ReasoningCampus · Independent SHL preparation
SHL Numerical Reasoning: Multi-Step Tables and Charts
SHL multi-step tables can test more than arithmetic. You can know percentages and still lose your way when a question uses two tables. Which figure belongs to which period? Does a return reduce sales, costs or both? ReasoningCampus offers SHL numerical reasoning preparation, and this lesson teaches how to join information into a short calculation plan before touching the calculator.
View full preparationWhat makes a multi-step numerical question difficult?
A multi-step question requires more than one transformation of the supplied data. You might calculate accepted units, multiply by a price and then subtract a stated cost. The challenge is often choosing the correct path rather than using difficult mathematics.
The original exercises below use business data to practise this skill. They are teaching examples, not a prediction of an employer’s exact SHL questions. Tables remain available as text, and every answer explains what each number represents.
ReasoningCampus method for SHL multi-step tables
Work backwards from the requested quantity. If the question asks for profit, write profit = revenue − relevant cost. If revenue is not given, expand it to units sold × price. Now you know which cells you actually need.
- Name the output and unit. Is it dollars, units, a percentage or a difference?
- Match keys. Join the same product, branch, currency and period across tables.
- Draw the dependency in words. Orders → accepted orders → revenue → contribution.
- Apply conditions at the correct stage. A discount on revenue differs from a reduction in unit count.
- Check the scale and denominator. Percent change uses the original value as its base.
The useful habit is to write a plan short enough to follow under pressure. Copying every table cell creates extra opportunities for transcription errors.
Practice data: two products, two periods
All figures are fictional. Prices are per unit in dollars. Every sold unit is paid for at the listed price. There are no returns or taxes unless a question explicitly adds them.
| Product | Period 1 units | Period 2 units | Price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlas | 400 | 500 | $24 |
| Beacon | 300 | 360 | $40 |
| Product | Variable cost per sold unit | Fixed cost each period |
|---|---|---|
| Atlas | $14 | $2,000 |
| Beacon | $25 | $2,500 |
For these exercises, contribution = revenue − variable cost, while profit = contribution − the stated fixed cost. These definitions are provided so you do not have to infer an accounting convention.
Worked example: from units to combined profit
Find the combined profit in Period 1. For Atlas, revenue is 400×$24 = $9,600. Variable cost is 400×$14 = $5,600, so contribution is $4,000. After the $2,000 fixed cost, profit is $2,000.
For Beacon, revenue is 300×$40 = $12,000. Variable cost is 300×$25 = $7,500, giving contribution of $4,500. Subtract $2,500 fixed cost to obtain $2,000 profit. Combined profit is therefore $4,000.
A shorter valid route is 400×($24−$14)−$2,000 + 300×($40−$25)−$2,500. The difference inside each bracket is contribution per unit. The shortcut is safe because the quantities and cost definitions have already been matched.
Multi-step data interpretation traps
Mixing periods: Period 2 units with Period 1 totals produce a plausible but irrelevant answer. Mixing bases: the percentage increase in revenue is not necessarily the percentage increase in profit. Applying a condition twice: if a table already reports accepted units, do not subtract rejected units again.
When your answer is wrong, trace the first incorrect intermediate value. Repeating the entire calculation faster often repeats the same misunderstanding. If the method is sound but entry errors remain, add a quick estimate: 500 units at about $20 should produce revenue near $10,000, not $100,000.
Original practice questions
Choose your answers, then check the full teaching solutions. You can open every solution without using the quiz. These are independent teaching questions, not official SHL items.
Full answers, methods and common mistakes
Question 1 — read the full explanation
Correct answer: A. $26,400
Atlas contributes 500×$24 = $12,000. Beacon contributes 360×$40 = $14,400. Both belong to Period 2 and both are revenues, so add them: $26,400. Costs are irrelevant because the question asks for revenue, not profit.
Why each option does or does not work
- A combines both Period 2 revenues.
- B is total Period 1 revenue: $9,600+$12,000.
- C includes Atlas only.
- D includes Beacon only.
Use this next time: Before adding two figures, check that they measure the same thing in the same period.
Question 2 — read the full explanation
Correct answer: C. $3,000
Atlas contribution per unit is $24−$14 = $10. At 500 units, contribution is $5,000. Deduct the stated fixed cost of $2,000 once, giving profit of $3,000. A cross-check is $12,000 revenue − $7,000 variable cost − $2,000 fixed cost = $3,000.
Why each option does or does not work
- A stops at contribution.
- B subtracts fixed cost from revenue but ignores variable cost.
- C includes all stated costs once.
- D is total variable cost, not profit.
Use this next time: Label intermediate totals so contribution is not mistaken for profit.
Question 3 — read the full explanation
Correct answer: B. 20%
Beacon revenue rises from 300×$40 = $12,000 to 360×$40 = $14,400. The increase is $2,400. Divide by the original $12,000 and multiply by 100: 20%. Because price is unchanged, the unit increase 60÷300 gives the same answer.
Why each option does or does not work
- A divides the increase by the new revenue.
- B uses the original-period base.
- C is the increase in Atlas units, not Beacon revenue.
- D treats the additional 60 units as a percentage.
Use this next time: A percentage change needs a change amount and the correct starting base.
Question 4 — read the full explanation
Correct answer: B. $11,400
Start with 500 units and keep 95%: 500×0.95 = 475 sold units. Revenue is 475×$24 = $11,400. The equivalent shortcut is $12,000×0.95. No profit calculation is required, so you do not need assumptions about the costs of rejected units.
Why each option does or does not work
- A ignores the rejected units.
- B values only the 475 sold units.
- C is lost revenue: 25×$24.
- D subtracts fixed cost instead of applying the rejection condition.
Use this next time: Apply a condition to the quantity it describes; avoid inventing unstated cost treatment.
Question 5 — read the full explanation
Correct answer: D. 51.9%
Atlas contribution is 500×($24−$14) = $5,000. Beacon contribution is 360×($40−$25) = $5,400. Combined contribution is $10,400, so Beacon’s share is $5,400÷$10,400×100 = 51.923…%. Rounding once, at the end, gives 51.9%.
Why each option does or does not work
- A uses Beacon revenue divided by combined revenue: 14,400/26,400, a different measure.
- B uses Beacon profit divided by combined profit: 2,900/5,900, which subtracts fixed costs even though contribution was requested.
- C divides Beacon contribution by Atlas contribution: 5,400/5,000, comparing one product with the other instead of the total.
- D divides Beacon contribution by combined contribution and rounds correctly.
Use this next time: Use the total of the requested measure as the denominator.
Question 6 — read the full explanation
Correct answer: B. 600
Each Atlas unit contributes $24−$14 = $10 towards fixed cost and profit. To cover $2,000 fixed cost and earn $4,000 profit requires $6,000 contribution. Divide $6,000 by $10 per unit to obtain 600 units. Check: 600×$10−$2,000 = $4,000.
Why each option does or does not work
- A funds $4,000 contribution, leaving only $2,000 profit.
- B covers fixed cost plus target profit.
- C is break-even volume, covering fixed cost only.
- D produces $6,000 profit, above the target.
Use this next time: Target units = (fixed cost + target profit) ÷ contribution per unit.
Practical candidate questions
Should I read every table cell first?
Read headings and definitions first, then identify the cells required by the question. You need orientation, not a transcription of the entire table.
Can I use a shortcut based on units instead of revenue?
Only when the relevant price is unchanged and the question permits that equivalence. Explain why the shortcut preserves the requested relationship.
How should I practise if I keep choosing the wrong base?
Write a sentence before calculating: “The increase is being compared with the original revenue.” Then underline the original-period value.
Sources and scope
Official sources support product and procedure facts. The exercises, examples and teaching methods are independent ReasoningCampus material. Your invitation and on-screen instructions determine the rules of your assessment.
- SHL Direct — numerical reasoning examples — Numerical reasoning context; our examples are original.
ReasoningCampus is an independent preparation provider. This page is not endorsed by SHL and does not contain confidential live assessment questions.
Find the right ReasoningCampus preparation route
Continue with SHL numerical reasoning preparation, or inspect the current SHL preparation programme. For an unclear assessment name or coverage question, contact ReasoningCampus.
