Aptitude Test Vs Psychometric Test

[Gano Richardson]

SHLhas a large library of psychometric tests, covering skills, knowledge tests, ability, and aptitude tests, as well as personality, behavioral, and competency-based assessments. SHL also has tools and consultants available to help organizations determine the right psychometric test for their talent management need.

Roles from different levels, disciplines, and industries can be selected through psychometric testing because the purpose of this test is to provide measurable data of candidate competency and compatibility. Hence, any organizations that want to select candidates based on this data may use this testing.

Professional guidelines (e.g., Principles for the Validation and Use of Personnel Selection Procedures, 2003; Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, 1999; International Guidelines for Testing, 2000) have established key standards to evaluate assessments, whether they are traditional multiple-choice knowledge tests or interactive, gamified judgment assessments. SHL psychometric tests are developed by highly trained measurement specialists to meet and exceed industry best practices.

These four major criteria are critical for ensuring that assessments are producing desirable results, minimizing legal risk, and ensuring a positive candidate experience. All criteria should be considered together when implementing assessments, and evidence supporting each criterion should be available or collected. The potential risks of ignoring this information are significant and may include negative impacts on employer brand, employment decisions based on inaccurate information, or claims of discrimination in a hiring program.

There are many options and methods to consider when determining how to best conduct a psychometric test. Initially, most psychometric testing was applied through paper-and-pencil assessment materials, delivered in-person by a representative of the hiring organization. However, over the past two decades, the field of psychometric testing has seen a shift in administration method due to the advent and widespread adoption of the internet. Organizations receive more applications for job opportunities than ever, and as a result, the identification of cost- and time-efficient processes to help determine top candidates for critical positions is of paramount importance.

Psychometric testing for pre-employment screening can effectively identify candidates who are well suited to positions, but recent economic conditions have forced organizations to slot testing earlier in the hiring process to help reduce the more time- and resource-intensive phases of hiring. As a result, unproctored Internet testing (UIT) has emerged as a mode of administration that brings multiple advantages to organizations, including decreased time-to-fill and recruitment costs.

Psychometric testing is often used within the recruitment process in order to help organizations select the right candidate for a job. Applied correctly, psychometric tests can add substantial value to an organization by ensuring new employees hired for a job have the right aptitude and competency profile for the role. When organizations spend the time and effort to make the right hire, they benefit through reduced turn-over which drives down overall costs that come with training and rehiring due to high levels of attrition.

There are many psychometric test types available in the market, such as aptitude tests, work personality questionnaires, skill-based assessments, and simulations. SHL provides the opportunity to experience psychometric test examples and practice a variety of psychometric test types at our test preparation and career center.

The way people are selected for a job varies greatly from one employer to another and depends often on the requirements of the specific job role being hired. Psychometric tests are used to determine strengths and weaknesses and how they align with the requirements of the job. There is no blueprint to ensuring that an individual passes a given test. That said, there are actions that can be taken to optimize the chances of success. Before the test, you should:

Personality tests explore your interests, values and motivations, analysing how your character fits with the role and organisation. They analyse your emotions, behaviours and relationships in a variety of situations.

Aptitude tests assess your reasoning or cognitive ability, determining whether you've got the right skillset for a role. Administered under exam conditions, you'll often be given one minute to answer each multiple choice question. Your intelligence levels are compared to a standard, meaning that you must achieve a certain score to pass. Common tests include:

There are lots of tests, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), which places you in one of 16 personality groups, and the Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ), which tests your personality to check that it fits with the job.

You'll usually be presented with statements describing various ways of feeling or acting, and asked to record how much you agree on a two, five or seven-point scale. There are no right or wrong answers - this, plus the fact that enforced pressure reduces accuracy and discourages honesty, means that personality tests aren't typically completed under exam conditions.

While there's generally no time limit, you should expect to spend between 15 and 30 minutes answering anything from 50 to 200 questions, usually online. The best way to prepare is to practise personality tests so that you're familiar with their format and the questions they ask. Make sure you've read the job description, know what the employer is looking for and how the test you're taking will measure this.

These tests assess your interpretation of charts, graphs, data or statistics, investigating your ability to deal with numbers quickly and accurately. Numerical reasoning tests may also challenge your knowledge of rates, trends, ratios, percentages and currency conversions.

Your understanding of written information, evaluation of arguments, and communication of concepts is being tested here. You must read short passages of text before answering questions that assess your comprehension. Verbal psychometric tests challenge your ability to think constructively and use written information to construct accurate conclusions. Some tests also assess your spelling and grammar.

This is your chance to demonstrate your ability to learn new things quickly. Abstract reasoning tests measure your ability to identify a set of rules and apply them to a new situation, judging how well you follow information or spot patterns. Questions often consist of a series of pictures, each of which is slightly different. You must then choose another picture from a number of options to complete the series. These aptitude tests are particularly common for IT, science and engineering roles.

You'll be given a hypothetical work-related situation and asked to choose a preferred course of action from a list of options. You may be asked to choose the most and least effective response, rate the responses in order of effectiveness or choose only the most effective course of action, so make sure you read the instructions carefully.

Data checking tests measure how quickly and accurately you can detect errors. They're common for clerical and data input vacancies. Fault-diagnosis tests, meanwhile, test your ability to approach problems logically. This method of psychometric assessment is often used to recruit for technical roles, discovering and repairing faults in electronic and mechanical systems.

Your university careers and employability service may provide psychometric test training. Some large graduate recruiters also provide practice testing and advice on passing psychometric tests. For advice, information and free psychometric tests online visit:

Many organisations use psychometric and aptitude tests as part of their recruitment process. The tests are used to assess your personal attributes, characteristics, intelligence and general abilities if you're applying for educational or vocational courses. The term 'psychometric' often refers to tests that measure a person's understanding of particular formulae, theories and concepts. The term 'aptitude' refers to tests that measure a person's characteristics, intellect, and potential for understanding new theories and concepts.

Many companies will conduct tests during the earlier stages of recruitment (usually presented in the form of online or electronic tests and sent via email). Some companies will use shortened or further tests at assessment centres to help them validate tests you've previously taken.

Under the Equality Act, employers are required to make reasonable adjustments to recruitment selection processes if applicants have declared disabilities. For example, it's often standard practice to allow applicants with dyslexia 25% extra time to undertake psychometric or aptitude tests. If you believe you have one or more conditions which may impact on the selection process of a job, it's important that you inform the employer in advance, to enable them to make any necessary.

Our graduates can also access the Team Focus practice tests up to 5 years after completing your course. You can register using your University of Portsmouth email address, if you no longer have access to your email account please email car...@port.ac.uk with your full name and preferred email address and we will request access for you.

If you require extra time during examinations you can have 25% extra time. You will need to login to Team Focus and select the test you would like to take. A blue screen will be displayed, at this stage you enter #. Follow the instructions to enter the special code 123456789. The extra time will be added automatically and you can continue the test. If you need any further support accessing the tests please email the Careers and Employability Service at car...@port.ac.uk.

Abstract, diagrammatic and inductive tests are a form of logical reasoning tests. You'll often be presented with different shapes and images (displayed in groups) and asked to either work out particular patterns to identify a sequence or choose an image to complete a chronological sequence.

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