Psychometric tests

Employers often use psychometric tests to get a clearer picture of your strengths, thinking style, and how you might work with others. These tests help them make fairer and more informed decisions about who’s the best fit for a role and a team. They're typically used early in the recruitment process or at assessment centres.

Types of psychometric tests

Psychometric tests fall into two main categories: ability tests and personality tests.

Ability tests

These measure how well you can perform specific job-related tasks. They’re usually multiple-choice and timed.

Common types include:

  • Verbal reasoning – understanding written information and evaluating arguments and statements
  • Numerical reasoning – working with numbers, data and charts
  • Abstract/diagrammatic reasoning – identifying patterns and solving logic puzzles
  • Spatial reasoning – visualising and manipulating shapes
  • Critical thinking – analysing assumptions, arguments and conclusions and your ability to interpret information
  • Situational judgement (SJT) – reacting to real-life work scenarios
  • Game-based assessments – completing quick interactive games to test memory, logic or decision-making

Personality tests

These evaluate your behavioural preferences and how well your personality suits the role or team.

Tips:

  • answer honestly—don’t try to guess the 'best' or 'correct' answer
  • focus on what’s true for you
  • understand what the employer is looking for in the role.

Practice tests

You can practise taking psychometric tests with Graduates First. Login with your University username and password to access a wide range of tests. Graduates (within three years of graduation) should email the Careers Centre for access.

Graduates First

Tests available on Graduates First:

  • verbal reasoning
  • numerical reasoning
  • logical reasoning
  • situational judgement tests (SJT)
  • game-based assessments
  • video interviews, including a competency-based, a strength-based and industry and firm-specific interviews
  • Watson-Glaser critical thinking test
  • work style personality questionnaire
  • interview question identifier tool
  • assessment centre activities

Graduates First also provides step-by-step guides to over 100 graduate employers, with advice on recruitment stages and tips on how to pass their assessment centres.

Disability-related resources

Additional resources