| Graduates might reasonably believe that exams are | | | | now ask prospective employees to take the same |
| finally over for good. After all, the very definition of | | | | test. They know that those who score well in this test |
| leaving University means no more sitting in silent rooms | | | | appear more likely (although there are no guarantees) |
| writing the answers to difficult questions doesn't it? | | | | to make good accountants. This is the basis of |
| Sadly No! Today's employment process generally | | | | psychometric testing, although the example is very |
| involves assessments of ability, aptitude, emotional | | | | simplistic and the actual process of creating tests that |
| intelligence, personality and a whole range of wierd and | | | | are of real value is immesely time consuming specialist |
| wonderful things to help try and fit the right candidates | | | | work. Tests are rigourously examined to ensure they |
| to the right roles. | | | | are not accidentally biased against groups of people. |
| Many graduates baulk at the very idea of these tests. | | | | By reading up a little on psychometric tests and |
| Mostly this is because they do not know what to | | | | perhaps taking a sneaky peek at what is in store, you |
| expec. Firstly, the word psychometric itself puts a lot | | | | can get yourself into the best possible frame of mind |
| of people off. All it actually means is that it is | | | | and feel confident that you will be able to do your best |
| concerned with educational and psychological | | | | in an assessment situation. |
| measurement. Psychometric tests attempt to score | | | | ASE are one of the major publishers of psychometric |
| people according to knowledge, ability, personality style | | | | tests in the UK. Their website offers free practice |
| etc. | | | | tests for people such as graduates who may be |
| For example a company employing hundreds of | | | | about to sit one of their assessments for real. The |
| accountants might test their own staff and find that | | | | practice questions give a flavour of the actual tests, |
| the best performers generally all do well on a test that | | | | allowing candidates to know in advance the types of |
| attempts to score a candidates ability to remember a | | | | questions they will face and the formats that these |
| sequence of random numbers. The company might | | | | questions will be presented in. |