Preparing for Psychometric Tests Employability and Graduate Development 01392 724493 Careers@exeter.ac.uk www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Aims of the workshop: To gain a clearer understanding of what psychometric tests are and how recruiters use them To familiarise you with strategies to maximise your performance To help you know how to prepare and to signpost further resources that are available www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

What are psychometric tests? What do you think a psychometric test is? How is a psychometric test different from school or university exams? What have you heard from others about psychometric tests? Have you completed any psychometric tests before? How did you find that experience? ‘Your turn to talk’ Ask the audience what their understanding and experience of psychometric testing is. Employers know the role / needs – need to find the right fit – best for them and for you as the candidate. www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

What are psychometric tests? To take some of the mystery out of the word ‘Psychometric’ it can be broken down in to two Greek words: Psyche = Mind Metric = to measure If we wanted to find out your height, we would use an appropriate tool to do so - a tape measure If we want to measure your ability to work with numbers, we use an appropriate psychometric tool, such as a numerical test Psyche = Mind Metric = To Measure www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

What are psychometric tests? ‘A standardised sample of behaviour which can be described by a numerical scale or category system’ (Cronbach) A psychological test used in the world of work’ (Saville and Holdsworth) ‘A psychological test is any procedure on the basis of which inferences are made, concerning a person’s capability, propensity or liability to act, react, experience, or structure or order thought or behaviour in particular ways’ (BPS) Other definitions of Psychometric tests www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Why do Employers use them? Fair and objective measure of a skill/ability or the potential to acquire it Gives a more rounded picture of suitability for a role Objectively compares candidates’ performance with ‘norm’ levels for a similar ‘population’ Reliable predictor of how well someone is likely to perform in a given job/professional exams Candidates come from different universities and have studied different courses. Putting them through the same tests enables recruiters to compare them to the other applicants regardless of their academic background. www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Advantages for Employers Less subjective than an interview Fairer, more objective decision making through use of standardised tests Online testing = greater cost efficiency Provides evidence of skills not easily obtained from other elements of the recruitment process www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

When are Psychometric Tests Used? At different stages of the Recruitment process As part of application process On the assessment day Can vary between paper and online tests Different tests can be used at different stages May have to do online test following submission of application form. There can be tight deadlines to get tests completed soon after you submit your application so ensure you allow time to practice tests. Often required to do online tests and then at assessment day sit paper based tests to confirm it was you who took tests. Can feel quite different so ensure you practice both styles and take a watch with you when doing paper based. Usually undertake more online which can include personality/situational judgement and ability tests – will go on to talk more about these www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Main types of psychometric tests Ability/Aptitude Tests (usually verbal, numerical and diagrammatic) Personality Inventories (questionnaires) Situational Judgement Tests Career matching software (like Prospects Planner) There are also other recruitment exercises that can be used www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Aptitude tests – what to expect You may get a practice leaflet or online practice questions Exam conditions and strictly timed, standardised instructions Answers definitely right or wrong Answers scored and compared with appropriate norm group Types of tests are usually: Numerical Logical Reasoning (Also known as Diagrammatic/Inductive) Verbal Reasoning www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Numerical Tests What are they? Require you to make decisions or inferences from numerical data, presented in reports, graphs and tables. Usually just require GCSE level maths as uses more analytical skills than technical maths skills. Requires you to demonstrate your ability to plan, prioritise and analyse data, see trends and follow numerical reasoning and logic. These skills are relevant to a range of functions that require working with money or finance, also general management, finance and sales to data processing. www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Numerical Tests Example Give a few moments for them to work it out – ask for guesses Answer = D, Daily Echo Any questions? www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Numerical Tests How to prepare Remind yourself of the basics of mathematics, such as percentages, ratios, fractions, currency conversions etc Read the financial section of a quality newspaper . It will help familiarise you with financial and numerical information Practise doing maths puzzles . Take a practice test to help you get used to the format and time pressure Check if you are allowed to use a calculator or not – if not practice doing sums without one A copy of the Numeracy Booklet would be useful to show here. Pdf available via the appropriate Resources section in the Careers website. www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Verbal Reasoning Tests What are they? Measure your ability to reason with and to evaluate the logic of verbal information. The process is similar to the skills required to summarise large reports and extract verbal data at meetings . It's very relevant for roles that require analysis of verbal information. You are usually provided with a passage of information and required to evaluate a set of statements by selecting one of the following possible answers: A – True B – False C – Cannot Say www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Verbal Reasoning Tests Example “Many organisations find it beneficial to employ students over the summer. Permanent staff often wish to take their own holidays over this period. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for companies to experience peak workloads in the summer and so require extra staff. Summer employment also attracts students who may return as well qualified recruits to an organisation when they have completed their education. Ensuring that the students learn as much as possible about the organisation encourages interest in working on a permanent basis. Organisations pay students on a fixed rate without the usual entitlement to paid holidays or sick leave.” Statement 1 - It is possible that permanent staff who are on holiday can have their work carried out by students. A = True B = False C = Cannot Say Give a few moments for them to work it out – ask for guesses Answer = A, True Any questions? www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Verbal Reasoning Tests Example “Many organisations find it beneficial to employ students over the summer. Permanent staff often wish to take their own holidays over this period. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for companies to experience peak workloads in the summer and so require extra staff. Summer employment also attracts students who may return as well qualified recruits to an organisation when they have completed their education. Ensuring that the students learn as much as possible about the organisation encourages interest in working on a permanent basis. Organisations pay students on a fixed rate without the usual entitlement to paid holidays or sick leave.” Statement 2 – Students are subject to the organisation’s standard disciplinary and grievance procedures. A = True B = False C = Cannot Say Give a few moments for them to work it out – ask for guesses Answer = C, Cannot Say Any questions? www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Verbal Reasoning Tests How to prepare Read newspapers, journals, reports and books Have a go at solving verbal reasoning puzzles for example crosswords or word finding games Practice reading passages of information and summarising the key points www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Logical Reasoning Tests What are they? Also known as Diagrammatic/Abstract or Inductive reasoning tests Not impacted by an individual’s numerical or verbal ability This sort of reasoning is relevant for jobs which require the capacity to learn new things and work through complex problems in a logical, systematic and analytical manner Measure the ability to work flexibly with unfamiliar information and find solutions. People who perform well on these tests tend to have a greater capacity to think conceptually as well as analytically. www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Logical Reasoning Tests Examples 1. The pattern continues repetitively. The answer is E 2. Opposite and doubled. The answer is B. 3. Taken in three sections. On the left of each block you have circle-square-circle-square alternating. On the right of each box you have square-circle-square-circle alternating. The ‘square’ rotates right – bottom – left – top and repeats. So the next in the sequence is D What comes next in the sequence? www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Logical Reasoning Tests How to prepare Play logical reasoning games such as Sudoku Think about the logical steps you take when planning something such as a holiday Play strategy games such as drafts or chess and plan your next moves www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Aptitude Tests - tactics Follow instructions carefully & ask if unclear Make sure you understand answers to example questions Work quickly and accurately if being timed Skip questions if you are stuck and go back and answer them if you have time at the end Mark your best choice but avoid wild guessing if you are not sure Tests not usually designed to be completed Score = correct answers in time allowed Make sure you have a watch/timer to hand www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Personality Inventories What are they? Assess how a candidate might typically behave in particular work situations Help provide a broader picture of how well you might be suited to a particular job/culture/organisation No ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers, only YOUR answers Usually no time limits, but don’t spend too long – give your most natural answer www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Personality Inventories Examples Least Most A) I quickly reach a decision B) I feel at ease with new people C) I take care to follow rules D) I have highly original ideas There is nothing to be gained from trying to predict the responses that you think the job requires: the inventory will be able to pick out inconsistent responding there is no set profile that we look for it will not benefit you to be in the wrong job in the long run! www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Personality Inventories Tactics Avoid the ‘socially desirable’ response – be honest. Many questionnaires check for consistency in response Don’t worry if some questions do not seem relevant Make sure you answer as many questions as possible Results can sometimes be discussed in interview Results usually only part of process alongside other elements, e.g. interview, assessment exercises The personality inventory helps to inform decision to recruit rather than provide the basis for it. To find out more, why not undertake the Type Dynamics Indicator available through the Career Zone. www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Situational Judgement Tests What are they? Assess how well suited people are for particular roles and environments. Realistic employment situations You are given a number of scenarios and for each you are then provided with a number of response options to choose from. You need to select the option which best reflects how you would behave in that situation. Situational Judgement Tests (or ‘SJTs’, as they are often abbreviated to) come in a great variety of guises and have been growing in popularity as an assessment method since the late nineties. Currently organisations as diverse as Waitrose, the NHS, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sony, Wal-Mart, Deloitte, John Lewis, the law firm Herbert Smith, the Fire Service and many more, are using SJTs as part of their recruitment process. For employers, SJTs are a very cost effective, powerful and convenient way to select the potential strong performers from a large group of candidates. Employers will be more likely to use an SJT if they have a high volume of candidates applying for a role or position and if they recruit for this position on a regular basis. So the recruitment process for a graduate training scheme or internship programme is a likely place to find an SJT whereas assessments for more senior positions are less likely to include one. Situational judgement tests present candidates with a range of different situations that they might experience in the job for which they are applying. For each situation, a number of possible actions are suggested. There are usually around 4 or 5 actions but this varies. It is the candidate’s job to choose between these possible options and judge which is the most effective course of action to take and therefore which action they would take if faced with this situation. SJTs are always multiple-choice; no answers other than the options listed are allowed. www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Situational Judgement Tests Examples You are working in a call centre for a major UK telecommunications company. You have received a call from a customer who has been waiting in for an engineer who has failed to arrive within the scheduled time slot. The customer is upset and is talking in a raised voice. Of the following options indicate which would be the ‘most effective’ and which the ‘least effective’ action to take first of all: 1) Apologise to the customer and say you will arrange for a re-scheduled appointment. 2) Listen to the customer’s feedback and tell them that you can understand why they are upset and that it must be very inconvenient for them. 3) Explain that the engineer has a very busy schedule and its difficult for her to always be on time but you’re sure she will arrive soon. 4) Ask the customer to hold while you contact the engineer to establish where she is. No right or wrong answer in this instance – depends on company but they may have preferred behaviour types Most SJTs consist of between 15 and 20 questions of this nature, although this can vary, and some can be as many as 50 questions long. They are usually presented online or on a computer and have a time limit within which you must complete the test. Situational judgement tests work by tapping into a wide range of skills, abilities and personality traits. You state how you would respond to the scenario and your response is drawn from previous experience, knowledge and training, your personality type and also your innate abilities. Therefore the test is gathering information about many aspects of your performance. SJTs are designed using ‘Subject Matter Experts’ – usually people who are successful at the job themselves. These experts are asked to suggest likely scenarios with which a jobholder might be faced and also to suggest possible responses and rate these responses for effectiveness. This forms the basis of the scoring system for the test. So in other words, how closely your responses match the answers rated highly by the ‘experts’ will determine how well you do on the test. www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Situational Judgement Tests How to Prepare No particular training or knowledge required Use Practice Tests if available Read each scenario thoroughly Evaluate according to information given Do not make assumptions Keep competencies assessed in mind however answer honestly No particular training or knowledge is required to take this type of test. If practice tests are available on the employing organisation’s website, or elsewhere, it is well worth taking full advantage of these. It is important that you read each scenario thoroughly and each possible response before beginning to rate or rank the responses. Bear in mind that you can only choose from the available options and are being asked to evaluate the ‘best’ or ‘worst’ of these not any other possible options. Only use the information provided in the question; do not make assumptions about the situation or scenario, even if it is similar to one that you have come across yourself in the past. If you have been given information about the competencies assessed then keep this in the back of your mind as you progress through the test. If you haven’t been given this information then make your best guess as to the competencies that are typical of the role for which you are applying. www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

E Tray Exercises Timed Test involving reading and giving a response to a series of email messages and requests. Usually a choice of response options triggering further emails based on the answer chosen. E mails often include attachments. Other data often given as a basis for the response decisions. Important to answer all emails received. www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Prior to test sessions Be clear which type of tests are to be used, e.g. aptitude / personality Check if Practice questions are available Practice Inform recruiter of any adjustments you require well in advance Next slide covers disabilities etc www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

What if I have a disability? Employers should make reasonable adjustments to accommodate special requirements such as: Dyslexia Hearing/visual impairments Injuries such as fractures Inform administrator in advance about any factors likely to affect performance Psychometric tests can be made available in alternative formats, e.g. large print, Braille. If in doubt always ask Employers, should make all reasonable adjustments to assist/accommodate candidates’ special needs. Providing this information should not impact negatively on your application. Rather, ensure that you benefit fully from the accommodations that an employer offers by making arrangements with them in advance! Include this information in your application to be sure that your needs are accommodated from the outset. Don’t turn up on the day and inform the employer as they may need to reschedule your tests www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Understanding your Results Often given as a Percentile – not the same as a percentage Comparison groups are used to benchmark your score against Different employers/roles will have different benchmarks and comparison groups Practicing may help improve speed but may only marginally improve results To make a candidate’s raw score (total correct answers) into a meaningful ‘score’ we need to compare their performance with other, similar candidates who have done the test. We can then ascertain how typical the candidate’s abilities are. Once this process has been applied, in a scientific way, a ranking is given to each score in the group. These are referred to as “percentiles”. Percentiles describe a candidate’s performance in comparison to a specific group. Please note: 80th percentile does NOT mean the same as 80%, it does not mean that you got 8 answers out of 10 correct. So, percentiles provide you with a ranking. For example: A score of 84th percentile would mean that the score is better than 84% of the group with which the candidate is being compared. A score of 50th percentile is average and any score between the 16th and 83rd percentiles is within the average band. Around seven out of ten people who take the test in any particular group should score within the average range. A score below 16th percentile may indicate a weakness in the aspects that the test measures. In the case where a candidate scores below the 16th percentile, it is highly likely that skill, knowledge and experience would be relied on more heavily, than intellect. www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Resources www.exeter.ac.uk/careers for handouts etc. Books available on loan, for example: ‘How to Pass Graduate Psychometrics’ ‘Advanced Numeracy Tests’ both by Mike Bryon ‘How to pass Verbal Reasoning Tests’ by Tolley and Thomas Key Websites: www.shldirect.com www.opp.co.uk http://www.careerplayer.com/tips-and-advice.aspx www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Contact: Employability & Graduate Development Career Zone in the Forum Phone: (01392) 724493 Email: careers@exeter.ac.uk Web: www.exeter.ac.uk/careers Opening hours: Term time & Vacation: 9.00am-5.00pm www.exeter.ac.uk/careers www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Contact: The Careers Advisory Service Career Zone, The Compass, Tremough Campus Phone: (01326) 253735 Email: careers@exeter.ac.uk Web: www.exeter.ac.uk/careers Opening hours: Term time & Vacation: 9.00am-5.00pm www.exeter.ac.uk/careers

Thank you & Questions www.exeter.ac.uk/careers