Psychometric Profiling
These days psychometric testing is used by organisations to recruit new graduates
into their business. Graduates often find the thought of Psychometric testing daunting.
In fact the term “test” implies that there are should be right or wrong
answers and people think that they will be caught out. Let us put your mind at ease.
There are no wrong answers! Companies will use Psychometric testing as an alternative
to the more traditional methods of assessing the candidates’ suitability for
the vacancy in question.
There are various different types of Psychometric testing:
Ability and Aptitude Tests
Also known as intelligence tests are concerned with finding out how well candidates
perform in reasoning tasks. These can include numerical or verbal reasoning skills,
problem solving skills or the ability to identify mistakes accurately etc. It is
possible to prepare for these tests and practice tests will be available at you
careers service or at the website listed below. If possible find out from the recruiter
which types of test you will be sitting and revise that area.
Personality Questionnaires
This questionnaire is designed to create a profile of your personality and establish
what your preferred behavioural style is to ensure there is no conflict with the
position you have applied for. There is no preparation for a personality test, so
simply answer without thinking too much. Your first reaction is what counts. Many
people think they should answer questions in a way the employer wants – don’t
do it as these questionnaires have check questions to identify candidates attempting
to fake their answers. Above all answer honestly!
More Information
There are several companies that specialize in developing Psychometric testing.
Thomas International offers a number of profiling tests on Gradplus. To find out
which career would match your personality and skill set click below.
Resources and Books
- How to master Psychometric Tests (Mark Parkinson)
- How to pass Recruitment Tests (Mike Bryon)
- How to pass Graduate Psychometric Tests (Mike Bryon)
Other websites include:
- www.shl.com
An active website where you can sample a range of questions. There is a charge for
the more extensive tests.
- www.morrisby.com
Leaders is psychometric assessments for careers and education advice.