These may be used as a tool to further shortlist applicants especially where the number of people applying is large, or as a further selection tool after an initial interview.
In addition to giving employers useful information about a candidate’s suitability for a position, assessments can be valuable tools for employers wanting to make decisions about an individual’s professional development needs and team dynamics within an organisation.
It is important to note that assessments are just one part of the selection process. Decisions are never made on assessment results alone. Rather, they may form a basis for subsequent interviews and reference checking.
How do assessments help you?
- they will support you in finding a role for which you are suited
- completing the assessments enables you to understand your strengths and style
- they provide you with feedback, which Sheffield always feeds back. This may help clarify your ideas about your suitability for different kinds of work and identify areas you may want to develop.
Types of psychometric assessments
The main types of psychometric assessments are ability/aptitude assessments and personality/motivation questionnaires.
Ability / aptitude assessments
These are usually timed and measure skill in a specific area. The most common categories of ability/aptitude tests are:
Verbal
Depending on the level being tested, this may include spelling and grammar, completing sentences and definitions or reading written passages and responding to questions.
Numerical
Depending on the level being tested, this may include completing numerical sequences and calculations or interpreting tables and data.
Abstract / Diagrammatic
These assessments are made up of ‘shapes and puzzles’ and look at your ability to solve problems that you haven’t seen before.
Top Tips
- ensure you feel your best - have a good sleep, eat well, and if you are ill, reschedule
- try to be calm. It’s normal to feel a little nervous before doing something different but there are no hidden tricks in assessments
- read instructions carefully. Most ability tests are timed - ensure you know how long you have
- be in a distraction-free environment that is comfortable and well lit
- read each question carefully before answering. Look for a balance between speed and accuracy. If you are not sure mark your best choice, but avoid wild guessing
- feel free to take breaks between assessments.
Personality/motivation questionnaires
Personality questionnaires provide information about how you would typically behave at work. Questions are aimed at discovering your preferred working style. Motivation questionnaires evaluate what job factors lead to enjoyment in a role and can help assess fit to the job or organisation. There are no right or wrong answers in these questionnaires. There is usually no time limit, but you should work quickly through the questions.
Top Tips
- remember there are no right or wrong answers - do not answer the questionnaire according to what you think the employer is looking for
- you may find it difficult to respond to some items, as you will feel that your behaviour will really depend on the situation. Go with your ‘gut instinct’ about how you would behave at work, rather than in a personal situation (this is what the employers are interested in)
- some questions will be slightly similar to others. Do not feel that you have to answer all of these in the same way, and do not miss any questions out just because they are similar. Practice completing ability/aptitude assessments so that you feel comfortable with the format.
For practice tests and more information, here are some useful websites: