Brilliant Psychometric and Other Selection Tests

241 Pages·2008·0.92 MB·English

brilliant
selection
test results

brilliant
selection
test results
Tests you might have to sit
and how to prepare for them
Susan Hodgson
London(cid:2) New York (cid:2) Toronto (cid:2) Sydney (cid:2) Tokyo (cid:2) Singapore (cid:2) Hong Kong (cid:2) Cape Town
New Delhi (cid:2) Madrid (cid:2) Paris (cid:2) Amsterdam (cid:2) Munich (cid:2) Milan (cid:2) Stockholm
PEARSON EDUCATION LIMITED
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Website: www.business-minds.com
www.yourmomentum.com
____________________________
First published in Great Britain in 2003
© Pearson Education Limited 2003
The right of Susan Hodgson to be identified as Author of this Work has been
asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
ISBN 0 273 66165 5
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
ACIP catalogue record for this book can be obtained from the British Library.
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Contents
Acknowledgements viii
Introduction ix
part 1 brilliant selection test results
1
1 Testing times
3
Who is likely to face tests?
4
When are you likely to be tested?
4
Why do employers use selection tests?
5
2 A testing world
11
Measuring mental processes
11
Designing appropriate tests
14
Different types of tests
16
How tests are implemented
18
Examples of the most common types of tests
19
How tests are scored
21
3 Preparation counts
23
Intellectual preparation
23
Verbal tests
25
Numerical tests
34
Diagrammatic reasoning tests
41
Psychological preparation
43
Commonsense preparation
45
4 The big day
49
Before the test
49
vi contents
During the test
52
After the test
57
5 So much personality
61
Are you right for us?
61
Personality questionnaires
63
Examples of the most common types of
personality tests
69
Emotional intelligence
74
How well do you know yourself?
75
6 Selection and development centres
79
Graduate selection centres
79
What employers are looking for
82
Management development centres
86
Applications for managerial jobs
91
7 The in-tray, the irate customer and the boss
93
Real problems need real solutions
93
Preparing for business exercises
94
Sample exercises
94
8 Talk your way to success
119
Communication skills tests
119
Presentations
120
Presentation fundamentals
121
Topics for presentations
125
Discussions
127
Effective participation
133
contents vii
9 Discrimination, fair and unfair
135
How different tests are biased
135
Let the employer know in advance
136
Culture, age and gender bias
137
Appropriate tests and conditions
138
10 Are you write for the job?
143
Graphology in recruitment
143
Graphology in action
145
11 Reflecting on tests
147
Self-assessment
148
Using feedback
150
Aim to do better
152
Possibilities for change
155
part 2 practice material
161
Verbal tests
163
Logic tests
175
Numerical tests
177
David Singmaster’s problems
178
Saville and Holdsworth tests
190
Work style questionnaire
206
part 3 sources of information
217
General information
219
Equal opportunities information
220
Test practice information
222
Acknowledgements
Saville and Holdsworth is a company which develops and publishes an
extensive range of psychometric tests and they have kindly provided
some verbal, numerical and diagrammatic sample test material which
can be found in Part 2 of this book.
David Singmaster is a professor of mathematics and a metagrobol-
ogist with much experience of setting mathematical brain teasers and
he has kindly provided some challenging and entertaining problems,
which can also be found in Part 2 of this book.
I would also like to thank Helen Baron, Malcolm Bray, Andrew
Chapman, Trish Cross, John Dean, John Hacksman, Margaret
Holbrough, Stuart Neath, Gary Pyke, Elaine Quigley, Barbara Reik, and
David Thompson.
Introduction
This book takes the mystery out of the extensive range of tests that
employers set for applicants as part of a recruitment and selection pro-
cedure, or as part of a development programme for current employees.
It will be useful if you are at any stage in your career where you expect
that you may have to face selection tests of any kind, in addition to
producing a good written application and giving a good interview.
The book will familiarize you with the most commonly used types
of tests and also help you to prepare more effectively for whatever you
will face – whether it is sitting a battery of aptitude tests, giving a pre-
sentation, completing a personality questionnaire or solving a busi-
ness or communication problem. However, the main focus here is on
verbal reasoning tests, numerical reasoning tests, personality ques-
tionnaires and business exercises, because these are the most widely
used forms of testing and operate across the greatest range of differ-
ent jobs. This book will also help you understand why employers use
these tests, what you can learn for yourself from your test results and
how to reflect on your performance in a constructive way, so that you
can do even better on future occasions.
In Part 1, there are hints and tips on how to prepare ahead intellec-
tually, psychologically and practically for tests, information about
what to expect, and how to ensure that your performance is as good as
it can be on the day. Examples of the different kinds of questions and
tests are given in each section. Part 2 of the book contains further test
questions and exercises for you to work through, along with their
answers so that you can check your results. Part 3 lists other sources
of help and information that will be useful both to candidates and to
employers who are considering using tests.
The word ‘tests’ is used in its broadest sense, not just to cover aptitude
tests but to include personality questionnaires, management-style ques-
tionnaires, in-tray problems and presentation and discussion exercises.