Thomas GIA Test: Complete Guide with Accurate Practice Drills

Q: What is the Thomas Gia test?

The Thomas General Intelligence Assessment (GIA) is a cognitive test that measures how efficiently an individual can process and learn new information. It assesses five core areas: reasoning, perceptual speed, numerical accuracy, word comprehension, and spatial awareness. Employers commonly use this assessment to predict a candidate's ability to adapt to new tasks and training, making it a key tool in recruitment and employee development.

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This video will show you how the test looks like, what are the main challenges and how to conquer them.

The Thomas International General Intelligence Assessment (GIA) is a speed test that measures your ability to quickly learn, comprehend and retain information.

The test has 5 sections, each taking 2-3 minutes:

Perceptual Speed
Reasoning
Number Speed and Accuracy
Spatial Visualisation
Word Meaning

Each section has a single, very distinctive type of question. Below you can find a sample question of each section, showing real-test time constraints.

Thomas GIA Assessment Sample Questions For All 5 Sections

Perceptual Speed

How many pairs contain the same letter?

View Explanation

The perceptual speed section of the Thomas GIA test examines your ability to quickly process visual data.

You will be presented with 4 pairs of upper- and lower-case letters and have to decide how many pairs contain the same letter.

Reasoning

View Explanation

The reasoning test section assesses your short-term memory and your ability to make quick and accurate logical conclusions.

In each question, you will be given a statement describing a relationship between individuals or objects. Then, the statement is replaced with a question, and you need to choose the correct answer choice based on the statement.

Number Speed and Accuracy

Which number is farthest from the median?

View Explanation

This test assesses your ability to perform simple numerical tasks quickly and accurately.

In each question, you will be presented with three numbers. Identify the lowest and highest numbers, and then calculate their differences from the third (median).

Your task is to choose the number furthest for which this difference is maximal.

Each question has three possible answer choices. Only one answer is correct.

Important notes: The meaning of "the middle number", or “the remaining number” in this testing context, is the number with a value between the lowest and highest numbers. That does not necessarily mean this number will be positioned in the middle.

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Spatial Visualisation

How many pairs contain the same letter? (mirror image excluded).

View Explanation

This GIA test section examines your ability to mentally rotate objects.

In each question, you are given two pairs of rotated shapes (letters). You need to decide how many of the boxes contain the same shape (mirror images are not considered the same shape).

Word Meaning

Which word is the odd one out?

View Explanation

This GIA test section requires you to identify words that have a similar meaning or are related in some way.

In each question, you will be given three words. Two of the terms have something in common, and the third is the odd one out.

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While the GIA Test has a final score, it is calculated based on your score in the 5 test sections.

Wrong Answers Reduce Points

The Thomas International GIA test is scored based on both your correct and incorrect answers. Correct answers gain you points, and incorrect answers reduce points.
Each correct answer gains 1 point, and each wrong answer reduces points, depending on the section:

Reasoning – 1 point reduced for an incorrect answer
Perceptual Speed – 0.25 points reduced
Number Speed and Accuracy – 0.5 points reduced
Spatial Visualisation – 0.5 points reduced
Word Meaning – 0.5 points reduced

Here’s an example from a Thomas International score report showing just that:

That is why you shouldn’t simply storm through the questions to answer as many as you possibly can, and also shouldn’t be too careful, on the other hand.
Finding the balance between speed and accuracy is crucial for a high score on the Thomas GIA test.

All your scores will be presented as a percentile score (of what percent of past test-takers your score is higher). For instance, if you have scored in the 75th percentile, you have scored higher than 75% of test-takers.

The Thomas International GIA Test score percentiles are defined:

Low – 4-15 percentile
Below Average – 16-34 percentile
Average – 35-65 percentile
Above Average – 66-85 percentile
High – 86+ percentile

The Thomas GIA is the most well-known of Thomas International, a pre-employment test provider. Other pre-employment assessment providers are SHL, Korn Ferry, cut-e, Cubiks, Pymetrics, Saville, AON, Matrigma, McQuiag, and many more.

Everyone has their weaker areas. Some have difficulty using quick mental maths, others find spatial reasoning disorienting and unintuitive. To succeed on the Thomas GIA test, you must excel in all 5 test sections.

To help you focus your practice on where you need the most, we have added a preliminary diagnostic test to the practice plan.

Take a look at this excerpt from the score report you get when finishing your first Thomas GIA diagnostic test:

Scores sample for Thomas GIA test practice tests

The ✓'s represent questions answered correctly. The ✗'s represent incorrect answers.

Did you notice that the Number Speed and Accuracy section has more ✗'s? That means that your skill in this particular section needs some improvement.

This way, you will be able to focus your practice on the areas you need most and make it as effective as it can be.

The Thomas International GIA Test has a very unique and challenging test format due to three main reasons:

Unique Question Style – the Thomas GIA test contains questions you will see in no other test.
Elaborate Instructions – the GIA test has VERY specific instructions. If you fail to fully comprehend the task, you will likely fail the entire test section.
Unequal Performance in Sections – the GIA test sections are very different from one another, and you need to excel in them all for a high score.

To pass the Thomas International test and get the job you want, you need to practice the exact, actual test experience.

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A wide variety of employers are using the Thomas International GIA Test, here are the most popular:

Canonical – this UK-based software company uses the Thomas GIA Test for multiple positions across various departments, especially for programming and management positions.
Siemens – Siemens uses the GIA Test to screen candidates mainly for mid-management and engineering positions.
Version 1 – an Irish company dealing with software development, asset management, and consulting, uses the Thomas International GIA Test predominantly for business analysts, but also more technical positions may be requested to go through it.
Metro Bank – this bank, operating in the UK, uses the Thomas GIA for nearly every position.
CBRE – CBRE uses the Thomas International test mainly for screening candidates applying to its graduate scheme.

The Thomas General Intelligence Assessment (GIA) is a cognitive test that measures how efficiently an individual can process and learn new information. It assesses five core areas: reasoning, perceptual speed, numerical accuracy, word comprehension, and spatial awareness. Employers commonly use this assessment to predict a candidate's ability to adapt to new tasks and training, making it a key tool in recruitment and employee development.

The Thomas GIA test results are expressed as percentiles, comparing the test-taker's performance to a standard group. A score below the 35th percentile is considered low, between the 35th and 65th percentiles is average, and scores above the 85th percentile are seen as high. For example, a percentile score of 83% means the individual performed better than 83% of the comparison group, indicating strong adaptability and learning potential.

The total number of questions ranges between approximately 130 and 160, depending on the specific version of the test. Each section is timed separately, with durations varying from 2 to 5 minutes. The entire assessment typically takes about 20 minutes to complete.

To perform well on the Thomas GIA test, concentrate on enhancing your cognitive speed and accuracy. Short, timed exercises can improve your skills, particularly if you use practice tests that simulate the actual exam. These practice tests help you get accustomed to both the time limits and question types. Maintaining focus and staying calm under pressure during the timed sections are also crucial strategies for success.

Approximately 20 minutes.

We at JobTestPrep find the assessment tests world highly diverse and fascinating. If you are looking to deepen your knowledge in the aptitude tests world, or you want some extra practice before your test, we've got you covered!

Check out these fantastic free practice tests (all are completely free):

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What Is the Thomas International GIA Test?