Pre employment tests: a guide for jobseekers

Finding the right candidate for a job can be an expensive and complicated process. It’s not only about finding an individual who has the skills, knowledge, and qualifications needed to do the job well. Employers also seek to recruit candidates who have the right values and personality to be a good match for the company culture. Increasingly, employers want to learn more about candidates than they can glean from a CV and a job interview. This is where pre employment tests prove useful.

Pre employment tests include a wide range of assessments that strive to build a more rounded picture of who you are as a candidate and your potential to be a valuable addition to the workforce. Generally, these tests are designed to match you to the job and the company culture, placing value on relevant skills or personal traits. For instance, one role may need a good team-worker who is accepting of instruction, leadership, and structure, while another role may place more value on managerial skills, autonomy, and decision-making.

The good news is that pre employment tests don’t only benefit employers. They can also provide jobseekers with an extra opportunity to demonstrate your suitability.

What type of tests might you face when you apply for a job?

The type and range of pre employment tests used by an employer will vary depending on the requirements of the job advertised, so let’s look at the six most common types of test.

  Personality

Personality tests seek to identify your personal traits, such as whether you are an introvert or an extrovert and how open you are to new experiences. In a pre employment context, personality tests are used to measure how good a fit you are for the job, the working environment, and the company. Well-known personality tests include:

• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
• Caliper Profile
• 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire
• SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire
• NEO Personality Inventory
• Enneagram

Each of the above assess your personal traits via a series of questions. Generally, these questions will ask you to respond on a scale, for instance, ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree, or in a multiple choice format.

  Psychometric

Psychometric tests seek to identify your personal traits but also assess your skills and aptitude including:

• numerical reasoning
• verbal reasoning
• critical thinking
• situational judgement
• logical reasoning

Along with the personality element of a psychometric test, the most commonly assessed areas are numerical reasoning and verbal reasoning. Numerical reasoning tests how well you can understand numerical information. Verbal reasoning tests your ability to interpret a written passage.

  Vocational

Also referred to as technical tests, vocational tests assess skills and knowledge that are relevant to the job you have applied for. Do you know how to service a boiler, for instance, or check a patient’s blood pressure? This test will also assess how well you apply this knowledge in the workplace and may feature a situational judgement element.

A vocational test may be a series of questions or a physical test, or a mixture of both.

  Gamified

Gamified or game-based pre employment tests use a series of games instead of questions. The games may include:

• memory
• spatial awareness
• strategy
• reaction
• numerical reasoning
• logical reasoning

Well known employers such as PwC, KPMG, Unilever, IBM, and Procter and Gamble include gamified testing in their recruitment procedures.

  Numeracy and literacy

Numeracy and literacy pre employment tests ensure that you have sufficient skills in both areas to carry out the job and operate in the work environment. These may be combined with any of the tests mentioned above or be the only test you face.

  Assessment centre exercises

While you will take most pre employment tests online, assessment centre exercises are in-person. Generally, the day will be a mixture of working alone, working in a group, and being interviewed.

Assessment centre exercises you may face include:

• group exercises
• written exercises
• in-tray exercise
• presentation
• role-play

How to prepare for pre employment tests

Now that you know the main types of pre employment test, here are our six tips on how to prepare.

  Find out what test you will face

If it isn’t clear which pre employment tests you will face from the documents and emails that the employer has sent to you, then don’t be afraid to ask. You may be told the type of test but also the specific test, for instance, not only a personality test but a Myers-Briggs personality test.

  Practice

Once you know the test you will face, you can source sample papers or tests to practice on. Practice will build your familiarity with the type of questions or games you will face and increase your confidence. There are plenty of online practice resources, for example Job Test Prep provides:

• practice personality tests
• practice psychometric tests
• examples of employer specific game-based tests

If you know the test will be timed, you can improve your performance with timed practice sessions.

  Understand what test success looks like

Test success isn’t just a case of academic pass or fail. Certain pre employment tests, such as the vocational, numeracy, and literacy tests will have definite right and wrong answers. However, many of the tests will be scored based on the personal traits and working preferences required for the specific job.

For instance, personality tests are designed to identify candidates who have lied or exaggerated their responses to reflect themselves in a more favourable light. The best approach to taking a personality test is to be honest. There are no bad or good personalities; there is simply the right fit personality for a specific job or employer.

Your test scores will generally be compared to the performance of other candidates and a score profile that is the ideal fit for the job.

  Assess your strengths and weaknesses

One other benefit of practicing sample questions is the chance to assess your strengths and weaknesses. Which type of question and topic do you excel at? Which do you struggle with? Spend extra time on improving your weak areas.

  Make sure you’re equipped

Many pre employment tests are conducted online, either on a computer or a mobile device. If you face an online test, make sure you have:

• the necessary equipment, for instance, a mobile phone
• a reliable internet connection and data allowance
• a time and location where you won’t be disturbed for the duration of the test

If you need to download documents or an app, do this well in advance of your test session. If you have to access a website, and maybe even open an account there, again do this before your test.

  Look after yourself

Provide yourself with the best chance of a good performance by looking after yourself in the run up to the test. That means getting plenty of sleep, staying hydrated, healthy eating, and finding ways to reduce your stress levels.

Wrapping it up

Pre employment tests are a popular way for businesses to check that they have the right candidate for the job. The best approach for jobseekers is to find out which test you will face, familiarise yourself with the test by using practice papers, work on your weaker areas, make sure you’re equipped and prepared for an online test, and ensure that you’re in the best mental and physical state possible before the big day.