An increasing number of employers are incorporating psychometric tests into their recruitment processes to help scope out the right people for their organisation. (Before we dive into the different types of psychometric tests, you might like to read our introduction to psychometric testing.)
There are various different types of psychometric tests, but all of them measure some element of cognitive ability or personality; verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning, personality questionnaires and situational judgement tests are some of the most common in graduate recruitment.
You may also come across the terms Ability and Aptitude tests in the world of online testing. What's important to understand, to avoid confusion, is that the differences between these terms are ill-defined and often used interchangeably with psychometric testing.
Numerical reasoning
As you have probably guessed, numerical reasoning tests measure a candidate's ability to understand, analyse and draw conclusions from numerical data.
Think addition, subtraction, long division, multiplication, percentages and ratios, fractions, charts, tables and graphs.
You will most likely be presented with multiple choice questions and will be required to complete the test in a strict time-limit – so you might want to brush up on your numeracy skills beforehand.
Many STEM jobs involve working with numbers and data, so you're very likely to come across numerical reasoning tests when applying for opportunities.
Verbal reasoning
Again, the clue is in the name: this kind of test assesses your verbal comprehension, reasoning and logic – for example, your ability to comprehend the correct meaning from written material, analyse the rationality of information, arrange sentences in a logical order, etc.
Comprehending language underpins many key workplace skills – notably effective communication – and is relevant in all kinds of working environments. Therefore, verbal reasoning tests are very common in graduate recruitment, particularly when companies are looking for future leaders in their graduate cohorts.
Logic-based reasoning
Inductive, deductive, logical, abstract, diagrammatic and non-verbal reasoning, as well as critical thinking, are all logic-based tests. They measure your ability to problem-solve, interpret data, find connections, identify patterns, think broadly and work through different possibilities in your head.
For this reason, logic-based reasoning tests are particularly popular for roles of an engineering or technical nature. Familiarising yourself with different logic-based reasoning tests will help reduce stress and allow you to approach the task with a clearer idea of what is being measured.
Personality tests
Employers use psychometric tests to scope out the right people.
Employers use personality tests as a way of predicting how a candidate will think, act and interact with others in the workplace. Often, the personality traits being measured will depend on the competencies required for the job, but will most likely be underpinned by one or more of the five core personality traits: extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness and neuroticism.
The purpose of personality tests is to find candidates that would best fit the role, which is why it's important to be true to yourself. If you try to second-guess what traits the employer is looking for, you might end up in a role that doesn't suit you at all. And neither you nor the employer wants that!
Designed to identify inconsistencies in your answers, personality tests often ask the same question multiple times in different ways. They are particularly effective when gamified, as employers can observe personality and behaviour in action, rather than relying on a candidate’s authenticity and accurate self-awareness when answering questions.
Situational Judgement Tests (SJTs)
SJTs assess decision-making and judgement by presenting candidates with a range of workplace scenarios and asking them how they would act/respond. Answers can be displayed in numerous ways, but in most cases, you will have to choose your most-to-least likely response to the situation.
Employers can tailor SJT's to the role and gain a good idea of how candidates will respond to situations that they are very likely to encounter; this is key to identifying the best person for the job.
SJTs may be text-only, video, audio or animation. Again, they are extremely effective when combined with game-based elements.
And lastly…
While there are other psychometric tests out there, these are the ones you are most likely to encounter during degree apprenticeship, placement/internship and graduate recruitment processes.
Now that you can distinguish between the different types of assessment, you should feel more at ease with the test format and find it easier to identify what is being measured. This will help you to respond naturally and complete the assessment to the best of your ability.
Many employers and test providers are combining traditional psychometric tests with game-based elements to create more engaging and data-rich assessments. To find out more about gamified psychometric tests, see Gamification in Graduate Recruitment.
