Psychometric Test

Psychometric test is the standardized instrument that employers and human resource professionals use to test the abilities, personality, aptitude, and behavioral styles of job applicants. Psychometric tests are geared towards providing objective assessment of candidates' personalities, behavior, and fitness for a particular job, allowing selection of a most suitable candidate for a post based on facts instead of feelings. Typically, psychometric tests are split into three types, namely, aptitude tests (which assess cognitive abilities and problem-solving skills), personality questionnaires (which evaluate behavioral traits and interpersonal styles) and situational judgment tests (which simulate real-life work scenarios to assess decision-making and problem-solving abilities).

Example

Let us consider a case of a consulting company,, that uses psychometric testing as part of its selection process to evaluate potential hires’ ability to do analytics and personal suitability with the firm culture in particular. As part of the recruitment process candidates are expected to complete a set of online psychometric tests, numerical reasoning tests for numeric ability, verbal reasoning tests to evaluate their language ability and comprehension, and personality questionnaires for emotional skills and job fit. Psychometric test results provide the hiring team cognitive abilities, communication styles, and fit for the analyst position information. Testees with strong analytical skills, well-developed communication skills, and those who fit in the culture are much more likely to move to the next stage of the selection process which may include interviews and assessment centers looking at candidate’s competencies and potential.