HMRC Tax Specialist Programme 2027 · online tests · independent practice
HMRC TSP 2027 Stage 1 Practice (independent)
Practice for Stage 1 of the HMRC Tax Specialist Programme 2027, the Verbal and Numerical tests, in the formats GOV.UK describes, with a tax setting: true / false / cannot say statements on passages, and questions on tables of figures. Every answer explained.
HMRC TSP 2027 · Stage 1 practice (independent)
Practise for the TSP Verbal and Numerical tests
- 50 verbal statements, true / false / cannot say on tax-setting passages
- 50 numerical questions on tables of tax-style figures
- A 40-question practice mock (20 + 20 of those questions): Verbal then Numerical, no skipping, no going back; fixed length and untimed, while the real tests adapt
- Every answer explained, and your weakest area after each attempt
one payment, no subscription
Independent practice. The questions are original, not real or past test questions. Not affiliated with HMRC or the Civil Service.
Independent practice by ProSyllabus. Not produced, endorsed or checked by HMRC, the Civil Service or Civil Service Jobs. Every passage, table, question and scenario is original: none is a real, past or official test question.
A sample question from the free set
A tax office sent reminder letters to 12,000 people whose Self Assessment returns had not arrived by mid-January. Half of them received the office's standard letter. The other half received a shorter letter that printed the filing deadline in bold and gave the web address for filing online. By the deadline, 61% of the people sent the shorter letter had filed, compared with 54% of the people sent the standard letter. The office plans to use the shorter letter next year. It has not measured whether either letter changed how much tax was paid on time. Statement: The shorter letter led to more tax being paid on time.
Answer and reason
Answer: Cannot say
The office has not measured whether either letter changed how much tax was paid on time, and nothing else in the passage tells us. The passage reports filing, not payment.
Stage 1: Verbal and Numerical
Submit both tests by 11:30am on Wednesday 28 October 2026 (HMRC candidate guide). The Numerical Test invitation follows a pass at the Verbal Test.
The mock follows the order HMRC uses, Verbal then Numerical. As in the real tests, you answer every question and cannot skip or go back. The real tests have no time limit and adapt to your answers; this mock has a fixed set of 40 questions and no clock, so allow at least an hour for each part, as GOV.UK recommends.
The online tests, from the official pages
- Stage 1 is the Civil Service Verbal Test, then, if you meet the minimum standard, the Civil Service Numerical Test. Both are online and untimed, and both must be submitted by 11:30am on 28 October 2026.
- Verbal: a passage, then a statement you judge true, false or cannot say from the passage alone. Numerical: graphs, tables or other figures, then a question with several possible answers. You may use a calculator.
- The tests adapt: a right answer may make the next question harder, a wrong one easier, so the length varies. You must answer every question and cannot skip or go back. Some questions are unscored trial items.
- Stage 2 is the Civil Service Judgement Test, open from 4 November to 11:30am on 10 November 2026. It has a self-assessment part worth 15% of the score, then workplace scenarios whose actions you rate Counterproductive, Ineffective, Fairly Effective or Effective.
- Your score is a percentile, compared with a representative group of applicants who have taken the test. HMRC says it may raise pass marks at any stage, and that the score needed can vary by location.
GOV.UK also links official practice tests for these tests, which show the look and feel of the real tests. Take them as well.
Where the format comes from: HMRC, Tax Specialist Programme (TSP) 2027 Recruitment Process Candidate Guide (on the HMRC careers job page); GOV.UK, Preparing for the Civil Service Verbal and Numerical tests (last updated 14 May 2025); GOV.UK, Preparing for the Civil Service Judgement Test (last updated 24 May 2024). Read on 21 October 2026.
Before you buy
What do I get?
Stage 1 practice: 50 verbal statements on 10 passages and 50 numerical questions on 10 tables. 60 of them are in four drills of 15, and the other 40 make up a practice mock of 20 verbal then 20 numerical questions. Every answer has its reason or working, and every result shows your weakest area and a short plan.
Are these real HMRC or Civil Service test questions?
No. Every passage, table, question and scenario is original, written by ProSyllabus in the formats GOV.UK describes, with a tax setting. None is a real, past or official test question, and HMRC and the Civil Service have not produced, endorsed or checked this set.
Is the mock like the real tests?
In its order and rules, yes: Verbal then Numerical, every question answered, no skipping and no going back. One thing differs: the real tests adapt to your answers, so their length varies; the mock is a fixed set of 40 questions. Both are untimed. GOV.UK recommends allowing at least an hour for each test.
Will my score here predict my result?
No. The real tests give a percentile, compared with a representative group of applicants who have taken the test, and HMRC says it may raise pass marks at any stage and that the score needed can vary by location. Our 70% practice target is ours, not HMRC's.
Can I use a calculator?
Yes. GOV.UK suggests having rough paper, a pen and a calculator to hand for the real tests, and the numerical questions here are written on that basis.
How do I pay and get access?
One payment by card or PayPal, handled by our payment providers; in the UK it is charged in pounds. Access opens on this device straight after payment. Sign in afterwards to keep it on your account.