Kinds of tests and how they are administered

Employers can choose from a range of tests.

Ability and Aptitude Tests:

You might be asked to perform one or more ability tests testing important on the job skills. They will give the potential employer more information about what you can do.

Verbal reasoning - testing your ability to perform reasoning tasks involving the use of language. Questions range from defining words and providing synonyms, through to identifying the underlying meanings of common words and phrases and answering comprehension questions from a passage of prose. Some tests include issues of verbal critical reasoning which is the ability to understand and interpret information presented in a number of forms (tables, diagrams flowcharts).

Numerical reasoning - testing your ability to perform reasoning tasks involving the use of algebra and geometry. Questions range from simple operations in addition, subtraction, multiplication or division to more specialist questions about number sequences and applied mathematical questions mirroring on the job situations. Some tests include issues of critical reasoning which is the ability to understand and interpret numerical information presented in a number of forms (tables, diagrams, graphs).

Abstract reasoning - testing your ability to identify patterns presented in diagrammatic form and thus not dependent on learned verbal or numerical modes. These are said to test fluid intelligence including the ability to learn innovative or new information.

Abilities tests are usually timed and thus measure both correctness and speed. The best advice is to work through practice questions offered as carefully and slowly as you need until you understand what is required. Then you should work through the test as quickly and thoroughly as you can. Leave questions you can't answer and move onto those you can. If you have time over, you can always return to questions that you initially did not answer.

Competency questionnaires:

You might be asked to give information about how you would behave in certain situations. This also gives information about what you can do.

Competencies required in business typically fall into common categories-the ability to organise information, the ability to lead, the ability to build a team, the ability to create and maintain networks, the ability to continuously improve, the ability to operate within compliance guidelines such as occupational health and safety etc. Typically jobs at the operational level require competencies in attention to detail and relationship building domains-at the other extreme, jobs at the senior level emphasise leadership and strategy. Jobs are often now described in terms of competencies and thus a common way to predict which applicant will perform best on the job is to profile the job in terms of competencies and then compare the applicant's profile of him or herself, also in terms of competencies, to that job profile.

Competency questionnaires are usually untimed. The best advice is to answer all questions as honestly as possible with your most immediate response.

Personality profiles:

You might be asked to ask questions relating to personality. Personality profiles help potential employers understand how you might fit into a team and how you might behave under given circumstances. There are five personality traits that researchers agree are important for work:

Openess - how open are you to new information and experiences?

Conscientiousness - what is your attention to detail, do you persist even when things get difficult?

Extroversion - how do you relate to people? Do you prefer the back room role or do you want to be out and about all the time?

Agreeableness - what degree of social interaction do you prefer at work?

Stability - are you even tempered and controlled or are you impulsive and intuitive?

The best advice when completing a personality profile is to be yourself. Most profiles can identify participants who give inconsistent answers. After all, you want any employer to value you for the person you are. In any event, who says your personality isn't precisely the one that suits the job?

Click on here if you would like to do some sample tests.