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Psychometric tests are now a common part of the assessment of job applicants. The term covers both ability or aptitude tests and personality questionnaires.
Individual psychometric tests can be used to assess a number of attributes. Some evaluate your reasoning abilities and skills, whereas others look at your preferences and likely responses or judgements in different situations.
The tests that employers use will have been carefully researched and trialled to ensure that they provide valid and reliable assessment of the people who take them. For example, properly developed tests will have clearly understood indicators for the accuracy and reliability of the test-taker’s score, and a known range of uncertainty. A candidate’s score will be evaluated against the results of a large, representative ‘norm group’ which has been used to calibrate the test scores: in graduate recruitment situations the ‘norm group’ may well be a sample of recent graduates or even the company’s previous hires into the positions applied to.
The companies that develop the psychometric tests will have provided information to the recruiting firms on the use and limitations of each test.
Employers frequently combine assessment methods to help identify candidates with the greatest likelihood of future success in the role and at that organisation. Psychometric tests are one of the tools they use to assess specific skills which the organisation considers most relevant and are a cost-efficient way to evaluate a large number of applicants. They offer recruiters a high-capacity tool, relatively free from bias, which can be used to make more accurate and objective assessments of candidates’ skills.
You can come across psychometric tests at a number of places in a recruitment process. Early in the process they can be used to screen large numbers of candidates, but will usually be used alongside evaluation of a candidate’s written application. Companies that use tests for screening purposes should set their ‘pass’ mark conservatively to avoid screening-out high calibre candidates (false-negatives).
It is not uncommon for candidates to complete psychometric tests at a later stage as well. For example, some organisations will re-test candidates at an assessment centre, or may use specific tests that relate directly to the kind of positions sought (e.g. coding aptitude tests for software developer roles; spatial reasoning tests for engineering roles). These later tests will be just one point of evidence and a less-than-ideal performance on one tests may be compensated for by a good performance in other selection exercises.
Ability tests, sometime called aptitude tests, seek to assess either your logical reasoning or thinking performance, usually in verbal, numerical or abstract reasoning. They are neither tests of general knowledge nor of intelligence.
Tests will usually consist of a timed series of multiple-choice questions, and be computer-based. For tests of ability, candidates need to work both quickly and accurately and the tests are often designed so that few candidates will get to the end, so do not worry if you cannot complete every question.
The section below on preparing for specific test types includes more details about the kind of content you can expect to meet when taking ability tests.
Personality questionnaires explore the way you tend to react to, or prefer to deal with, different situations. They are ‘self-report’ questionnaires and, unlike aptitude tests, there are no right or wrong answers, and tend not to be completed against a time limit. Your profile is based on your responses to questions or statements linked to personality factors, such as how you relate to other people, your ability to deal with your own and others’ emotions, your motivations, determination and general outlook. They capture information about your preferences and behaviour, and can be used to clarify which fields of work and what kind of role(s) someone may find intrinsically satisfying.
Personality profiles are not generally used for selection, although occasionally they may be used as the basis for discussions in an interview to understand your motivation and work habits. This is because recruiters should not be looking for a rigid or ‘typical’ personality profile for a specific role. Whilst certain characteristics may be more or less appropriate for particular jobs or organisations the fact is that a mix of types is good for any part of an organisation, and people are frequently able to apply themselves and succeed by consciously behaving outside their core personality type; for example, a large proportion of highly successful actors are natural introverts, which at first may appear counter-intuitive.
Companies may use a personality test to identify which of the many different roles or positions available might be the best fit for you, and a few offer a test on their career pages which you can take (without fear of being evaluated) to help you make that judgement for yourself.
Similarly, the Careers Service recommends personality based tools to help people explore career ideas. Sometimes the insights gained from the test(s) provide enough direction to help the job-seeker move forwards, however we also encourage people who have used a personality test or our own Oxford Careers Compass to discuss their ideas and insights in one-to-one meeting with a careers adviser.
The careers service also offers a monthly three-hour group session on understanding your personal style using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), which we consider most appropriate for researchers and alumni. These are led by our Alumni Adviser, and there is usually a charge attached to cover the costs of the MBTI test. Details can be found on the event calendar on CareerConnect .
The best way to approach personality questionnaires is to answer them as straightforwardly and honestly as you can. Trying to second-guess what the employer or questionnaire is looking for is difficult, and can be counter-productive because tests will also evaluate the internal consistency of your answers and anyone trying to ‘game the test’ is likely to have their results red-flagged as unreliable (and therefore, unusable). Even if you do successfully mislead the tool and the recruiters, it’s worth considering whether you actually want to take on a job which is unlikely to really suit you and your preferred style.
Situational judgement or critical thinking tests are used by many recruiters to assess candidates’ judgement when solving work-related problems. Candidates are presented with work-related scenarios and asked to choose the most effective option (and sometimes the least effective as well) from a selection of possible responses, or are asked to rank all the suggested responses in order of effectiveness.
Typically candidates are advised that the best way to approach these tests is to consider the detailed implications of the possible responses and then make an honest judgement, rather than trying to second guess the “best” response. However, it is worth remembering that you are taking a ‘Judgement’ test for a specific organisation. That is, there is a context for the test and the preferred answers may well have been determined by senior leaders or experts within the company to ensure that these properly reflect the organisation’s values and culture.
One quirk that derives from this is that these tests are not definitively about right and wrong. Answers that may rule you ‘out’ of the recruitment process for one organisation or job function may well keep you ‘in’ for a different organisation or function. For example, what may be required of someone seeking a business development or sales role in a highly competitive industry will be different from someone applying to service oriented role in say the healthcare sector.
Our consistent advice is that job seekers should make a relatively small number of well researched highly tailored applications rather than a large number of generic and relatively poorly researched applications. In preparing for SJTs for example, we recommend candidates try to get under the skin of the firm – to understand who they are, how they see themselves and what that might mean in relation to the people they choose to hire and promote. Look at all of the advice on the company’s website.
If you can, meet people at career fairs and presentations – or through your networking – ask them about the organisation’s culture. Seek examples that show:
Usually you will also be given the chance to take some practice questions (and examine the answers) before taking any of these tests, providing another opportunity to get an insight into the company’s way of thinking. If you get the practice questions right, then great – but for any you get wrong, review your answer against their answer with a view to understanding the subtleties of how the organisation’s stated values and competencies are reflected in that choice.
Some organisations provide practice questions anyone can try and then review your answers (e.g., Diageo and the Civil Service Fast Stream), but remember, different firms with a different context and ethos may make different judgements and so one-size will not fit every organisation.
Psychologists, recruiters and game developers are beginning to introduce new kinds of games into the recruitment mix to assess traits that companies believe reflect additional facets of future performance. These might include:
It is possible that you will have encountered some of these apps or games that you have played for fun, rather than in a recruitment scenario. Some examples that you can try to get a sense of what may be involved include Metro Trains Melbourne’s “Dumb Ways to Die” and the MENSA Brain training app (free 7 day trial) – if you find others, please let us know.
You can and should prepare for the tests you will be asked to complete during applications.
Psychometric tests assess your ‘potential’ rather than your ‘knowledge’ and are designed so that they are not evaluating your knowledge of specific ‘content’. The challenge is to work both quickly and accurately in the test so that you can demonstrate your maximum potential.
The primary goals for practice are to become familiar with each test’s style and to hone your test-technique so that during the test you focus your time and attention where it is needed, on finding the solutions rather than deciphering the test’s methodology.That is, practice and preparation will help you to:
Many tests are designed so that few people will complete all the questions, and may get harder as you go through them. Some computer-based tests also include adaptive questioning, so that the difficulty of the next questions increases or decreases according to whether you got the previous question correct, which allows the test to more accurately pinpoint each individual’s maximum level of performance.
If you are completely new to a test type or style you can expect practice to help you improve quickly at first. As you become familiar with the test you will need less time to decode how questions work and you can focus you time and energy on seeking the answers. However, once this familiarisation is completed, your test performance will begin to approach your maximal level of performance. With less and less scope for your performance to improve further, expect to find that additional time practising will provide diminishing returns.
How much time any individual should invest in practising any specific type of test will be a personal decision, but we’d encourage students to monitor their performance as they practise. Make a judgement about whether ‘that last 15 or 30 minutes practice’ has actually helped to improve your score or understanding of the test. For some, an hour or two will be sufficient to master one particular test type, and further hours spent doing more of the same will not be particularly beneficial. The same person may also find they need more practice on a different test type.
The only caveat to this is that we recommend candidates should always complete the practice questions offered by the company applied to because these are the last chance to double-check you will not be faced by a new style of question that you have not practised.
Since the beginning of September 2018 the Careers Service has provided free access to a very extensive range of practice material provided by JobTestPrep. This service covers pretty much the full spectrum of recruitment psychometric tests and also includes practice materials specifically developed to mirror the tests used by individual named companies.
Matriculated students and alumni must apply to the Careers Service for an Access Code. This will give you 12 months free access to the site from the first time that you log in with the code. You should not share your code with anyone else. To requests a code, sign-in to your Oxford CareerConnect account and submit a query via the Queries tab using the title: Request for JobTestPrep Access Code.
An additional free resource offering a whole bank of tests is provided for us by Practice Aptitude Tests. To access this service, you must register using an Oxford University email address (i.e. one ending .ox.ac.uk), and this can be used by University staff and others who do not have access to Career Connect. Additional free resources on the web are included in the External Resources section.
If you prefer video to reading, there is a new free series of short training videos online with 12 Minute Prep that will help you understand the variety of cognitive ability tests you are likely to encounter most frequently. The videos also provide tips on how to prepare for each test type. Whilst the videos may be helpful, we recommend you also undertake some focused practice to deepen and reinforce your learning.
The companies that develop and sell tests also often provide access to free practice tests using questions that are still in development. However, whilst you will get an overall score on your test performance you will not normally be able to review responses question-by-question against the correct answers because the companies may want to use these questions in live assessment tests at a later date.
Remember that, unless a job requires a very high level of numeracy, numerical tests are not likely to be pitched higher than GCSE-level maths. Different test will include different elements, but expect tests to include:
If you are unsure about your maths, or you are worried that your mental maths is a bit rusty, it will certainly also help if your start exercising your maths brain, and practise core mental arithmetic skills as well as with a calculator. In Michaelmas Term, the Careers Service offers workshops on preparing for tests and improving your maths skills, but you can make a start by playing mathematical games and puzzles and setting yourself challenges as you go through your day:
Also, seek out data tables and graphs, for example by reading financial reports and studying charts in the quality/financial press. One accessible starting point is the FT’s weekly Chart that tells a Story: sign up for free access using your Bodleian Library membership. Practise understanding these data sources quickly, for example by using titles, checking the labelling on axes and the other information provided to understand the information presented through the table/graph, the units and timescales covered, and so on.
In the tests themselves, the data tables and graphs used tend not be to massively complicated. For example, you may be given pricing information for four or five products and a graph showing sales volumes for each product over five or six months. The questions may range from simple (e.g. Which product was sold most in March?) to more complex and requiring some quick calculations (e.g. Which product showed the greatest percentage increase in sales revenues between May and June?).
There is quite a range of question types you can encounter for verbal reasoning skills. The most frequently used are tests of comprehension and logical reasoning which assess your reading accuracy, your ability to extract information, and capacity to accurately judge whether or not the information provided allows you to identify subsequent statements as true or false, or if you have insufficient information.
Other tests may be a test of vocabulary and verbal dexterity, or ask you to identify and correct errors, and so it is worth knowing a few definitions, (e.g. what are antonyms; synonyms; homonyms) and being clear on differences between words and phrases that are commonly confused or misspelled (their/there; whether/weather; your/you’re; it’s/its)
Use the free resources sign-posted above to practice the range of tests to discover your strengths. Beyond this, reading unfamiliar academic and business journals, manuals and technical reports may help, and you can practise extracting and summarising the main points from passages of information.
You can be asked to do a test online in your own time, or in a formal test-setting as part of an assessment day, and don’t be surprised if you are re-tested at an assessment centre as this is quite common. If you have a disability which may affect your capacity to access the test fairly, you can expect the employer to make reasonable adjustments, but you will need to let them know this in advance of the session. See the section below for a fuller explanation.
Our advice to all candidates is:
If you do finish early on a paper and pencil test it can be useful to quickly check over over your answers again – but with an online test, the system may record how quickly you took the test as well and finishing early (without losing accuracy) tells the assessors something extra about your core ability.
Whether it is advisable to guess if you do not know the right answer will depend on how the test is being marked, so always try to find out the marking scheme before you star to chose your strategy. Where your score is a simple count the correct answers, eliminating definitely wrong answers will improve the chances of guessing right, and quickly guessing answers to remaining questions right at the end of the test time can help lift your score. However, when wrong answers are scored negatively, it makes little sense to guess answers.
If you have not done well on a test, this does not necessarily mean that you lack ability because there can be a number of reasons for poor performance on the day. These could include feeling tired or under the weather, being unable to concentrate due to personal problems, misunderstanding what you had to do, answering questions too slowly or panicking.
Remember that it’s inevitable that some test-takes will fall short of the bar set by a particular company. Firstly, this bar may be set ‘high’, with your performance assessed against a ‘high-performing norm group’, such as the firm’s previous graduate hires or management. Secondly, where that bar is set can be expected to vary with the company itself, the number of applications received, when the test is used in the recruitment process and the quality of candidates in that pool, so falling short in one selection process does not mean you will not succeed in subsequent applications.
If you are concerned, you may decide that further practice will be sufficient, or decide to undertake some specific development work to further develop particular abilities or skills. In Michaelmas Term the Careers Service will run one or two preparation sessions, and at any point you may want to discuss your test technique with a Careers Adviser.
A number of major graduate recruiters have policies and processes that are proactive in recruiting students and graduates from diverse backgrounds. To find out the policies and attitudes of employers that you are interested in, explore their equality and diversity policies and see if they are a Disability Confident employer or are recognised for their policy by such indicators as ‘Mindful Employer’ or as a ‘Stonewall’s Diversity Champion’.
Psychometric tests can be useful to counteract the biases inherent in other evaluative techniques, such as interviews, because everyone who takes a psychometric test is given an equivalent assessment, and takes them under the same conditions. However, to ensure that tests are fair and to provide a ‘level playing field’ for everyone, most companies will make reasonable adjustments where candidates have a disclosed disability. These adjustment may be similar to those you can expect for your academic work, such as allowing time to sit the test, setting a lower pass mark, providing a personal reader/writer or signer, or providing specialised equipment (e.g. loop systems/Braille keyboards).
The UK law protects you from discrimination due to your age, gender, race, religion or beliefs, disability or sexual orientation. For further information on the Equality Act 2010 and to find out where and how you are protected, and what to do if you feel you have been discriminated against, visit the Government’s website on discrimination.
If English is not your first language, you may be anxious about the effect this might have on your performance in psychometric tests, in particular in verbal reasoning tests. While recruiters may take your concerns about your level of English into account, different companies will be more or less flexible about this. Test providers sometimes give employers an idea of the extent to which language ability may affect scores. Remember though that good English language ability will be important to them for working in the UK, and so compensation for lack of ability in this area is likely to be minimal.
The Careers Service has a partnerships with JobTestPrep to provide matriculated students and alumni with free access to a very extensive range of practice material provided. The JobTestPrep resources include not only the core numerical, verbal and abstract reasoning tests, but also extensive resources for Situational Judgement Tests; the Waston Glaser tests (frequently used by law firms); practice e-tray exercises; and an expanding number of practice tests designed to match tests used by specific employers. Apply for your personal Access Code via the Queries tab in CareerConnect.
An additional free resource offering a whole bank of tests to anyone registering with an Oxford University email address (i.e. one ending .ox.ac.uk) is provided for us by Practice Aptitude Tests.
Many employers who use these tests also offer practice versions on their own websites, and we recommend you use these to practise and prepare too if applying to that particular employer.
Other advice and free sites you can use include the following, but please note that inclusion of a resource here is not carry any endorsement of the content or quality of the materials offered as we are not able to evaluate all the providers listed.
The University of Oxford Careers Service will be participating in this year’s #oxopendays. Whether you have no idea what to do after graduation, are beginning to have some ideas, or know exactly what you want to do once you’ve finished university, we at the Careers Service are here to help guide and support you to achieve your career ambitions in whatever type of job that is.
Come and learn more about how we work with and support students at:
Find out more about the University of Oxford Open Days here >>
The Careers Service will remain open throughout the summer vacation and you can come in to have a 1:1 discussion with a Careers Adviser as normal; our advice appointments are available to book on CareerConnect. However, if you are not in Oxford during the vacation, you can still get careers advice.
If you would like to have a discussion by telephone or Skype while you are out of Oxford, you can book a Short Discussion appointment and email us to say you would like the appointment to be over the telephone, or via Skype.
The Careers Service also offers e-guidance during the vacation period. If you have a careers advice question, you can mail it to guidance@careers.ox.ac.uk. A Careers Adviser will normally reply to your email within two working days. We will run this service from Monday 1 July until Wednesday 2 October (but please note that outside of this period the service is not offered and emails will not be monitored).
If you require any further clarification of our services, or have a specific enquiry, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us: reception@careers.ox.ac.uk or telephone 01865 274646.
When: Tuesday 18 June, 13:00-14:00
Where: The Careers Service
Book your place >>
A career in academia can be very rewarding, but how do you go about establishing yourself as an academic in such a competitive job market?
Our two seminar speakers will share their experiences of getting the first academic job and give insights on what it takes – besides a PhD and a developing list of publications – to succeed. There will be an opportunity to ask your own questions. Feel free to bring your lunch with you.
We know that many of you have internships coming up over the summer, so what better way to prepare for them than attending a workshop dedicated to making the most out of your time whilst there?
Then join our Internship Office’s Making the Most of Your Internship workshop.
Where:Â The Careers Service
When:Â Wednesday 19 June, 14:00-15:30
Spaces are limited, to book here.
Through this workshop, we will explore ways in which you can maximise the opportunities on offer through your placement. Whilst the workshop will be geared towards those undertaking placements through our Micro-Internship and Summer Internship Programmes, this workshop will be open to everyone to attend.
Pride Month has been recognised since 1970, one year after the Stonewall Rebellion which took place on 28 June 1969, commemorating the impact the riots had had on society. There are many events happening nationally but a key event is on Saturday, 1 June with Oxford Pride. Oxford Pride is a celebration of lesbian, gay, bi, trans, intersex and queer life in Oxfordshire and the day has a parade at mid-day followed by lots of entertainment and stalls.
The Careers Service is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion and aims to provide resources and services specifically to meet the varying needs of its users. There are key resources that you might find useful when trying to work out what the work culture of an organisation might be. Check out who are the Top 100 Employers 2019 for LGBT people and other resources at Stonewall.
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