Psychometric Tests and How to Master it

• We will look at what psychometric testes are
• Types of psychometric tests
• Literature review
• How to pass psychometric tests

As you develop yourself and advance on the career ladder, there are several tests you will come accross. Some tests are essential for work, such as the Belbin Test. The Belbin test shows which type of team member you are. It can be beneficial when creating project groups. Today’s article is not about the Belbin test. Instead, the psychometric tests are the chosen topic. What do you know about Psychometric Tests?

What is Psychometric testing?

Psychometric tests are engaged to accurately identify your skills, depth of knowledge, and predict personality types. These tools are often engaged during the preliminary screening employment stage. The test is seen to be objective, easy to use, and functional predictors of job performance.

Graduate Psychometric testing is mainly used in the recruitment process. It is viewd by many as an efficient way to understand one’s personality and gain psychological thinking. It helps to understand the priorities of team members and how they fit.

This type of test is usually an office organization procedure, but the test itself is performed everywhere. Many are processed online using software applications. The test only takes about 15 minutes, although depending on the depth of the analysis, it may take longer. There are tests to assess sales opportunities, management styles, and social personality traits.

Psychological testing can be used in the development or selection process in operation. Several companies around the world use psychometrics on new or potential employees. The results of the tests give management an idea of how the employee fits into company ideals and policies. After the test is performed, it takes about 5-10 seconds to get the results.

The results of psychological tests are usually published in book form or sent and printed by email. This form of testing uses depth-psychological profiles to assess personality and intellectual level.

Types of psychometric testing

Some distinct psychometric tests are used in selecting graduates. The measure of personality and Aptitude is the most common

Personality tests review an individual’s Motivations, Value system, interests, and helps employers identify how you fit into their working environments. They test your reactions and respond to various situations.

Aptitude tests usually assess your thinking or reasoning capabilities, whether you are fit for a role. Participants are tested and times to perform specific tasks within the shortest possible time. You must achieve some level of score to fit the requirements. Common tests include:

• diagrammatic reasoning
• error checking
• numerical reasoning
• spatial reasoning
• verbal reasoning.

Psychometric tests has 3 distinct categries . Ability testing predicts a person’s ability to learn new skills or cope with the pressures of a particular task. Fitness testing is also work-related but focuses on specific job areas and how the test taker would perform in a particular role. Personality testing covers the emotional component of individuals and how they react to different issues. It can determine how the test taker would associate with someone of the opposite personality and proposes to management how to get the best results from someone with a particular type of personality.

Psychometric testing includes a wide range of skills and implementations. There are special team building weekends where people are judged in role-playing and social events. Testing can also be used for applications such as mentoring individuals or setting employees with a “life coach” to guide them to work-related issues and how to treat them.

With psychometric testing, there is no official method. Several testing companies have their ways of testing. Usually, there are multiple sets of questions regarding the type of personality, how the test taker would handle aspects of work and private life, what his or her goals are for the future, and his or her strengths and weaknesses. If the test taker is truthful, then the results should be reasonably accurate.

As with any form of testing, psychometric tests are open to abuse. People can answer what they think their employer would like instead of hearing the truth. If you are considering psychometric-related testing, you should always make sure that qualified psychologists perform the tests. You should also ask if the company is certified or accredited by a national or regional board of psychologists. Reputable companies will not hesitate to offer these very difficult to come by credentials.

How to pass a psychometric aptitude test

• Answer as many during practice – These are online tests, so we advise you to start practicing them on your laptop. As you practice more, you get a good understanding of what it means and be able to deduce tricks to answering them
• Get there Prepared – Some assessment centers will provide the tools you need, but you should get there prepared. Go with plain paper, calculators, rule, pen, etc
• Read through the instructions – Understanding the instructions are part of the test. Pay attention to what you are being asked to do, How many minutes per session.
• Keep an eye on the time – These tests are all about the number’s game. You should know how long you should spend on each question and when stuck more one.

Group differences

There are many statistically significant differences in average scale scores between men and women, between age groups and also between levels of education. However, these differences are never great in an absolute sense. Typically, even the most significant differences between groups yield only one point difference.

Differences due to decrease of context

How someone describes themselves is influenced by the context in which the test is taken. For example, people who prepare for an assessment, score slightly lower on the dimension of Emotionality and somewhat higher on the dimension Conscientiousness. For the other dimensions, there are no significant differences. Such differences widen as the context becomes more serious. If this test is taken with this standard group in a recruitment and selection setting, this can produce a distorted picture. After all, someone in such an environment can and will probably, actively try to paint a picture of himself as positive as possible. The extent of such effects is a-priori not to say. Usually, they are large enough to eventually create a separate standard group for recruitment and selection settings.

Interpretation group differences

All the differences found should be seen in the light of their coherence. For example, age differences also coincide with generational differences. And differences between levels of education can be partly caused by differences in age; after all, someone who is 16 years old usually will not yet be on a college, let alone have completed a University. In summary, age, in particular, seems to be a factor that causes differences in average scale scores. It is advisable to pay attention to this when this test is taken. But overall, the differences found between groups based on gender, education level, and age are never significant in an absolute sense. When this test is taken in a recruitment and selection setting, it should be taken into account; otherwise, respondents can actively try to paint a more positive picture of themselves. That could distort the results.

Group differences by dimension

Dimension ‘Extraversion’

This dimension consists of the ‘Accessible’, ‘Sociable’ scales, ‘Assertive and dominant’, ‘Energetic’, ‘Tension Need’, and ‘Cheerfulness’.

People who score high on this dimension are more focused on things and people around them lower performers; they are more inward-looking.

Men and women score on average, the same on this dimension. This also applies to people of different ages. Secondary school graduates seem to score slightly lower on average on this dimension than higher educated people, but this difference is hardly significant.

Dimension’ Emotionality’

This dimension consists of ‘Worrisome’, ‘Irritation’, ‘Depression’, ‘Not confident’, ‘Uninhibited’ and ‘Vulnerability’.

People who are more sensitive than others score higher on this dimension. Women score, on average, slightly higher than men on this dimension as a whole. However, the average difference in the dimension as a whole is a maximum of one ‘standard nine’ point. This overall difference can be seen at virtually all scales of this dimension. Only in the ‘Depression’ scale is this difference between men and women not significant.

Secondary-educated people score slightly lower than higher educated people. This effect is significant enough to mention, especially since this difference can be found on all the underlying scales of this dimension. Young people score higher on ‘Worrying’ than older people. As people get older, they score lower on “Not Confident.” The score on ‘Depression’ is age-dependent. The score on ‘Depression’ also decreases as people get older.

Dimension ‘Conscientiousness’

This dimension consists of ‘Effective’, ‘Orderliness’, ‘Dutiful’, ‘Performance Oriented’, Self-Starter’ and ‘Cautious’.

This dimension has a lot to do with how people stand about work and tasks. Depending on a specific job or function, high or low scores are favorable on these scales.

On this dimension as a whole and also on the underlying scales, there are no significant differences between men and women. On average, secondary school graduates score a tiny bit lower on this dimension. Between groups of different ages, there are only small differences. As people get older, they score slightly higher on most scales of “Conscientiousness.” This is then mainly visible on ‘Performance Orientation’ and clearer on the ‘Self Starter’ scale.

Dimension ‘Accommodating’

This dimension consists of the scales’ Trust’, ‘Integrity and sincerity’, ‘Caring’, ‘Mild and forgiving’, ‘Modesty,’ and ‘Pity’.

Women usually score just a little higher on this dimension. This is primarily caused by a slightly higher score of women on the scales’ Integrity and sincere’ and ‘Pity’. On ‘Accommodating’ there are no differences as a function of the level of education. As people get older, they score a little higher on ‘Mild and forgiving’.

Dimension ‘Openness’

This dimension consists of the scales’ Fantasy’, ‘Art and nature-loving’, ‘Understanding emotions’, ‘Variation Need’, ‘Intellect’, and ‘Not Conservative’.

On this dimension as a whole, there is no difference between men and women. Women score a little higher on ‘Understanding emotions’. A small variation on the dimension ‘Openness’ is mainly devoted to a slightly higher score of highly educated people on the ‘Intellect’ scale. There are no significant differences between the different age groups.