NHS Numeracy Test Questions and Answers (Free Practice)

NHS numeracy tests appear in nursing recruitment, healthcare apprenticeships and many band 2–6 NHS roles. They focus on practical maths: drug calculations, fluid balance, percentages, ratios and conversions. Below are 10 worked examples in real NHS format.

Practice Questions & Answers

Q1. Convert 1.5 litres into millilitres.
A1. 1500 ml.
Q2. A patient needs 250 mg of a drug. Tablets are 125 mg. How many do you give?
A2. 2 tablets.
Q3. An infusion runs at 50 ml/hr. How much in 4 hours?
A3. 200 ml.
Q4. Convert 0.25 mg to micrograms.
A4. 250 micrograms.
Q5. What's 30% of 240?
A5. 72.
Q6. A 500 ml bag is to run over 8 hours. What's the rate per hour?
A6. 62.5 ml/hr.
Q7. Express 3:5 as a percentage.
A7. 37.5%.
Q8. How many millilitres in 0.05 litres?
A8. 50 ml.
Q9. If a syringe contains 10 mg in 5 ml, what volume gives 4 mg?
A9. 2 ml.
Q10. Convert 750 mg into grams.
A10. 0.75 g.

Tips to Pass

Re-learn unit conversions cold (g → mg → mcg, L → ml).
Always double-check decimal places.
Use the formula: (Dose required ÷ Stock) × Volume.
Practise without a calculator for the first round.
Time yourself — most NHS tests are tight.

Take the full mock test

👉Take full mock test here

Explore more in NHS & Healthcare Tests or browseall NHS numeracy tests.

Related reading: NHS Numeracy Test Tips.

Quick study plan

If you only have a fortnight to prepare, split your time into three blocks. Spend the first few days reading any official handbook or syllabus straight through — don't try to memorise yet, the goal is familiarity. Move on to topic-by-topic revision, focusing on the areas you found least intuitive on the first read. In the final week, switch to timed mock tests under exam conditions; mark every paper ruthlessly and read every explanation, including for questions you got right by guessing. Most candidates improve by 8–12 marks between their first and third mock simply by closing knowledge gaps this way.

Common myths to ignore

Three myths trip up more candidates than any single topic. The first is that "if I sit enough mocks, I'll spot the real questions on test day" — modern UK exam banks contain hundreds of items and the question you see on the day will probably be brand new to you. The second is that you can cram the night before; most assessments reward calm focus more than recent recall, and tired candidates make basic mistakes. The third is that the pass mark is the only thing that matters: aiming for a comfortable buffer of 5–10 marks above the threshold is the single best insurance against an unlucky paper.

What to do on test day

Plan to arrive 15–20 minutes early with valid photo ID — usually a UK driving licence or passport — and any booking confirmation you've been emailed. Eat something light beforehand, drink water but not so much that you'll need a comfort break mid-paper, and silence your phone before you walk through the door. Read every question twice, flag anything you're unsure of, and never leave a blank — there's no negative marking on the assessments most readers of this site sit, so a considered guess is always better than no answer at all.

Practice Questions & Answers

Q1. Convert 1.5 litres into millilitres.
A1. 1500 ml.
Q2. A patient needs 250 mg of a drug. Tablets are 125 mg. How many do you give?
A2. 2 tablets.
Q3. An infusion runs at 50 ml/hr. How much in 4 hours?
A3. 200 ml.
Q4. Convert 0.25 mg to micrograms.
A4. 250 micrograms.
Q5. What's 30% of 240?
A5. 72.
Q6. A 500 ml bag is to run over 8 hours. What's the rate per hour?
A6. 62.5 ml/hr.
Q7. Express 3:5 as a percentage.
A7. 37.5%.
Q8. How many millilitres in 0.05 litres?
A8. 50 ml.
Q9. If a syringe contains 10 mg in 5 ml, what volume gives 4 mg?
A9. 2 ml.
Q10. Convert 750 mg into grams.
A10. 0.75 g.