Many employers believe that psychometric testing will give them an accurate prediction of an individual’s suitability for a role, and research has shown they may be far more reliable than a traditional interview used alone.

The purpose of the interview is to learn about you, as an indicator of how you will perform. The interviewer wants to know the real you; not who you think they want you to be. It is possible that a candidate could be great at saying the right things in interview, but not have the character to follow through when they actually are in the hot seat. Some candidates are even tempted to lie at the interview. The beauty of a psychometric test is it is based on how you think and what you believe, rather than relying purely on what you say.

Employers can use psychometric testing at any stage of the selection process. Some use them at the beginning to screen out unsuitable candidates, while others use the more common approach of using them after the first or second interview. However it is worth remembering that these tests are only designed to assist in making a decision. They are not designed as the sole method of assessing suitability. You aren't likely to be ruled out simply for giving the "wrong" answers.

The fact is it is difficult to prepare or revise for psychometric tests. There are no right answers to memorize like there might be in a typical exam. However you can make sure you understand the nature of the test and what will be required of you.

What do they contain?

I have come across 3 types of psychometric testing; ability testing, aptitude testing, and personality testing.

Ability testing measures an individual’s potential/natural aptitude in different areas. It focuses on what they are capable of achieving, rather than what they have achieved in the past.

We all have different inborn abilities (so there is no right or wrong answer), though some may seem to be more suited to certain job roles than others. It’s the overall balance of abilities you possess as a whole that is important.

Aptitude testing is similar to ability testing. However it tends to be more focused on abilities required to perform specific jobs,. For example if you were going for an IT position your aptitude for various programming languages may be tested. They tend to feel more like a traditional job interview test with its right and wrong answers.

Recruitment consultancies often favour aptitude testing to try and grade you as a candidate. If you are facing an aptitude test do your homework and try to find out what areas it will cover before you face it.

Personality testing  is used since your personality will to a large extent control the types of environment you will be most comfortable in. It follows that you are most likely to perform to a higher standard in an environment that suits you.

Personality is to a great extent already set in place; we can adjust facets to suit certain circumstances but always revert back to type eventually, so it makes sense for an employer to get to know the real you.

The final word

Remember these assessments are not designed to catch you out, they are as valuable to you in identifying the right job for you as they are to an employer for identifying the right employee for them. Take it in your stride and you will be just fine.

For more on how to cope with job interview tests, read this article www.interview-tips-that-work.com/job-interview-tests.html

Good luck