How to do well in your psychometric tests

If you are applying for graduate schemes you will come across a variety of psychometric tests, some you can prepare for and others, such as the Situational Judgement Test (SJT), is tailored to each company’s values and needs and therefore is difficult to prepare for. I hope that this brief blog entry will help you prepare the best you can in this difficult stage of the application process.

Do you know that you can practise many different psychometric tests for free on our website? We have practice tests covering typical numerical, verbal and logical reasoning aptitude tests, situational judgement tests and a chance to practice an in-tray exercise which you may have as part of the application process or in an assessment centre.
Graduates First also includes detailed step-by-step guides to over 100 top graduate employer's recruitment stages and hints on how to pass their assessment process.
Know what tests you will be come across before starting your application process. Many companies detail their application process on their website weeks before application opens, and may also have lots of additional practice resources for you, such as PWC, Morgan Stanley and Civil Service Fast Stream.
For your numerical, verbal and logical reasoning tests, practice makes perfect. You may not get the same questions again, but you will have an idea of the type of questions you may get and how to answer them.
Be aware that especially for your numerical, verbal and logical reasoning tests, these tests are usually designed so that the majority of candidates do not finish. You will therefore feel pressurised, and working as quickly as you can, and staying accurate, is important. With practice this becomes easier.
For the SJT tests, be yourself and don’t be someone that you think the company wants. There is a vast range of situational judgement tests and they vary based on the role, company and sector, therefore it is difficult to prepare for them. They assess how you would react in typical work-based scenarios and these will be different depending on the job role or sector. Key advice here is to know the role you are applying for, the competencies needed and the values of the company. How do they resonate with your own values and competencies?
And most importantly, make sure you are in a quiet room, that you have slept well, eaten well and is in the best mental and physical state that you can be in before taking the tests.