Psychometric tests

A psychometric test is a way for an employer to measure and identify your skills and personality. Many employers use psychometric tests to help work out whether you are suitable for a particular job role. They are often used during the first stage of an application process or as part of an assessment centre. 

But why are these tests so widely used and what benefits do they bring? There are a number of answers to this question, many of which relate to the essential characteristics of psychometric tests, with the main ones being: objectivity, accuracy, and validity.

Objectivity: One of the main advantages of psychometric tests is that they provide an objective assessment of a person's abilities or other characteristics. When administering psychometric tests, no matter how diverse the group of test takers, they will all receive the same test instructions, all sit the same questions, and be given the same time to complete the test.
Accuracy: All measures we make, whether in the physical world or in the area of psychological constructs, contain a degree of error. In psychometric testing the existence of error is recognised and the degree of error quantified, meaning that test results are treated as 'indicators' of a person's standing on a construct rather than absolutes.
Validity: Validity is about a test's suitability for a specific purpose. Psychometric tests are developed to assess specific psychological constructs, and good tests should come with evidence demonstrating that they are measuring the construct they claim. The research and development behind tests makes it easier to ensure their validity compared with some other types of assessment.

Types of psychometric test

There are many types of psychometric test, and the ones you will encounter depend on what the employer wants to learn about you. Psychometric tests can broadly be divided into ability tests and personality tests.

Ability tests measure your potential performance in a job and your ability to carry out or perform different tasks. The questions are usually presented in multiple-choice format, with right and wrong answers, and are normally timed. The tests you are asked to take will vary according to the job you are applying for.

Common tests include:
- Verbal reasoning – assess how well you understand written information and evaluate arguments and statements.
- Numerical reasoning – assess your ability to interpret charts, graphs, data or statistics, and whether you can deal with numbers quickly and accurately.
- Diagrammatic reasoning (also known as inductive reasoning tests or abstract reasoning tests) – assess your ability to think logically and solve complex problems.
- Spatial reasoning – assess your ability to perceive, construct and manipulate shapes.
- Critical thinking – assess your ability to logically analyse assumptions, arguments, deductions, and inferences, and your ability to interpret information.
- Situational judgement or scenario-based – measure your behaviour and attitudes to work-related scenarios.
- Games-based assessments (also known as gamified assessments, game-based psychometric assessments or gamified-recruitment) – these tests involve playing short rapid-response games (like memorising number sequences, sharing or keeping winnings, taking risks) or playing longer interactive scenarios.
Personality tests are used to assess personal behavioural preferences to work out whether your character suits the job you have applied for. These tests tend to not have clearly defined 'right' answers, and you'll usually be presented with statements describing various ways of feeling or acting - test takers then usually indicate how they would most typically behave, feel, or react regarding these statements.

Some tips for preparing for these tests include:
- Making sure you've read the job description, know what the employer is looking for and how the test you're taking will measure this.
- Trusting your initial reactions to the statements and answering honestly, rather than simply trying to guess the "best" or "correct" answer.
- Focusing on what is true for you when completing personality tests, which will increase your chances of obtaining a job or role that is a good fit for your own personality.

Practice tests

You can practise taking psychometric tests with Graduates First – register for free using your University username and password.

Graduates First

Among other things, Graduates First will give you access to:

verbal, numerical and critical thinking tests
situational judgement tests
games-based assessments
Watson Glaser tests
a work personality questionnaire.

In addition to Graduates First, there are a variety of resources that can help you prepare for psychometric tests:

Assessment Centre HQ - all test types
AssessmentDay - all test types
Cappfinity - situational-judgement, numerical, verbal and critical thinking tests
CubiksPractice - numerical and verbal tests
InductiveReasoningTest - inductive tests
Institute of Psychometric Coaching - numerical, verbal and abstract tests
JobTestPrep - all test types
NATS Skills Games - games-based tests
NumericalReasoningTest - numerical tests
Practice Aptitude Tests - all test types
Practice Reasoning Tests - all test types
Psychometric Tests - all test types
Test Partnership - all test types
The Online Test Centre - numerical, verbal, diagrammatic and critical thinking tests
VerbalReasoningTest - verbal tests.

Disability-related resources

Resources for students with disabilities - find out about disability-friendly employers and how to request reasonable adjustments during the application process.
Psychometric Tests - a guide for disabled candidates (AGCAS) (Word)
EmployAbility – a non-profit organisation that supports neurodiverse and disabled students and graduates into employment. Register to access free support and a range of opportunities.

Additional resources

For further information on psychometrics tests, see:

Psychometric tests

Types of psychometric test

Ability tests

Personality tests

Practice tests

Disability-related resources

Additional resources