AXA Aptitude Tests, Numerical, Verbal and Inductive Reasoning Tests Practice

The described PrepPack™ combines cut-e-style numerical and verbal tests, situational judgement tests, drills, tutorials and guides.

After you have carefully selected the position that suits your skillset you have to start your application form. This is detailed and will take your time. Not only do you have to upload your CV, but also that you have to answer a number of questions. These questions focus on your competencies and strengths. Some questions include the following:

• Why do you want to join AXA in the position you have applied for?
• What are the major challenges facing AXA and how do you think we can overcome them?
• Is there any other information that you wish to provide us with regarding your application?

Answering these questions in the right fashion is very important, as they form part of the decision process along with the AXA numerical reasoning test. The best way to do this is to show the company values and behaviours that AXA look for in their candidates. These are:

• Strategic vision: This means having a broad outlook and being able to use diverse sources of information.
• Building capability: Through reflection and development, building the capability of you and your team.
• Customer focus: Putting the customer at the heart of what you do, understanding their needs and helping the company remain competitive.
• Team leadership: Providing clear direction and motivational leadership to the team.
• Change leadership: You have to be able to challenge the status quo, in order to instigate change.
• Share to succeed: Building relationships between functions, overcoming potential conflicts and achieving shared objectives.
• Results-orientation: Demonstrating high levels of drive and determination in analysing situations, establishing the way forward and achieving results.
• Living through AXA values: Promoting and demonstrating the AXA values of professionalism, innovation, pragmatism, team spirit and integrity.

There is a 20 minute timeout period when answering these questions, so it is advisable to copy the questions into a word document, prepare your answers there and then paste them into the online application form. If you perform well in this task, you will be invited to take the AXA aptitude tests.

Almost all candidates will have to take the numerical reasoning AXA aptitude test that is supplied by cut-e. Aside from this test, you may be asked to complete a verbal reasoning test and in some cases - an inductive reasoning test as well. These psychometric tests are used to evaluate your thinking ability and are assessed in reference to the values of the company. You cannot afford to take these tests lightly, as they are often the make or break of your application. The different tests are outlined below:

In this test, you will be presented with complex information in the form of tables and graphs. After you have analysed this information you must use it to answer multiple choice questions relating to it. A calculator is allowed as there are questions dealing with percentages, ratios as well as currency exchange among other relevant mathematical concepts. You typically have only approximately one minute to answer each question so you have to work quickly and confidently. Although the subjects may be familiar to you, without having practice and complete clarity when approaching them, you will find the questions much more difficult than you originally thought. Prepare for this test with the help of the cut-e-style numerical reasoning tests.

In this test you have to answer multiple choice questions, normally in a true/ false/ cannot say style. You are given a statement that relates to a certain text; then, you are asked to decide whether the statement is true, false or impossible to tell based on the passage. Although this may seem simple, knowing precisely the difference between the different options is a skill that needs to be learnt as there is often confusion in this area. Moreover, tackling these questions when you are under time pressure can scramble your mind and if you are not completely confident it is difficult to do yourself justice. See how the offered products can help you overcome the required verbal reasoning tests.

For certain specific AXA graduate schemes, you will be asked to take an inductive reasoning test. In this test, you have to work out the logical thought pattern that forms the relationship between a number of different images or matrices. You then use this pattern to discern which of the possible answer choices is the one missing in the pattern. 

Now, you know about the first few stages of the AXA application process and provided information on how best to succeed in these challenges. However, more challenges await, the video interview and the assessment centre.

Check your performance in our free Cut-e Test!

If you are applying to an AXA graduate scheme, you will be asked to take a video interview. This is one of the most important parts of the application process as, along with AXA aptitude tests, your answers to the questions are easily accessible to the hirers and they use them as a good measure of their applicant’s skills. In this interview, you are presented with a number of competency questions that you have to answer in a 90-120 second time frame. Following this, you have a further optional minute before the next question. There are normally five or six questions in this interview and some example questions are:

• Why AXA?
• Why have you applied to this position?
• How would you add colour to AXA?
• Tell us about a time you experienced poor customer service and what did you learn from this?
• What are your long term goals?

Preparing for this stage of the application is difficult as you have to have answers prepared without thinking too much about it. Utilising the 90 seconds is difficult and you should aim to speak for that entire time if possible. You can give yourself a full preparation for this task by using the interview tips and tools included in this PrepPack™.

If you have done well enough in the AXA video interview you will be invited to take part in an AXA assessment centre. This assessment centre lasts the whole and there are a number of different activities that you will face during it. These are explained below.

Generally, this is the first active part of the assessment centre and is actually quite laid back in order to get you to relax and answer the questions in the best way you can. There are essentially two sections to this interview with the first part dealing with typical questions concerning AXA, their business and why you have applied for this particular position. The second section is designed to find how your competency levels fare with those of the company. For example, you may be asked the following: You are part of a project and have just discovered that there have been some big mistakes made that you have to sort out. How do you deal with this?
This interview is with two people, one of whom is a senior manager. The competency questions focus on the key competencies of the company mentioned above so it is worthwhile really understanding what they are and what they mean to you. See the interview preparation guide for innumerable tips and questions in order to really understand what goes on in your interview and how you can best come through it.

In the group exercise, you will be given a brief concerning the topic of discussion such as a report on a specific call centre that is receiving complaints on its service. As a group, you have to decide on the way forward for this call centre. Not only will you be assessed during the actual discussion but also during the preparation time when you will be watched by the assessors who are trying to see if you have the requisite skills to shine at the job. Some tips include:

• Make sure you openly contribute to the discussion and ensure others in the group are participating as well.
• Speaking the whole time isn’t important. Focus on the quality of your points rather than the quantity of them.
• The group exercise assessment measures you against the key competencies for the role you have applied for. This being the case, ensure that your contributions follow this and are in line with them. 

In this exercise, you will be given a brief that you will have to discuss with an assessor. You have to show a familiarity in the role, really feeling as if this is your job right now. In many ways, a role play is just like acting and the best actors put themselves so completely into the role that they are playing they feel the feelings associated with that character. This is your task here. You have to use your knowledge to really show that you are perfect for the role you have applied for.

In this exercise at the assessment centre, you have to create a presentation based on a brief that you are given before the actual assessment centre. You have to present your findings and recommendations to as many as six different assessors in this 15-minute presentation. You have to tie in the key competencies of the company into your recommendations and by doing so you are providing the answers that the assessors want to hear. As you have time before to prepare your presentation, prepare a PowerPoint presentation detailing exactly what you want to say.

Many candidates, particularly those applying for the AXA graduate scheme will be asked to take a written exercise. This is an 80-minute exercise that is similar to an in-tray exercise. You are provided with information on a particular company’s performance with multiple pieces of data that you have to use to form an entire picture. You have to analyse this information and write a report based on your findings detailing the problems and your recommendations for the future. Prepare for this exercise with the written exercises preparation pack.

AXA is one of the biggest insurance brands in the world and has many different opportunities for growth and development. Because of this, there is high competition for places on the AXA graduate scheme as well as any other positions. Those PrepPacks™ have and continue to help thousands of applicants every year fulfilling their goals of gaining meaningful employment. There are packages that are tailored to every single step of the recruitment process. Hopefully, you have enjoyed this article and found it useful.