Career Development
Psychometric Tests
Post on
30-Apr-10
by
GraduateLife.com
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Psychometric Tests are often used by employers as one of their selection methods. There are two main types:
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1) Aptitude tests assess your abilities
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Employers may use these tests at various points in their selection process. Some use them early on, perhaps interviewing only those who achieve a certain score in an aptitude test. Others use them later, towards the final stages of their selection process. |
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Aptitude Tests
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These are multiple choice questions, given under exam conditions with strict time limits.
They assess your powers of logical reasoning and the questions have definite right and wrong answers.
If an employer asks you to sit an aptitude test, this will typically have two or three separate sections. There are lots of different types, but typically one part will measure verbal reasoning, another numerical reasoning, and perhaps a third will measure spatial or diagrammatic reasoning.
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To get a good score you have to do better than the 'norm group', which is likely to be people successfully doing the job you are applying for. You don't know what the standard is, but a rough rule of thumb might be that you should aim to complete 70% to 80% of the questions, and get most of them (say 70% to 80%) right.
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Personality Questionnaires
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These are used to see how you react to different situations. They measure a variety of personal qualities, usually characteristics such as how determined you are and your social skills. The questionnaires are usually untimed, but you will be asked to put down your first reaction to the questions and not spend time pondering their meaning. |
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Some tips:
You won't know exactly what personal qualities the selectors are looking for. Quite often they are looking for a variety of different personalities rather than just one 'profile'.
Many employers want candidates with a balance of different personal qualities: for example, being able to get on with people, take charge and organise, be persistent and determined.
The particular requirements of the job you are applying for might give a clue to the qualities the employer seeks. For example, a sales job may look for people who enjoy meeting new people, while a job where you have to analyse information may favour those who like paying attention to detail. These differing requirements might be reflected in slightly different profiles which the employer will look for.
However, don't be too clever. There may be checks within the questionnaire to detect whether you are giving a false picture of yourself. In addition, the employer is unlikely to be looking for just one personality type. The best advice is probably to 'be yourself'. |
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Further Information: |
Aptitude tests assess your abilities |
How to Succeed in Psychometric Tests, Sheldon Business Books
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About the Author
Source: GraduateLife.com
The No. 1 Website for UK Graduates, and Young Professionals
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Keywords:
career tips, job hunting, job hunting tips, personality tests