Test Takers
Psychometric Assessments
You've been asked to complete psychometric testing... now what?
Completing psychometric assessments as a part of your application can be daunting, especially if you have not taken any for a while (or ever!).
To help you take your tests with confidence, below are some helpful hints and tips.
What are psychometric assessments?
Psychometric assessments, or tests, are particular tests that are designed to measure aspects of your preferred behaviour, including:
The tests are what we call ‘objective’ and ‘standardised’ measures, and allow us to get to know more about you in a fair and detailed way.
Why am I being asked to sit these tests?
Psychometric testing is an equal part of your application, just like your CV, and your interview.
It allows your prospective employer to know more about you, your abilities, and the way you work.
It shows that they would love to get to know you better, and do so in a quick and easy way that respect your time, and the amount of time that you have already put into your application.
The employment relationship is so important, and this shows that your possible new managers want to get to know you that much better.
What is the process, what are the tests & how can I prepare?
What is the process?
You will be sent an email invitation to complete assessments, with instructions on how to log in to proceed.
The test platform, which will run through your web browser, will provide you with detailed instructions on how to complete the testing.
These instructions will also help to give you the best chance of performing as well as you can on the problem solving tests, and the greatest opportunity to show your true preferences and understanding of how you like to work.
What are the tests, and how can I prepare?
The two main types of tests that you will most likely need to complete will be the reasoning (or ‘ability’) tests, and/or a personality test.
General Reminders:
Make sure you are not going to be interrupted when doing the testing
– especially when working with timed tests.
Try to relax and know that these tests form one part of the recruitment process.
– the results will be used in combination with other recruitment material to understand more about you.
What types of tests will I complete?
The two main types of tests that you will most likely need to complete will be:
- Reasoning (or ‘ability’) tests, and/or
- A personality test.
Reasoning ability testing
Reasoning ability tests measure your ability to interpret written, numerical and abstract data.
This gives a good understanding of how well you solve new, complex problems in the workplace, and will give some insight into how quickly you may learn on the job. These assessments are timed because the pace of response also contributes to the measure of your overall reasoning ability.
With this in mind, it is recommended that you:
- Consider the best time of day for you.
Do you think more clearly in the mornings, afternoons, or evenings?
- Work carefully, but quickly.
You need to aim for both accuracy and efficiency. If you rush, you may make trivial mistakes, but also don’t waste time.
- Do some research if you need to ease your nerves.
Explore and research ability testing ahead of time so that you’re comfortable with the concept and with their role in the application process.
- Make use of practice tests where provided.
Don’t be complacent – do the practice test. The format of the questions is unfamiliar to many people. Practice tests help to raise your confidence and reduce obvious mistakes and unnecessary stress.
Below are some example test questions to give you an idea of what to expect.
Example reasoning ability questions
Abstract Reasoning
Q: Select the piece that fits into the broader pattern
Numerical reasoning
Q: Which number comes next in the series?
Verbal reasoning
Q: Which word matches best?
Personality testing
Personality tests measure a person’s behavioural tendencies on a range of different traits.
These tests shed light on how you prefer to work, how you like to interact with colleagues and what types of works tasks suit you best. Personality tests are used in combination with interviews to understand your work style preferences.
When completing a personality test:
- Don’t dwell on the questions too much.
Even though you may be adaptable, we want to hear about your preferences. Your first response is probably the closest to your preferred or most comfortable way of operating.
- Don’t worry if it seems like questions repeat themselves.
It’s good practice in personality assessment to measure preferences in a variety of ways. Try to answer each new question on its own merits and not worry about how you answered a similar question already.
- Be honest.
While it might be tempting to try and change your answers to suit the job advertised, being inauthentic won’t work and won’t help. In well-designed tests, attempts to impress or control the outcome can be detected in data analysis, which would be reported back to the potential employer.
