Tests and Questionnaires

Over the past few years there has been an increasing trend for companies to make use of tests and questionnaires to help assess applicants' personality, abilities and aptitude. In general, tests look at how an applicant's specific skills and abilities compare to other candidates and pre-defined standards, whilst questionnaires evaluate style, interests or motivation, and how they relate to the requirements of the job and the organisation.

Tests may be carried out just before or after an interview, or may take place in a formal assessment centre. All the candidates will be given the same questions, tasks and parameters.

The following table summarises the types of tests that you may encounter, along with the skills and traits that they aim to measure:

Test	Used as a measure of:
Ability	Knowledge of skills and procedures, for example: Technical terminology Typing Driving
Aptitude	Specific skills required for the job, for example: Numerical Spatial Verbal
Group Tasks	Communication Judgement Leadership Listening skills Persuasiveness Problem-solving Reasoning Respect for others
Intelligence	General intellectual potential Problem-solving skills
Physical	Colour perception Eyesight General health Hearing
Presentations	Communication skills Flexibility Organisation of information Quick thinking
Personality Questionnaires	Personality traits which may be needed to fit into a particular working environment or situation, such as: Disposition Motivation Temperament Working style
Written Exercises	Clarity Legibility Accuracy Summarising skills Organisational skills

You should be advised well in advance of your interview date if you are required to complete any tests or questionnaires. You may also be provided with practice leaflets for ability or aptitude tests, or alternatively, online practice questions are available from a number of websites. Carrying out a number of sample tests will give you a feel for the sort of language used, which will boost your confidence when you finally face the real thing. Get into the right frame of mind for verbal and numerical tests by attempting as many word or maths puzzles as you can; push yourself to go as fast as possible against the clock before checking your answers.

Try to get a good night's sleep before any test or interview; the more rested you are, the sharper your thought processes will be.

Unfortunately, there is little you can do to prepare for a personality questionnaire; simply do your best to answer as honestly as possible. Remember that there is no 'right' or 'wrong' answer, only the one that accurately reflects your view. There is no point in attempting to portray yourself as the type of person you think the employer wants; this can only lead to future disappointment for both you and the company. In addition, many questionnaires are designed to detect this practice, and so it is more than likely that your attempts will be discovered.

Our section on Assessments contains more detailed tips and advice on carrying out psychometric tests and questionnaires; read on to maximise your chances of success ...

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