Psychometric Testing

A guide for job applicants

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If your potential employer is asking you to complete a pre-employment assessment, this is a good thing.

It means that they are taking pains to evaluate candidates with different backgrounds fairly and objectively, and to make well considered selection decisions. 

It's also a very good indicator that you are applying to an organisation that will be great to work for,  where you will enjoy the company of high calibre colleagues who are good at their jobs.

The Process

Testing may be done online or in person, or a combination of both.  Either way, when you undertake an assessment with Insight Matters you have nothing to fear.  Your Psychologist will make you comfortable and put you at ease, with no nasty surprises or trick questions!

It's not necessary to prepare in any special way, except perhaps to remind yourself of common mathematical concepts, such as how percentages work.  You will not need any special knowledge, or even general knowledge, to do well.

This is because at Insight Matters you will only do applied tests which assess your ability to handle information similar to that which you will encounter in the real world of work.

Depending on the depth of assessment your potential employer has asked us to do, the process may require anywhere from 90 minutes to 5 or 6 hours of your time.  Typically it's about 3 hours.  You may be asked to do a combination of exercise, such as:

• Numerical reasoning

• Verbal comprehension

• Task simulation exercises

• Occupational personality profiling

• Interview with a Corporate Psychologist

It's sensible to sleep well the night before and eat healthily – plenty of protein, vegetables and no sugar – so that your mind is clear and energised on the day.

Be yourself

Some candidates worry that they should present a different persona.  Don't.  If you believe that you are a good fit for the role, then being 'you' is the best way to perform well and secure the position.

Afterwards

Your assessment is unlikely to make or break your application by itself.  At the end, results will be submitted to your potential employer, who will consider them in combination with:

• Your experience

• Their interviews with you

• Comments from your referees

• The unique requirements of the role in question

• The level of training they can provide

• The availability of other skilled candidates

Once you have been informed of the decision, you have the option to receive feedback on your test results.

If you join the organisation this may be quite extensive, but even if you don't you can still receive some feedback over the phone from the psychologist who assessed you.

Good luck!