What is a psychometric test?

In this article, our co-founder Liam-Elio gives a quick introduction to psychometric tests, how to get comfortable with them and why they are the last major barrier between general entry applications and competitive final stages. Most students are cut off at this stage before interviews begin, so making your mark here can make or break your application.

Let the tests begin:

So you have passed through the CV screening, initial application portal and now you are faced with a series of seemingly random tests. Is this all some sick experiment to see how fast you'll give up? Can ANYONE on the planet crack the Arcticshores mini games, and what do companies want you to answer for Situational Judgement Tests (SJTs)? All of these thoughts might be going through your mind the first time you have to take an aptitude / psychometric test. You aren't alone; many graduates, especially those from non-selective schools, will feel out of depth with these tests. For those who had the opportunity to sit the 11+ and other academic tests, often for grammar schools and private schools, you will have a better idea of what is going on here. For the rest of us, you need to learn to play the game.

Types of test:

Numerical: These test how proficient a candidate is with basic maths. The questions are unlikely to ask anything beyond GCSE level, but they are timed often to a strict rate of 20 questions per minute, with 1 question per 3 seconds. Where this gets tricky is that questions can be negatively marked (a correct answer will give 3 points, but an incorrect answer will take away 1 point). This makes guessing answers even in a multiple-choice context more risky, ensuring candidates are tested on confidence more than test strategy. 

The biggest thing that trips students up here is either the time pressure or the exam pressure. For time pressure, you need to practise numerical tests, either use your university's resources to take practice psychometric tests or buy a numerical testing booklet. Practise will lead to confidence, and you will get more familiar with the format of the test. For those who get exam anxiety, it is best to practise under timed conditions with a friend or trusted adult holding you strictly to account. 

Verbal:

Similar to reading comprehension tests, these tests will give you an extract of text, usually with a business or market context and ask you questions specifically from the text. Candidates should not use real-world knowledge from outside the text to answer the question. These often take a multiple-choice answer format and, due to more people being exposed to similar types of questions, are considered an easier test for learning psychometrics. Make sure to read the questions and answers carefully and be on the lookout for nuances and details that make some answers half correct or inappropriate. 

Non-Verbal:

These tests are a major source of confusion for those not trained/experienced in psychometric testing. Often in the form of a graphic sequence or diagram. The candidate must think methodically to find the most appropriate next stage in a series of images or patterns. I am not going to lie, this is the crux of the confusion that is psychometric tests. You either get this or need to work really hard on it. I recommend looking at puzzle apps and non-verbal pattern game apps. Potentially the most black and white test, and it's just about practising and learning what patterns to look out for. If you do have a friend like I did who just knows how to do this, then see if they can sit you down and explain it to you. 

Logical:

Similar to non-verbal tests, but the lack of diagrams and patterns usually makes them more accessible. Candidates have to find the true statement in a selection, solve problems logically and show their problem-solving skills across a range of questions. Often, logical tests can be merged into non-verbal tests. Due to this, practising non-verbal and psychometric tests is best done via the actual testing resources that can be found in your university or on open sites. We do not recommend paying for psychometric test packages. 

Situational Judgement:

These tests will give you hypothetical work scenarios and ask you to order the responses from most appropriate to least appropriate. A good strategy here is to think in the following hierarchy: legal obligations > ethical obligations > company image > personal gain. These questions may include topics such as leadership styles, work quality vs work punctuality and ethical considerations such as when to refuse work instructions, when to report business concerns and how to appropriately support and deal with concerns over poor staff performance. To practise for these, we recommend watching some SJT breakdown videos on YouTube, getting some practice in with your university resources and exposing yourself to more aptitude tests.

Gamified:

These tests are disguised in little minigames, but be aware that a lot of them are known for being quite deceptive. Luckily, there are only 3-4 providers of these tests, so you can very quickly get acquainted with them. It is well worth doing some research on Pymetrics and Arctic Shores, so you go into these games knowing exactly what is being tested. 

Preparation is great, but the real practice comes from performing:

We highly recommend you practise these tests using university resources, research and additional learning tools like guides and booklets. However, the preparation is always going to feel different to the "real thing". The best way to get accustomed to psychometric tests is to dive in at the deep end and start doing them. This will allow you to benchmark your confidence. What did you do well on? What did you suck at? How did it feel to do those tests? 

If you have the resources available, then many Universities will have some version of a series of free psychometric tests, which can give you a statistical benchmark early, but these benchmarks only tell you what you perform best at, as each opportunity will have its own cut-offs for success. It is less about getting a certain % score and rather being in the top X% of performers, for example, an 85% in an SJT test where the average is 92% will likely see you missing the cut-off, despite 85% being quite high. 

Need more support:

We offer 1-1 mentoring sessions where we can help identify where you are falling in your application strategy. We run these sessions at the weekend from 8 am - 11 am, and they are able to be booked on a first-come, first-served basis. Sessions are accessibly priced at £5 per 20 mins with a recommended session time on average of 40 mins - 1 hour. We have helped students land roles at top strategy firms like Oliver Wyman, banking firms like HSBC and GS and tech roles in companies like Aviva. Many of our cohort for this year are currently in final stage interviews or waiting to hear back. We want to make student support accessible and personal, so if that sounds like it could benefit you, come and check us out.