Psychometric Tests
Psychometric Test Types



Psychometric tests are commonly used as part of a recruitment process. Employers use them to gain insights into a candidate's skills and personality which can be more objective, reliable and scientifically valid than an interview alone.

Psychometric tests are becoming increasingly popular, particularly in large organizations, where senior management may be removed from the recruitment process but seeks to ensure certain benchmarks are met when recruiting new employees. 

There are two broad categories of psychometric tests: personality & career tests and aptitude & skills tests.


1.    Personality & Career Tests 

These will look at areas such as:

  • Ways of thinking, feeling and acting in different situations;
  • Interpersonal style, conflict style, leadership style;
  • Patterns of coping with stress;
  • Interests - how much do you like carrying out various types of activities at work;
  • Motivations – the energy with which you approach your work and the different conditions which increase or decrease your motivation; and
  • Work values– what factors make work worthwhile for you.


2.    Aptitude & Skills Tests

These are designed to test the specific skills of a candidate. They attempt to give an employer an objective indication of a candidate’s abilities in areas like:

Verbal Reasoning - critical evaluation of written information and reading comprehension.

Numerical Reasoning - logical interpretation of numerical and statistical information.

Abstract, Mechanical or Spatial Reasoning - pattern recognition, logic and how quickly a candidate may be able to learn and master a new task.