7. Psychometric tests
Recent surveys have shown that more than 50% of employers use psychometric tests as part of their recruitment procedure. These include retail chains, large banks, IT and accountancy firms.
There are mainly two types of psychometric tests being personality questionnaires and aptitude tests. Employers use these, as they appear to be more objective than just having an interview.
They:
- vary in depending on the particular aptitude the employer is looking for
- usually taken under examination conditions - to time limits
Personality Questionnaires
- These are questions that are concerned with how you do things not what you can do. They have no right or wrong answers. Employers may use the answers to spot warning signs to discuss in more detail during the interview process.
- When answering questions be yourself - don't try to guess what the employer wants to see.
Aptitude Tests
These most commonly assess your verbal and numerical reasoning.
Many aptitude tests are designed in such a way that most candidates will not complete them. If you are stuck on a question, skip it and continue to progress.
- Verbal reasoning - the understanding of phrases - try out word games and similar puzzles
- Numerical reasoning - brush up on basic mental arithmetic - calculating percentages and ratios
- Visual reasoning - testing the visual organisation skills - using various shapes and drawings requiring mental re-arrangement to enable a choice
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