
type of arrow. Work out what each rule does and then answer the
questions below each diagram.
Look at the example below.
In the diagram, working horizontally, the white square becomes a black
square so X must be a colour-changing rule. Working vertically, the
white triangle becomes a black circle. Since we know that X changes
the colour of a figure, // must be a shape-changing rule. Applying
these rules to the question, it is possible to identify that the white circle
becomes a black triangle, so D is the correct answer to the question.
See how many you can do in 5 minutes.
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Answer Sheet 6
Diagrammatic Reasoning
Test
A B C D E
1
2
3
4
5
6
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Syntax Checking
In this test, you will find lines taken from a mock programming
language. Some lines do not conform to the rules of the language.
Your task is to find which rules (if any) have been broken.
The rules for building these lines are found in the boxes below. There
are two sorts of lines: those specified by an X and those specified by a
Y. Each sort of line has its own set of 3 rules.
Using the appropriate set of rules, you must check which, if any, of the
3 rules have been broken. If a rule has been broken, fill in the
appropriate circle on the answer sheet. More than one rule may be
broken, so you may need to fill in more than one circle. If no rule has
been broken fill in circle D on the answer sheet.
Look at the following example:
X Feature 16; update file list
This is an X line, so look at the Rules for Building X lines. Rule A
has been broken, as there is no semi-colon at the end of the line. Rule
B has been broken because the number 16 does not appear inbrackets/parentheses. Therefore, circles A and B should be filled in, as
below.
Example
Now see how many of the following questions you can complete in 3
minutes.
Rules for building X lines Rules for building Y lines
A. Lines must end in a semi-
colon
A. Lines must begin with the
word Comment
B. Numbers must be in
brackets/parentheses
B. Numbers must be in
quotation marks (e.g. 9)
C. All characters may be used
except for #
C. All characters may be used
except for . @ &
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Answer Sheet 5
Syntax Checking Test
A B C D
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Remember, fill in circle D if no rules are broken.
1 X Set Var PQ to 10;
2 X Change character set to modern Greek;3 Y Comment Flag next 5 lines.
4 Y Comment. Move (file) To Directory (new)
5 Y Comment Read Value From Register (2);
6 X Stop run if ABC < (23);
7 Y copy All Strings equal to 6 & 7 letters to buffer 1
8 Y Comment Let String 10
9 X Allocate Demarcation (#) Bounds
10 Y If A Greater Than 10, Replace Value A With Upper Value B
11 X Enables Automatic Printing, Speed # 200;12 X Cut file (XY) from line (8) to 921);
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You will find the correct answers on the back page of this document.
The sample questions give an indication of the difficulty of the tests you will be given at a
test session. If you are able to perform at this level, you stand a good chance of succeedingat the first stage of our recruiting process. Past experience tells us that if you are unable to
complete the majority of the sample questions correctly, you are unlikely to be successful in
your application to Barclays Capital. Please take this into consideration when deciding to
register for a test session.
Be prepared for the test session
Get a good nights sleep before the tests.
Give yourself plenty of time to get to the test session.
If you wear glasses or a hearing aid, be sure to take them with you.
Make sure you take a calculator to the test session.
At the Session
Listen carefully to the instructions.
Dont be afraid to ask questions.
Read each question carefully before answering.
Work quickly and accurately Each test has a time limit and you will be advised in
advance how long you have for each test.
Results obtained from tests will be kept confidential.
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Answers
Answer Sheet 1
Verbal Reasoning Test
A B C
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Answer Sheet 2
Critical Reasoning Test
A B C D E
1
2
3
Answer Sheet 3
Numerical Reasoning Test
A B C D E
1
2
3
Answer Sheet 4
Numerical Reasoning
Test
A B C D E
1
2
3
4 5
6
7
8
9
Answer Sheet 5
Syntax Checking Test
A B C D
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Answer Sheet 6
Diagrammatic Reasoning
Test
A B C D E
1
2
3
4 5
6