Selection Testing
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Love them or hate them they are a well established part of some company's selection procedures. The British Psychological Society control most test administration in the UK. You should certainly be offered feedback from a trained counsellor if you sit these tests.
The main problem with all testing is that whilst they may measure one aspect of intelligence accurately there is little evidence to show that superior performance in a test leads to similar work performance. For example on average men perform better at spatial awareness tests than women, but there is evidence to suggest women are better at employment tasks. This is explained by the fact that women are more motivated and conscientious than men at work. The arguments go on and on but employers should be aware of the potential for disagreement and particularly claims of discrimination. We strongly advise that employers only use tests that have been properly verified and normed against UK populations similar to those under test in their organisations.
There are two basic types of tests:
Ability tests: Most people are familiar with these as 'intelligence tests'. They normally set out to test the candidate's ability in one specific area e.g. numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, spacial reasoning etc. They consist of a series of short questions with multiple choice answers.
The answers are marked and the score is then compared against a standard group to find where your abilities rank. The tests are designed so that only a very small number of candidates will complete all the answers.
You should be given advance warning of these tests and a sample sheet to try so that you are familiar with the test procedure before you take the test. There is some evidence that practise can improve scores, most university careers departments have sample tests available. We strongly recommend you make use of them.
Personality questionnaires: These set out to measure your personality traits. Your answers are again compared with a standard group and ranked. Personality questionnaires have no 'right' answers the results simply show where you fit on a normal range for each different personality trait. Personality questionnaires come in all shapes and sizes. Saville and Holdsworth OPQ and 16PF are the most common in use in the UK . Most personality questionnaires have a series of consistency check questions which seek to determine if you are trying to mislead.
Unfortunately despite the best efforts of the more reputable test designers these tests can be badly misused. They should be used as the basis for a career development interview with you to determine your suitability for the company, but some organisations use them to compare your personality profile against a standard and give no feedback. If that happens to you then you need to make your own decision about the professionalism of the company concerned.