Psychometric tests

Practice is the key to success when it comes to psychometric tests, take a look at what you can expect and prepare for whatever is thrown at you

What is a psychometric test?

Graduate psychometric tests help to identify your skills, knowledge and personality. They're often used during the preliminary screening stage, or as part of an聽assessment centre.

They're objective, convenient and strong indicators of job performance - making them very popular with large graduate recruiters.

The majority of psychometric testing is online, though some paper questionnaires remain. Most tests are timed, but some can be completed in multiple sittings.

Are there different types of psychometric tests?

Personality tests

These explore your interests, values and motivations, analysing how your character fits with the role and organisation. They analyse your emotions, behaviours and relationships in a variety of situations.

You'll usually be presented with statements describing various ways of feeling or acting, and asked to record how much you agree on a two, five or seven-point scale. There are no right or wrong answers - this, plus the fact that enforced pressure reduces accuracy and discourages honesty, means that personality tests aren't typically completed under exam conditions.

While there's generally no time limit, you should expect to spend between 15 and 30 minutes answering anything from 50 to 200 questions, usually online.

Aptitude tests

These tests assess your reasoning or cognitive ability, determining whether you've got the right skillset for a role. Administered under exam conditions, you'll often be given one minute to answer each multiple choice question. Your intelligence levels are compared to a standard, meaning that you must achieve a certain score to pass. Common tests include:

numerical reasoning
verbal reasoning
logical/abstract reasoning.

Numerical reasoning

These tests assess your interpretation of charts, graphs, data or statistics, investigating your ability to deal with numbers quickly and accurately. Numerical reasoning tests may also challenge your knowledge of rates, trends, ratios, percentages and currency conversions.

Verbal reasoning

Your understanding of written information, evaluation of arguments, and communication of concepts is being tested here. You must read short passages of text before answering questions that assess your comprehension. Verbal psychometric tests challenge your ability to think constructively and use written information to construct accurate conclusions. Some tests also assess your spelling and grammar.

Abstract reasoning

This is your chance to demonstrate your ability to learn new things quickly. Abstract reasoning tests measure your ability to identify a set of rules and apply them to a new situation, judging how well you follow information or spot patterns. Questions often consist of a series of pictures, each of which is slightly different. You must then choose another picture from a number of options to complete the series. These aptitude tests are particularly common for IT, science and engineering roles.

Situational judgement tests

These give you a hypothetical work-related situation and ask you to choose a preferred course of action from a list of options. You may be asked to choose the most and least effective response, rate the responses in order of effectiveness or choose only the most effective course of action, so make sure you read the instructions carefully.

How do I prepare for a psychometric test?

The best way to prepare is to practise so that you're familiar with the format and the questions you鈥檒l be asked. Some companies use specific test providers and if you know which one it is, you can prepare more specifically. These tests are often time-pressured so familiarity will help reduce stress and boost speed. Try to simulate the real test by setting a timer and working through full-length practice sessions.

After you've done a practice test you need to review your mistakes. It's important to understand why you got a question wrong. From this you can learn shortcuts or techniques to improve. Do more than one test and track your progress over multiple practice tests.

Make sure you've read the job description, know what the employer is looking for and how the test you're taking will measure this.

You also need to sharpen your core skills. For numerical reasoning brush up on percentages, ratios, basic algebra, and interpreting charts. For verbal reasoning practice reading comprehension and logical deduction. While abstract/logical reasoning preparation should be pattern recognition exercises.

How long do psychometric tests last?

The length of a psychometric test will vary depending on the type and purpose of the test but as a rough guide:

Aptitude tests - 15 to 60 minutes
Personality tests - 15 to 40 minutes
Situational judgment tests - 20 to 45 minutes
Emotional intelligence tests - 30 to 60 minutes.

How do I pass a psychometric test?

Manage your time - Don't spend too long on one question. Work briskly and accurately, omitting any questions that you don't understand.
Be honest in personality tests - Trying to cheat a personality test can backfire as 聽consistency checks are built-in. Think about how you'd behave at work, not socially. Stay authentic but professional.
Stay calm and focused - Sleep well the night before. On the day use noise-cancelling headphones or a quiet space if online. Make sure you read instructions carefully before starting.

Can I practice psychometric tests?

Your university careers and employability service may provide psychometric test training. Some large graduate recruiters also provide practice testing and advice on passing psychometric tests. For advice, information and free psychometric tests visit:

Do all jobs require a psychometric test?

No, not all jobs require a psychometric test but they are increasingly common, especially in competitive or high responsibility industries such as:

Banking and finance - investment analysts, risk managers and auditors.
Consulting - strategy consultants and analysts.
Engineering and technology - developers, engineers and data scientists.
Law - trainee solicitors and paralegals.

They are also commonly used by large organisations to recruit for graduate schemes across all industries.