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Psychometric Tests
The term "psychometric tests" covers numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, spatial reasoning and psychological personality profiling tests.
"Psychometric" means "the process of measuring mental capacities and processes" (Oxford English Dictionary). They are also called aptitude tests.
They're used by employers to provide an objective measure of your personal reasoning ability or an indication of your personality. |
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You usually visit the employer to take the aptitude test under controlled conditions. However, it's becoming more common to sit them online before being offered an interview - especially with graduate recruitment.
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What To Expect
- You'll sit in a room with other candidates. On your desk you'll have a printed booklet and a pencil.
- A qualified member of the company's HR team will supervise the tests.
- They will explain the format of the test and take you through the sample questions.
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There are 3 main types of psychometric test:
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Numerical Reasoning Tests
These test your maths skills. You are given data to analyse. It's often slightly ambiguous or you're expected to fill in the gaps.
If the role you're applying for requires analysis of numerical data, you should expect this test.
Sometimes you'll be given a calculator, but sometimes you'll only get a pencil and paper. Don't let this phase you - everyone else taking the test does it under the same conditions.
How can you improve your performance in this test? Just practice mental arithmetic whenever you can, to exercise that part of your brain. It may have lain dormant since school! |
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Being given a calculator doesn't mean you have to use it. Some questions can be done more quickly in your head.
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Verbal Reasoning Tests
These test your verbal skills. You are given passages to read and asked questions about them.
If the role you're applying for requires understanding complex written information or writing reports, you should expect this test.
How can you improve your performance in this test? Read quality newspapers - or the online equivalent. This will exercise the part of your brain that is responsible for understanding complex information. Test yourself: after reading an article, check what was actually stated vs. what you have assumed. |
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Assume nothing! Questions are often designed to catch you out if you make assumptions.
Rule of thumb: if it's not explicitly stated in the text, then it's probably not true. |
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Spatial Reasoning Tests
These are designed to test your spatial awareness - your abilty to construct images in your mind. This type of psychometric test is used less frequently than verbal or numerical reasoning.
You will normally be shown a series of abstract shapes and be asked to pick which of the answers would best fit with the series.
The idea is that it tests a useful branch of strategic intelligence. |
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Don't stress if you get one of these tests. You can either do them or you can't. It simply depends how your brain works. Just do your best and don't let it impact any other aspect of your job interview.
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How Are They Marked?
Results are "standardised", which means your mark is compared to a large group of similar people and you're given a mark based on how your performance compares to theirs.
Marks depend on both on the number of correct answers and the number of questions you attempted. It's critical not to guess. Few people will answer all the questions, so don't worry if you run out of time.
The multiple choice answers often include the most common incorrect answers, so double-check your response.
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Personality Profiling Tests
These are used as an indicator of the type of personality you have, so the recruiter can predict your behaviour.
Opinion varies on the validity of these tests, but employers seem to like them.
The key is to give your gut response. Don't think too much about your answer. Don't get hung up on "that depends..."
How can you improve your performance on this test? It's not really a question about improving your performance - it's more about being aware of how others see you. Doing a sample personality profile (free from PeopleMaps) to get feedback can help you predict any tricky areas and address them in the interview. |
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There's little you can do to influence the results of a well-designed test. They have built-in lie detectors, so don't try to pretend you're someone you're not - you'll get caught out.
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Extra Resources For Psychometric Tests |
People Maps offer a FREE personality profile report for job seekers.
It takes 10 minutes to do and will give you valuable insight into how you come across in a personality test. This can give you an advantage over other candidates.
We suggest you give it a go, to discover what an interviewer will think about you!
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Extra Resource: Find out more about psychometric tests and download practice tests at Psychometric Success
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SHL is a major player in the psychometric test world. Check out their practice psychometric tests, to get a feel for what to expect.
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Next: Part 3 - Group Exercises & Assessment Centres
The Jekyll and Hyde of the job interview process? |
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