De Nederlandsche Bank assessment grids tips
Practical tips to prepare for De Nederlandsche Bank grids, with time management advice for matrix questions, pattern spotting, and steady practice.
Practical preparation for grids in the De Nederlandsche Bank assessment
If you are preparing for the De Nederlandsche Bank assessment, grids practice is best approached with steady, focused sessions. The matrix questions ask you to recognize a pattern in a 3-by-3 set of figures and determine the missing shape, so your goal is to work accurately without losing too much time.
The assessment is administered by GITP and includes an aptitude test and a personality test. Which parts you need to complete is stated in your invitation email or in the GITP online platform, so it helps to use that information as your starting point and then match your practice to the relevant question types.
Because the aptitude test is compared with a norm group, preparation is not only about understanding the format. It is also about building a calm pace, learning how long you can spend on one item, and knowing when to move on and return if your test setup allows it.
Try a sample question right away
This gives you an immediate feel for the question style and the value of the practice environment.
How to use practice time well
A good approach is to begin with untimed practice so you can focus on the structure of the pattern. Once that feels familiar, switch to shorter sets and use a simple time target per item. This makes it easier to notice how quickly you are identifying the rule in each matrix.
When you review your answers, pay attention to the point where time was lost. In grids, time is often spent too long on a single visual detail. Training yourself to compare rows, columns, changes in shape, and repeated features in a fixed order can make your process more efficient.
It also helps to practice in the same quiet conditions you expect on test day. A consistent routine reduces hesitation and makes it easier to settle into the assessment quickly, especially when the questions are meant to be solved under pressure.