At some stage during the application process you will probably be asked to sit a psychometric test. These are designed to assess your general ability; they do not test specific knowledge, but can be tailored to concentrate on a specific skill – numerical, verbal or abstract thinking to give a few examples.
This process enables a recruiter to check your suitability for a particular position and provides information about your personality, interaction with other people and your suitability for the position. Psychometric testing falls into three main areas: ability testing, aptitude testing and personality questionnaires.
1. The ability test
The ability test aims to measure an individual’s potential. The focus is therefore on what the person might achieve in the future and their willingness to learn. The assessment will most likely take the form of specific numerical, verbal and spatial ability tests.
2. The aptitude testThere are several different tests, which uniquely identify your aptitude: numerical reasoning, mechanical reasoning, abstract reasoning, spatial relations, verbal reasoning, language usage and spelling. Aptitude tests aim to assess your logical reasoning or thinking performance. They tend to be job related and this is reflected in the titles such as the Sales Aptitude Test. These will be administered under strict exam conditions and will be carefully timed.
3.The personality test
How successful you will be in a job depends not only on your abilities, but also on your personal qualities; these are what personality questionnaires aim to assess. Unlike the aptitude test there are no right or wrong answers and it is normally not timed. Employers use the questionnaires as a tool to assess social skills and the way you might react to different scenarios. The best strategy when taking such a test is to be as honest as possible. Consciously altering your answers to try and fit what you believe to be the ideal candidate is difficult and may ultimately be counter-productive: You may find yourself with a job you don’t want!
Preparation
The various psychometric tests can be taken on computers, via the Internet or using pen and paper. Although the preparation you can do is limited, ensure you are feeling ready and confident on the day. You can make yourself feel comfortable with the format of the tests by sitting a practice one – simply search the internet to find websites providing free services. Practise with mathematical teasers, word games, etc. to keep the mind sharp and brush up on your basic mental arithmetic.
Remember that psychometric tests represent only one part of the application process, and it is your overall performance that is significant. However, some companies require candidates to take tests prior to the 1st interview, in which case there will probably be a pass mark, which has to be achieved to carry on with the application process.