What is a Psychometric Test? It’s an instrument attempting to find out about individual differences: personal characteristics underlying actions, possible future behaviour, how good you are at something compared with other groups of people.

 

But they look like quizzes in magazines

True. Some use simple right/wrong questions. Some ask you to chose the one out of three or four responses which best reflects your views. Others, however, will show you shapes, numbers, pictures – even the famous ink blots that open Frasier. For many there are is no right or wrong, just answers that reflect your individuality. Whatever you see, the difference between a good psychometric test and a quiz is what lies behind the test: over 100 years of theory, data gathered on other people, complex statistical techniques and the precise way the items are worded and drawn, or ordered. Sometimes a true psychometric test does look like a quiz…but there’s a lot going on beneath the surface.

 

 

Anything going on inside you and how that affects your behaviour. They’re used on young babies to check development, in the treatment of mental illness and in rehabilitation. In businesses, they’re used to decide on recruitment, to give career counselling, to promote people and to build teams.

 

If you’re going for a job you’re likely to be given one of three types of test:

 

You might get tested for other things – ethics, values, integrity for instance – but ability and personality are the most often measured aspects of people during the recruitment process.

 

Will the test decide whether I get the job?

Not on its own, if the test is being used well. Good tests are supplied only to people trained in their use and they know that tests should NEVER be used on their own to make a decision. Tests are used as part of a process, each part of which – interviews, references, work simulations – provide different parts of the jigsaw. Tests only measure specific aspects of people and are often used to challenge subjective feelings and people’s prejudices with more objective, scientific information on your human qualities.

 

When will I be tested?

Tests are used at different stages in the recruitment process. Sometimes they’re used in conjunction with other information ( i.e. CVs ) to shortlist candidates; sometimes they’re used as part of a first interview, sometimes to generate questions for a further interview. The information they generate might be used to plan training for a potential candidate. Increasingly, you’ll find that access to the test is given via passworded sites on the internet or even on web recruitment sites. But be careful: there are some very bad tests on the internet.

 

What should I look out for?

You should take the test in a good environment where you can concentrate on it without disruptions. If you’re taking test at a company’s offices, the test administrator should put you at your ease and be happy to explain anything you’re not sure of. Check that the test looks good – it’s not a photocopy or a cheap print out. Ask questions about the test; what it’s for, how it’s being used in the process.

 

If you’re taking the test on the internet, make sure you chose a place and time where you feel comfortable, you won’t be interrupted and you have the time to finish filling it in.

 

Finally, all good test users are trained to give feedback to you on how you performed once the test has been interpreted. This should always happen because recruitment is a two way process and you have a right to understand the decision and learn a bit more about yourself.

 

 

A little bit of adrenaline helps in a lot of activities including testing. But there’s no need to be worried. Strangely, research shows that a lot of people enjoy a well-run testing process because the feedback gives them more information about themselves. Basically, tests are there to help you and the employer make good decisions.