August 4, 2021, by jhillary1

Getting Prepared for Psychometric Tests

By Mayokun Obe, BSc Hons Mathematics

What are psychometric tests?

Psychometric tests are a common part of the graduate job experience. Applying for roles, especially with a large corporate company, means that you will be subject to some form of testing. Many of my fellow graduates fear the tests, however, there is no escaping them. As someone who is always keen to get as much practice as possible, I used to find myself regularly frustrated by the lack of free available practice websites, especially as a student with a strict budget! Luckily for me, I stumbled across Graduates First whilst looking at the Careers and Employability Service website.

Graduates First

Graduates First is a library of free psychometric tests that simulate the online testing experience. There is also a selection of practice virtual test environments for a range of employers. Having access to these tests had a huge impact on my preparation for upcoming assessments. Given the time constraints placed on completing the tests by some companies, I initially used the website to cram as much practice as possible before important tests, to ensure I was ready. Once the overall demands of University life and that of potential employers calmed down, I was able to use the library to practice every couple of days. When you sign up to Graduates First, you are given a personal log-in, and your performance is tracked with each practice attempt. This was great for me as I was able to monitor my progress and it let me know that I was getting better at testing.

Your account contains tips in the form of short videos, so if there are questions you struggle to answer then watching a video can make all the difference. What I found most helpful was the feedback I received from my practice tests. This let me know that the overall pass mark for numerical tests is not as daunting as you would imagine and practice will really make the difference.

The graduate Market

It is natural to want to aim for perfection in these tests, however, sometimes it is not always possible. As I have previously mentioned, the pass mark is not as high as you would imagine for these tests. However, in saying this, the graduate market is extremely competitive and your score may end up being compared to another candidate when it comes to the offer stage. My advice would be to remain calm when sitting any test, if you are unable to answer a question then try to give an educated guess (if the question is multiple choice) or move on if you are given the option.

Mistakes may happen and it is always best to prepare yourself for one. With this in mind, I feel there are two popular strategies to tackle online tests. Some may favour speed to answer all questions whereas others prefer to give accurate answers. I like my answers to be accurate. Whatever strategy you pick, try to remain focused, ensure you are working in a quiet environment, and keep persevering. Good luck!

Employers often use psychometric tests to provide a measurable, objective assessment of a candidate’s suitability for a job or training scheme. Find out more about psychometric tests and to get access to free practice tests whether you’re a Nottingham student or graduate.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Google+
• Share on LinkedIn