Online psychometric assessments are something you will come across when applying for internships, graduate roles, and especially graduate schemes as they are a key part of the staged recruitment process.

Employers use them to get a more rounded sense of you as a candidate.

Your Futures Self will love you for starting to practice them now, so you feel familiar and comfortable with the format and pace when it comes to applying for these roles. See suggested resources below for platforms where you can practice them for free. So, what exactly are they? Here are a just a few examples:

Aptitude tests

These are usually timed multiple choice questions. Some examples are Situational Judgment tests which look at how you react in specific work-related hypothetical scenarios and how you make decisions. Numerical Reasoning tests focus on how you manage and interpret data. Diagrammatic/Abstract Reasoning tests look at your ability to think in a logical way and solve complex problems. There are many other types too.

Top tip: Work as accurately and as quickly as you can. These are meant to stretch you so don't be put off if you can't answer something, move on and practice, practice, practice.

Personality Questionnaires

Personality profiles are used to get a sense of who you really are; how you think, behave, communicate, make decisions, problem solve. These are not usually timed.

Top tip: Don't try and fake your answers because you are dying to work for that company! Consistency checks are built into them to stop you doing just that. There are no right or wrong answers, just your answers. The last thing you want is to be working at a company and job that make you miserable because they don't fit your way of being in the world.

Gamification

The good news is that gamification is being used more and more by employers to attract younger candidates with little work experience but who have fantastic digital skills and tons of potential. These assessments recreate job-like scenarios in a gameplay environment and will focus on your problem-solving skills, resilience, and goal orientation.

Remember, practice makes perfect, start now, and supercharge your confidence!

Suggested Reading

> Psychometric Tests
> Psychometric tests, what are they?
> Gamified Assessment
> Get prepared with the professionals

By Anna Gordon - Certified Business Coaching Psychologist ABP CBCP