What's all this about eh? :confused:

Just checked my mail and had a reply for a job application I made a few weeks back asking me to fill in an on-line psychometric test! :eek:

Never ever done one of these - I'm yet to look at it as I need to log my ID in and it may time or allow me to it once. So I'll look at it tommorrow when I've got my head screwed on ;)

Anyone got any pointers or advice on these?

They are starting to become more common as part of an employers selection process. Basically they are testing your attitude, personality and aptitude for the job/employer.

They can be in the form of a simple aptitude test or something like a personality or a combination of both.

The Police force would do something like this to assess your suitablility. We've been taking them for years in the form of job interviews, but now they're starting to become standardised and written tests that employers can use to compare candidates.

I've always just went through the std interview process, but I did have to sit some aptitude test when I joined the forces.

I wouldn't worry too much about it, just be yourself and answer honestly.

Stefan

Did you apply via an agency or directly? A recruitment agency would give you advice and pointers on what the exact test is like.

Stefan

Look up "Morrisby Tests" on the web.

Ive done a few of these in the past.

Normally theres a Language part, a number part, a picture part and a mechanical part. They start simple but get progressively harder, you never finish them as you get about 10 minutes to do 200 possible questions.

Language
Can be what word from the list completes the sentance. Or which is the odd word out. Also do Repition tasks. Like do a S then a Reverse S then a S again. do as many as you can in 45 seconds. Sees if you slip after 20 seconds

Number
Is usually a maths puzzle. e.g Fill in X

1 2 3
2 4 6
3 6 X

or

X32
-234
----
198

Picture (Or Spatial awareness)

Is if you take a L shape and flip it over it wont still look like a L shape. So you have to pick one from the options which is the same. Sometimes what comes next in the sequence.

Red Square --> Blue circle ---> Red Circle ---> X

Mechanial
If the Gear A goes clockwise what way will Gear B go. If Jimmy is on the see saw at point A where should Fat Chloe sit to balance it.

They can be relatively good and seeing if you have the correct aptitude for a given job. But Im not a fan of them.

Uh oh..that's got me even more worried :(. It was the Recruitment company that sent me this - no phone calls or anything either, just had it sitting in my inbox when I got home.

Why can't we just do good 'ol fashioned interviews? :rolleyes:

Thanks so far anyway. :)

basically the tests find out whether or not you can lie consistently.

8 years ago i sat a test of this type for the pru to become a salesman for them...i failed!

i now run my own wealth management company and the pru sales guys have gone...so what a lot of crap!

T

ps- we dont phsyco test our people....unless its for a laugh!

What is "wealth management" or don't I know coz I'm so poor:(

Christ, it's only a job.. it's not like you're going to navigate the next Space Shuttle to the moon (you're not going to navigate the next Space Shuttle to the moon are you ?)

Psychometric test.. Phooey

If my skills/talents aren't obvious enough for them, and they can't take the time to find out themselves what I'm like preferring to rely on some spreadsheet to do the thinking for them, then I don't have the time for them either.

Next !

Aren't the Civil Service big fans of these things?

I'm scared that this test may actually reveal my true self....I spend my work hours aimless posting on scoobynet and looking at weird stuff on bangedup.com :D

I just don't like the idea of people using tests like like this to access someone. Surely there are going to be situations where if person is capable of doing the job well, but does poor in test. The job would be given to someone who may well be crap at it, but did well in the test.

Just making a topic to talk about...I tell you what...we just all post SIALs and drivel about speeding and politcal correctess instead eh? :p



[Edited by ALi-B - 12/19/2003 9:58:12 AM]

hehe.. sorry, I mean "Next!" as in look for your next interview, rather than another topic :)

As far as I could tell with them, they're used as an alternative to th interviewer doing their job properly. They can get away with a quick check you're not a loony, then check your psych test.

LAZY!

It's not looking good for me then is it...a Lazy Lunatic, ah well...better carry on thaking orders at the Drive-thru and see if I can get 2 stars on me badge! :D

I reckon companies just use it so if they pick the wrong person, they can blame the psychometric company rather than their cr4p HR/interviewer etc etc.

"well the test said he should be ok......."

:rolleyes:

These types of tests can be really mad. I had a mate who went for a interview, got one of these tests. It was questions like:

1. Picture yourself in a forest, you come across a house, descibe it.....

WTF!

I would have just written 'Made of sweeties...mmmmmmmmmm', made my excuses and left.

Incidently I have done a few in my time (not like the one above) and the feedback has been bordering on the scary side of accurate, there must be something in them :D

"What is "wealth management" or don't I know coz I'm so poor"


you dont need to know.

Tiggs doesn't....



:p

Oh come on tell me, tell me, tell me. (Stamps feet, and folds arms)

Our mob used to use them a few years ago if you applied for a certain type of extended training, only problem was they didnt know how to interperet(sp) the results!!
They are designed so that they basically ask the same type of question a number of subtly different ways to gauge your honesty and integrity, cos if you tell a porky on one question you have to repeat the same porky a heap of different ways or youll get sussed, :D

ive done them a few times
the worst one was working for nissan to build the cars

go in and do the written tests
english, maths and commen sense

wait about 2 months for them to say
"ok come in and do sum practical tests"

did them and waited 2 months :eek: and then hear
"ok come in and do a 2 hour line trial working with the lads" :eek:

did that, waited another month or so and heard
"ok come in and do a interview with us"

did that and then waited another month and heard
"ok come in and do a medical"

that is probably the hardest job in the world to get into round this way :eek:

the bonus was that now i have that job on my cv i breezed through the next job aplication stright away
"good enough for nissan, good enough for us" i was told in the interview :D

Ahh well, I've done 2 of them now:

numerical reasoning and
verbal reasoning

What a 'mare! :( 10 minutes for 30odd questions that get just get plain stupid towards the end...only managed about 25 answers on both before running out of time and I had to miss some out too.

Ahh, well looks like the job'll go to some number crunching monkey with no initiative or common sense ;)