Psychometric Testing Psychometric literally means "measurement of the mind" and psychometric tests are designed to do just that. Such tests were originally devised at the beginning of the last century as part of research into social studies, but it was not until the 1970s that they were adapted for recruitment purposes. Today, psychometric testing is seen as a key factor in the recruitment process for many leading organisations, as it offers an alternative means of assessing and qualifying candidates to the more traditional CV and interview methods. The ability test Psychometric tests aim to enable an employer to assess a candidate’s suitability and potential for a specific job, by establishing their qualities relative to it and so improving the chances of picking the best individual. The questions are carefully constructed in order to extract as much information as possible and often reveal things that cannot easily be tested during an interview. They can be used at various stages of the recruitment process, sometimes initially in order to determine which candidates will proceed to interview or, more usually, in conjunction with interviews, as part of assessment centres. One of the main advantages of psychometric tests is that they place all candidates, regardless of educational or cultural background, on a level playing field. Although practising can help individuals get accustomed to the formats and types of question asked, they are unlikely to improve their scores significantly through regular practice. Types of testAlthough some employers do set specialised tests for particular industries or job roles, such as customer service or technical roles, the two main types of psychometric tests used by employers are: Aptitude Aiming to test your mental and intellectual ability, these assess how logical and analytical your thought processes are when solving complex problems. Very similar to IQ tests, they usually consist of Verbal, Numerical and Diagrammatic Reasoning sections set in multiple choice format and are usually subject to a fixed time limit and taken under exam conditions. Although it is unlikely that you will be expected to complete a test, you should attempt as many questions as possible within the time allowed, especially since tests do not always get incrementally harder and there may easy marks to be picked up towards the end. If you do find yourself getting stuck on a particular question, either leave it and come back later or improve your chances of guessing the correct answer by eliminating two or three of the possible choices. Whilst a balance needs to be struck between speed and accuracy, it is important to remember that you will only score on the questions you answer correctly and any wrong answers could actually count against you. As regards preparation for the tests, practice copies can be obtained at your Careers Service and there are several websites (see below), which have various short examples to try, as well as many of the employer sites, which offer samples of the types of tests they administer. This is particularly advisable if it has been a couple of years since you have performed any kind of mental arithmetic, as calculators are not usually allowed. Other activities you can do to prepare include going through any old maths revision books, trying your hand at some crosswords and even watching Channel 4’s Countdown programme! Personality This type is more like a questionnaire than a test and is designed to create a profile of your personal qualities and characteristics, such as how well you work in a team, how reliable and honest you are, what motivates and interests you and what attitudes you hold. Personality tests are used to see how you react to various situations and interact with different personalities. Typically, they are not done under any time constraints in order to encourage honest responses in a non-pressurised environment. Your first reaction is what counts, so it is probably best not to ponder too much the inner meaning of the questions and try to predict what qualities the company is looking for! Since there is no 'right' or 'wrong' answer to each question and several might well be interrelated, trying to 'beat the system' might end up backfiring by giving you an irregular or unstable profile! Most employers will be looking for a balance of different qualities and by giving a false picture of yourself you could make things very difficult for yourself in later interviews. By all means bear your potential career in mind when answering the questions, but the best advice is just to be yourself. After all, the purpose of such a test is to ensure that any successful applicant would fit well into a company’s culture and enjoy working within a particular environment.For those of you taking part in aptitude tests, the best advice is to get a good night’s sleep and to go well practised, remaining calm and confident in your own abilities. If you find that you fare badly in a test it’s important not to feel too dejected, since it doesn’t necessarily mean that you aren’t up to the job, but rather that you probably would not have been suited to a particular role and so were unlikely to have enjoyed it. Further information www.shldirect.com SHL are the acknowledged authority on aptitude tests, providing tests for several of the leading UK recruiters. The site contains several practice tests and plenty of additional tips and advice. www.morrisby.com Professional test provider site, with examples of ability tests. Graduate Management Admission Test Example questions from the GMAT, particularly useful for graduates interested in applying for MBA courses, although tests are very similar to aptitude tests and have a particular bias towards numeracy. www.outofservice.com has a range of light-hearted personality assessments.

Psychometric Testing

Psychometric literally means "measurement of the mind" and psychometric tests are designed to do just that. Such tests were originally devised at the beginning of the last century as part of research into social studies, but it was not until the 1970s that they were adapted for recruitment purposes. Today, psychometric testing is seen as a key factor in the recruitment process for many leading organisations, as it offers an alternative means of assessing and qualifying candidates to the more traditional CV and interview methods.

The ability test
Psychometric tests aim to enable an employer to assess a candidate’s suitability and potential for a specific job, by establishing their qualities relative to it and so improving the chances of picking the best individual. The questions are carefully constructed in order to extract as much information as possible and often reveal things that cannot easily be tested during an interview.

They can be used at various stages of the recruitment process, sometimes initially in order to determine which candidates will proceed to interview or, more usually, in conjunction with interviews, as part of assessment centres. One of the main advantages of psychometric tests is that they place all candidates, regardless of educational or cultural background, on a level playing field. Although practising can help individuals get accustomed to the formats and types of question asked, they are unlikely to improve their scores significantly through regular practice.

Types of testAlthough some employers do set specialised tests for particular industries or job roles, such as customer service or technical roles, the two main types of psychometric tests used by employers are:

Aptitude
Aiming to test your mental and intellectual ability, these assess how logical and analytical your thought processes are when solving complex problems. Very similar to IQ tests, they usually consist of Verbal, Numerical and Diagrammatic Reasoning sections set in multiple choice format and are usually subject to a fixed time limit and taken under exam conditions.

Although it is unlikely that you will be expected to complete a test, you should attempt as many questions as possible within the time allowed, especially since tests do not always get incrementally harder and there may easy marks to be picked up towards the end. If you do find yourself getting stuck on a particular question, either leave it and come back later or improve your chances of guessing the correct answer by eliminating two or three of the possible choices. Whilst a balance needs to be struck between speed and accuracy, it is important to remember that you will only score on the questions you answer correctly and any wrong answers could actually count against you.

As regards preparation for the tests, practice copies can be obtained at your Careers Service and there are several websites (see below), which have various short examples to try, as well as many of the employer sites, which offer samples of the types of tests they administer. This is particularly advisable if it has been a couple of years since you have performed any kind of mental arithmetic, as calculators are not usually allowed. Other activities you can do to prepare include going through any old maths revision books, trying your hand at some crosswords and even watching Channel 4’s Countdown programme!

Personality
This type is more like a questionnaire than a test and is designed to create a profile of your personal qualities and characteristics, such as how well you work in a team, how reliable and honest you are, what motivates and interests you and what attitudes you hold.

Personality tests are used to see how you react to various situations and interact with different personalities. Typically, they are not done under any time constraints in order to encourage honest responses in a non-pressurised environment. Your first reaction is what counts, so it is probably best not to ponder too much the inner meaning of the questions and try to predict what qualities the company is looking for! Since there is no 'right' or 'wrong' answer to each question and several might well be interrelated, trying to 'beat the system' might end up backfiring by giving you an irregular or unstable profile!

Most employers will be looking for a balance of different qualities and by giving a false picture of yourself you could make things very difficult for yourself in later interviews. By all means bear your potential career in mind when answering the questions, but the best advice is just to be yourself. After all, the purpose of such a test is to ensure that any successful applicant would fit well into a company’s culture and enjoy working within a particular environment.For those of you taking part in aptitude tests, the best advice is to get a good night’s sleep and to go well practised, remaining calm and confident in your own abilities. If you find that you fare badly in a test it’s important not to feel too dejected, since it doesn’t necessarily mean that you aren’t up to the job, but rather that you probably would not have been suited to a particular role and so were unlikely to have enjoyed it.

Further information
www.shldirect.com SHL are the acknowledged authority on aptitude tests, providing tests for several of the leading UK recruiters. The site contains several practice tests and plenty of additional tips and advice.

www.morrisby.com Professional test provider site, with examples of ability tests.

Graduate Management Admission Test Example questions from the GMAT, particularly useful for graduates interested in applying for MBA courses, although tests are very similar to aptitude tests and have a particular bias towards numeracy.

www.outofservice.com has a range of light-hearted personality assessments.