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If you try to ‘kid the system’ or answer the questions as you feel you should answer them you will come out worse than if you are 100% honest throughout. A psychometric test is designed to look for inconsistencies in the answers and are very cleverly written to indicate where it feels the answers are not wholly truthful
If you are cynical about the relevance and accuracy of psychometric tools turn off your opinion whilst you complete the tests. I too was a cynic when I first starting administering psychometric tools but having conducted over 2000 of them I can count on more than a few fingers those candidates who felt that the test results were not an accurate representation.
The way that I coach candidates is to treat it like a photograph. If someone took your photo you wouldn’t argue that it wasn’t an accurate representation. In the same way you should approach a psychometric profile with the same attitude – you are who you are, you’re happy who you are, answer as you are! Answer honestly and you’ll be amazed at how uncannily accurate the results are.
If you’ve behaved honestly throughout the recruitment process then the psychometric tool will simply confirm the traits that you will demonstrate at interview, so quite simply there is nothing to worry about!
Psychometric test administrators will normally follow a standard set of instructions in verbatim and as such can com across cold or unfriendly – don’t be perturbed by this they are simply doing their job to ensure that the tests are completed in exactly the same conditions.
In virtually all psychometric tools you are given examples to complete before the actual test. If you are in any doubt that you are completing correctly ALWAYS ask. Follow each instruction given and never be afraid of asking questions if you are not 100% certain. It is the role of an administrator to ensure that you 100% understand the instruction and will normally quite clearly detail that ‘understanding the instruction is not part of the test’
If English isn’t your first language let the facilitator know – many products take this factor into consideration and in many cases you can conduct the test in your ‘mother tongue’
Don't panic – go with your intuition, your ‘gut feeling’ – the first answer that ‘feels right’ normally is right!
Treat each question or row of questions as a separate entity – don’t be tempted to look back at previous answers and try and match your answers – an alert will be raised to indicate either inconsistency, excess stress and pressure levels or pure dishonesty. Once you finish, FINISH! Don’t be tempted to review your test answers you’ll be drawn to match the answers throughout the test.
Good companies and psychometric test facilitators will give you a copy of the results that can help you become more self aware.
For more advice on interviews, testing, and job searching visit our job seeker's advice page.
Rob is the Managing Director of Aaron Wallis Sales Recruitment, a national recruitment agency specialising in sourcing sales and marketing staff for businesses across a broad range of commercial sectors. Before setting up Aaron Wallis, Rob spent ten years at a specialist Sales and Marketing recruitment division of a £0.5BN recruitment group, leaving in 2007 as Marketing & Sales Director to establish Aaron Wallis.
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