Next Steps: Preparing for Psychometric Tests
MAKING SEPTEMBER COUNT
DAY 8: September 8th, 2017
It’s Day 8, and the beginning of a new week for this series. September 8th is also International Literacy Day, and while we have just concluded a series on Social Media, I should recommend a book on that area ‘The Power of Social Media’ by Victor Bella. Highly enriching! Do you have suggestions, contributions or clarifications to make? I’d be more than glad to attend to them. Please make them available to the email address or mobile number provided at the end of this article.
Previous editions of Making September Count exposed us to the preparation of vital documents to the recruiter/selector; Resumés, CVs, Motivation Letters and Cover Letters. We also had an excitingly informative three-part exposé on the relevance of Social Media to your job/career hunt. You can catch up on those by reading on my blog or my LinkedIn Profile.
Once your Resumé/CV and Cover/Motivation Letter successfully passes the hiring manager’s scrutiny, you should get an invite to attempt a Psychometric Test. It is usually a clear-cut requirement when you’re applying to graduate school, for a job or fellowship.
Psychometric Tests could show up in a number of forms; Aptitude Tests, Personality Tests and Ability Tests. They are designed to highlight information about the candidate that a normal selection interview cannot unearth, measure intellectual abilities and personality. Arguments in favour of psychometric testing posit that a candidate who cannot ace simple tests might find it difficult to put in a consistently-decent performance on the job. This is not always the case, though!
Psychometric Testing: Separating the Wheat from the Chaff. Quite a lot of HR Specialists agree that the job of talent recruitment these days is no stroll in the park. How do you proceed to eventually select 6 recruits from an initial pool of 1’500 applicants? Tests, of course! Tests are used as initial screening tools to whittle down the number of applicants to a sizeable number who can then be sent to assessment centres* and subsequently interviewed. Besides this, aptitude and personality tests particularly assists recruiters recruit talent that would fit the bill, not aberrations to company culture. You fail this initial stage of the recruitment process, and you might never be able to apply to a similar position in the company again. The Aptitude Test is the Deal Breaker!
Tick, tock chimes the Clock! The structure of the most widespread tests is such that they are computer-based and time-bound. You have to attempt a fair number of questions in so little time. A good number of the tests are organized in such a way as to discourage omissions. You have to answer the questions as quickly as possible, because there’s usually less than a minute to select an answer and move on (on the average).
Different Strokes... Generally, Aptitude tests are designed to assess your Numerical Reasoning, Verbal Comprehension, alongside General Knowledge, Spatial, Logical or Critical Analysis. A few take into consideration, your Writing Skills. These questions systematically test your ability to perform specific tasks within deadlines, and your typical response/reaction to situations. Personality tests on the other hand measure your motivation, life and work philosophy, and usually do not require wrong or right answers. Selectors principally use them to determine fit. These questions systematically test your ability to perform specific tasks within deadlines, and your typical response/reaction to situations.
Internal administration Vs. Outsourcing Arrangements. Most recruitment tests are conducted on-site the company premises. Others are conducted by third parties on behalf of their clients, but supervised by the hiring organization. There are yet some others, especially used in Graduate School applications, including TOEFL?, GMAT? and GRE? which are entirely administered and supervised by third parties, but whose results and processes are trusted by International Universities. Whichever tests you are preparing for, you need to get down to work! No use stating that they determine the success or otherwise of your application.
General Preparation Tips
Practice, Practice, Practice. This is a no-brainer. These tests are generally demanding, depending particularly on the competitiveness of the program/job you’re applying for. So many resources exist on the web; some of them mobile applications that would help you make the best of your preparation time. I strongly recommend practice tests from Job Test Prep, Aptitude Test and SHL?. I also have a bank of questions, collated over time and useful for this purpose, which you can email me to obtain. Consistency is the name of the game, so you have to set aside time regularly for drills, to achieve optimality. Research has shown that with time, you get used to the pattern of the questions, and get better at answering them.
Find out Success Criteria. You should find out the minimum scores required for you to obtain a pass, particularly in competitive graduate programs. I disclosed in a previous edition that the Harvard MBA program requires an average GMAT score of 720 (out of a possible 800 points), as it is an extremely competitive program. Not all Minimum Scores are publicized, however. Some standards are set on the basis of general performance of candidates in the test. In personality tests particularly, you need to find out what the recruiter is looking for in the right applicant. A lot of times, this is spelt out in the job description or advert.
Prepare Mentally & Physically. Once, I have taken a Business Awareness Test as soon as I returned from a close friend’s burial. You can guess the outcome of that test. Ensure you’re physically fit, well rested and fed before attempting the tests. Otherwise, your scores on the test would be impaired.
Investigate the exact kind of test you would be required to take. You would be pouring water into an empty basket, practicing Personality Assessments, when the recruiter favors Aptitude Tests. Find out in advance from a current employee of the organization, someone else who has applied to the program or the recruitment officer himself what kind of challenge you would face. This would assist you in tailoring your preparation efforts.
Final Words…
I recommend you brush up your proficiency with English vocabulary by reading literature and news materials, (particularly the editorial sections) to grasp Verbal Comprehension better. You wouldn’t be disappointed!
Author’s Note
The views expressed and points raised here, though not exhaustive, are an outcome of my careful study, research and observation. Do you need to prepare a winning CV/resumé, Cover Letter or Motivation Letter and are pressed for time? You can send me a mail via [email protected] or call +2348138800012. You can also reach out via LinkedIn through Olumide Ibikunle for discounted assistance.
Begin with baby steps!
Olumide Ibikunle
08 | 09 | 2017