Apprenticeship tests split into strengths questionnaires and old-style aptitude papers
Big UK apprenticeship employers now mostly start with a strengths or values questionnaire, but engineering and telecoms schemes still use numeracy, mechanical and practical tests. The table shows which approach each employer takes, and the sections below show how to prepare for each.
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The employers in this guide
Each row comes from that employer's own page on this site. 10 employers, checked November 2026. Stated means the employer says it. Candidates report means we found it only in candidate accounts.
| Employer | Who the page is for |
|---|---|
| Openreach | Candidates report a timed wiring task and a colour check alongside basic maths and English papers. |
| Sky | No CV, strengths-based throughout, and a feedback report after every digital assessment. |
| Airbus UK | GCSE grades are a hard first filter; the online stage is reported as games, then a craft skills day. |
| MBDA | Two-part online stage: a strengths test with a report, then three recorded job simulations. |
| Babcock | Only Level 6 degree and SCQF 10 graduate apprentices add a one-way video; others go straight to the centre. |
| Leonardo UK | Security Check eligibility comes first, and a published calendar runs from September to May offers. |
| Thales UK | The psychometric test result decides the assessment centre shortlist; prep sites name Saville. |
| Siemens UK | No CV at screening, a behavioural assessment, and three separate Siemens companies with different processes. |
| EDF | Everyone sits an untimed strengths test; only some roles add a short cognitive test. |
| Sellafield Ltd | Five working days to finish a Strength and Values assessment, with a stated warning against using AI. |
Most start with strengths, not maths
Sky asks for no CV and stays strengths-based throughout, with a feedback report after each digital assessment. EDF gives everyone an untimed strengths test and adds a short cognitive test only for some roles. Sellafield gives five working days for a Strength and Values assessment and warns against using AI. MBDA follows a strengths test with three recorded job simulations.
The way to prepare for a strengths test is to understand the job. Read the scheme page twice, note the behaviours it names, and think of one real example from school, sport or work for each.
Where aptitude papers still matter
Telecoms and engineering schemes are where numeracy and practical tests survive. Candidates report that Openreach uses a timed wiring task and a colour check alongside basic maths and English. Thales UK says its psychometric result decides the assessment centre shortlist, and prep sites name Saville as the provider.
For these, timed practice helps: fractions, percentages, reading a simple chart, and mechanical principles such as gears and levers. Our mechanical aptitude test covers the last of these.
The filters before any test
Some schemes filter hard before you sit anything. Airbus UK treats GCSE grades as a first filter. Leonardo UK checks Security Check eligibility first and publishes a calendar running from September to May. Defence employers often have nationality and residency rules. Check these before you invest time.
Siemens UK is three separate companies with different processes, and Babcock adds a one-way video only for degree-level apprenticeships. Read the page for the exact scheme, not the company in general.
The assessment day is where offers are made
Nearly every scheme here ends with an assessment day: group tasks, a practical or craft exercise, an interview and sometimes a site tour. Assessors look for safety awareness, teamwork and curiosity about the work. Asking good questions about the role is part of the assessment.
Plan travel, bring any documents they list, and practise explaining why you want this trade in two sentences. Most applicants under-prepare this part.
Practise with a free Reasoning test
50 original questions, 45 minutes, scored the moment you finish. Free, no sign-up. Our reasoning test covers the numeracy and reading side. For engineering schemes, take the mechanical practice test as well.
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Employer pages in this guide
- Openreach assessmentCandidates report a timed wiring task and a colour check alongside basic maths and English papers.
- Sky assessmentNo CV, strengths-based throughout, and a feedback report after every digital assessment.
- Airbus UK assessmentGCSE grades are a hard first filter; the online stage is reported as games, then a craft skills day.
- MBDA assessmentTwo-part online stage: a strengths test with a report, then three recorded job simulations.
- Babcock assessmentOnly Level 6 degree and SCQF 10 graduate apprentices add a one-way video; others go straight to the centre.
- Leonardo UK assessmentSecurity Check eligibility comes first, and a published calendar runs from September to May offers.
- Thales UK assessmentThe psychometric test result decides the assessment centre shortlist; prep sites name Saville.
- Siemens UK assessmentNo CV at screening, a behavioural assessment, and three separate Siemens companies with different processes.
- EDF assessmentEveryone sits an untimed strengths test; only some roles add a short cognitive test.
- Sellafield Ltd assessmentFive working days to finish a Strength and Values assessment, with a stated warning against using AI.
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LifeScore is not affiliated with any employer or test publisher named on this page. Names belong to their owners and appear only to describe published hiring processes. Pass marks and questions are not published by employers, and we do not claim to know them. Reviewed October 2026 by the LifeScore Editorial Team.