How to master psychometric tests : expert advice on test preparation with practice questions from leading test providers

225 Pages·2008·1.05 MB·English

by  Mark Parkinson

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KoganPage KoganPageUS
120PentonvilleRoad 525South4thStreet,#241
LondonN19JN PhiladelphiaPA19147
UnitedKingdom USA
MARK PARKINSON
www.kogan-page.co.uk Careersandtesting
HOW TO MASTER
PSYCHOMETRIC
TESTS
‘Every man is like every other man, like some other men, like
no other man.’
Clyde Kluckhohn, Anthropologist
HOW TO MASTER
PSYCHOMETRIC
TESTS
Expert advice on test preparation with
practice questions from leading
test providers
4th edition
MARK PARKINSON
London and Philadelphia
Whilst the author has made every effort to ensure that the content of this book is accu-
rate, please note that occasional errors can occur in books of this kind. If you suspect that
an error has been made in any of the tests included in this book, please inform the
publisher at the address printed below so that it can be corrected at the next reprint.
Publisher’s note
Every possible effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this book is
accurate at the time of going to press, and the publishers and author cannot accept responsi-
bility for any errors or omissions, however caused. No responsibility for loss or damage
occasioned to any person acting, or refraining from action, as a result of the material in this
publication can be accepted by the editor, the publisher or the author.
First published in 1997
Second edition 2000
Third edition 2004
Reprinted 2005, 2006, 2007
Fourth edition 2008
Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or
review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication
may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior
permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accor-
dance with the terms and licences issued by the CLA. Enquiries concerning reproduction
outside these terms should be sent to the publishers at the undermentioned addresses:
120 Pentonville Road 525 South 4th Street, #241
London N1 9JN Philadelphia PA 19147
United Kingdom USA
www.koganpage.com
© Mark Parkinson 1997, 2000, 2004, 2008
The right of Mark Parkinson to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
ISBN 978 0 7494 5165 3
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Parkinson, Mark.
How to master psychometric tests : expert advice on test preparation with practice
questions from leading test providers / Mark Parkinson. -- 4th ed. p.cm.
ISBN 978-0-7494-5165-3
1. Employment tests. 2. Psychological tests. 3. Psychological tests--Problems, exercise, etc.
4. Psychometrics. 5. Employee selection. I. Title
HF5549.5.E5P37 2008
153.9’465--dc22
2008001466
Typeset by Jean Cussons Typesetting, Diss, Norfolk
Printed and bound in India by Replika Press Pvt Ltd
Contents
To the reader vii
Introduction 1
1. What are psychometric tests? 7
Different types of tests 8; What is a ‘good’
test? 12; How are test results used? 14;
What influences test performance? 17;
Key points 19
2. Preparing for psychometric tests 20
Coping with test anxiety 22; Simple body
relaxation 24; Visualization 25; The test
session 27; Testing on the internet 31;
Countdown to test-day 32
3. Ability tests 36
Abstract reasoning 37; Verbal reasoning 40;
Numerical reasoning 46; Perceptual reasoning 51;
Spatial reasoning 53; Mechanical reasoning 58;
Other ability tests 60; Future test developments 62;
Ten more ways to improve your performance 67;
Key points 71
vi Contents
4. Practice tests (technical, clerical and graduate) 73
Introduction to SHL® practice tests 73; Series 1
(Working with words 75; Working with
numbers 81; Working with diagrams 85; Checking
information 89; Recognizing shapes 93; Mechanical
understanding 97); Series 2 (Interpreting written
information 101; Interpreting data 105; Interpreting
diagrams 109); Series 3 (Verbal reasoning 113;
Numerical reasoning 117; Diagrammatic
reasoning 121)
5. Practice tests (graduate and university admissions) 124
Introduction to Team Focus practice tests 124;
Practice material (Abstract reasoning 127; Verbal
reasoning 131; Numerical reasoning 137); University
admissions tests 143; Thinking Skills Assessment 145
6. Personality questionnaires 154
Different personality questionnaires 155; Type
questionnaires 156; Trait questionnaires 161;
How to complete a personality questionnaire 171;
Leadership Style questionnaire 176; Other
self-report questionnaires 184; Key points 192
7. Top 50 practice test websites 194
General 194; Ability tests 195; IQ tests 196;
Personality questionnaires 196; Leadership
style questionnaires 197; Learning style
questionnaires 197; Careers interest and career
planning questionnaires 198; UK University
admissions tests 198
Appendix 200
Answers: SHL® practice tests (technical, clerical 209
and graduate tests)
Answers: TFL graduate tests and thinking 211
skills assessment
Further reading from Kogan Page 213
To the reader
Psychometric tests of ability and personality are used by many
organizations throughout the world for selecting people for
jobs. They are also used within companies to help with devel-
opment and promotion.
This book is about preparing you for the main types of tests
and increasing your chances of getting to the next stage, the job
interview. This is a vital step in the selection process when you
consider that 50 per cent or more people fail the tests they take.
All of the tests described in this book are commonly used for
recruitment purposes. My job has been to explain what they
measure, what they look like, who they are used to assess and
how to approach the questions. The focus is on developing an
effective test-making strategy or a personal approach that you
can apply to any new test you might encounter.
I also concentrate on the psychological preparation for tests,
and how to put yourself in a positive and winning frame of
mind. This is just as important to test performance as under-
standing how the actual questions work.
This is the fourth edition of this book. It has been completely
revised and now includes practice material from three leading
UK test publishers. There is also an example of the type of test
used to help select students for popular degree courses. In addi-
tion there is an interesting section on the ‘dark side’ of person-
ality and a specially written Leadership Style Questionnaire.
viii To the reader
Finally, it includes a unique list of the top 50 practice test
websites, giving access to thousands of extra practice ques-
tions.
Introduction
If you were a personnel manager how would you select new
staff?
Probably you would place a job advert and ask people to send
a curriculum vitae (CV), or to complete an application form.
Then you might look at the forms and invite, depending on
how many people applied, between 6 and 12 people to come
for an interview. After the interviews, or maybe at the same
time, you would follow up references on the best candidates. If
this is all you would do, you would be ignoring a technique
that has become an essential part of the modern selection
process – the psychometric test.
Application forms or CVs are an exercise in seeing how well
an applicant, or frequently an agency, can fill in a form or
design a work history. Interviews are an example of how
prepared a candidate is for a number of standard questions,
and of appearing to be interested and motivated for a short
period of time. The reference, at worst, damns with faint
praise, even if the subject has previously been an entirely unsat-
isfactory employee. In contrast, psychometric tests can identify
objectively where the abilities lie, and what sort of personality
you have. So as long as the appropriate tests are used, they can
provide a fair and accurate way of helping to pick the best
person for the job.