A psychological evaluation, often required for those who will hold top-tier or managerial positions, is a good gauge of determining a person's ability to withstand pressure and stress, lead a team, and achieve results, among other things.
It is a way to find out if an applicant possesses the traits and character needed for a particular post.
Although a psyhological test is not the sole evaluator to check a person's fitness to a given post, it is nonetheless an invaluable way to weed out potential psychopaths and applicants who are obviously out of place with the rigors of the position they are aiming for.
So what does a pre-employment psychological test measure?
It determines two things: first is the individual's mental fitness, and second, his or her emotional fitness.
Depending on the requirements of the post applied for (i.e., importance, sensitivity, and gravity), a psychological test may last between two and eight hours.
Gauging a person's mental aptitude
The first thing a pre-employment psychological test measures is the individual's mental fitness.
There are two aspects to this: first is the person's linguistic aptitude, which is measured through a verbal diagnostic exam that focuses on grammar and vocabulary; and second, the person's analytic and numerical aptitude measured by means of a series of mathematical problems.
Both of these exams are long, exhaustive, and may be taken only within a very limited period of time. It is said that these exams are designed not to be completed by a regular or ordinary person, so there's no need to feel bad if you didn't finish everything.
Taken together, these exams will yield your IQ level.
Gauging an applicant's personality and emotional/leadership aptitude
Another critical aspect being measured by psychological exams is a person's emotional stability, ability to lead, and ability to withstand the pressures of a given job.
This is done through a series of tests administered in succession. They may include some or all of the following: the Caliper Profile, the SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire, the Hogan Personality Inventory, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, and the DiSC Behavior Inventory, among others.
- An essay on who you are as a person in relation to your peers, your family, and the society at large. The essay likewise requires you to indicate your dreams and what you want to accomplish in the next few years.
- A long succession of incomplete statements that you need to complete (e.g., "I feel that my father ___________.")
- Write a story based on an illustration or photo presented to you.
- Management test that requires you to choose from among the choices given on the course of action you intend to take when confronted with a particular scenario.
- An assessment that tests a person's behavioral propensity on what he is or is not wont to do.
When taking a pre-employment psychological test, keep the following in mind:
- Do not take it on an empty stomach. The different assessments are given in rapid succession, and grabbing a bite is often not allowed, if at all.
- Try to answer as honestly as you can; the assessments are designed to spot inconsistencies in answers, so you can only rig the results so much before they bite you back.
- Do not overthink. Answer as quickly as you can. The more you ponder on a question, the more you'll waste time and be wont to provide a dishonest answer.
- Although being honest is the general rule, the exception is when a particular answer will make you look bad. For instance, when a question requires you to say something about your mother, saying she's "a no-gooder witch who leeches off the successes of her children" is not exactly the kind of answer an employer would want to hear (even if such an answer happens to be truthful).
Results of the pre-employment psychological tests are frequently sent directly to the employer; they are not given to the applicant, or if they are, they are often sealed to avoid tampering upon submission.
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Have you taken a pre-employment psychological exam? How was your experience? Join in the discussion by posting your comment below.