UEL Get That Job

The term ‘psychometrics’ covers a variety of tests that are used to assess the character, strengths and weaknesses of a candidate. The tests are supposed to provide a profile of your suitability for a position; whether you are able to do a job and whether your character is suited to it. Employers often use psychometric tests to decide between a strong field of graduates.

There are two types of psychometric tests:

Aptitude tests usually have three sections, each testing a different ability, such as verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning and diagrammatic or spatial reasoning. There will typically be 30 minutes for 30 or more questions.

Personality questionnaires help to build up a profile of your characteristics and qualities. Questions typically focus on relationships, work style, emotional management, stress management and general outlook.

The Rules

• Practice! You can improve your score by familiarising yourself with typical questions.
• Take your time and don’t guess answers as this will bring down your accuracy score.
• If you get stuck, skip through the questions until you find one you can confidently answer.
• Don’t panic. Psychometric tests are almost always used with other selection methods, such as interview. If you don’t do well in the tests you can still impress the selectors in other ways.
• Be yourself. Don't try and second-guess the answers in personality tests. There are checks within questionnaires to detect whether you are giving a false picture of yourself. Neither you nor the employer will be happy if the real you is not on display at work.
• Remember, practice is key to doing well in psychometric tests.
• You can download free practice tests from:
  • www.jobtestprep.co.uk
  • www.psychometric-success.com
  • www.practicetests.co.uk