The Caliper Profile is a widely used personality and cognitive assessment designed to measure traits such as problem-solving, communication, and leadership potential. 

Our preparation resources include:
400 Cognitive Ability Practice Questions tailored to the assessment format.
114 Personality Items in the Caliper Profile format.
Simulated Caliper Assessment to mimic real test conditions.
Detailed Guides to help you understand the test structure.

Check out the new Caliper Profile preparation resources today and take the next step toward success!

The post Caliper Profile Assessment Prep Now Available! appeared first on Aptitude-test.com.

Although it is commonly quoted that a majority of the top 100 companies in Canada use psychometric testing as part of their recruitment process, there is a scarcity of information in regards to the proportion of Canadian companies utilizing psychometric testing. Regardless of this lack of specific data, it still appears that psychometric tests are exceedingly popular, with the overall use of psychometric test use predicted to grow each year by as much as 10-15%. Looking at this information, it is reasonable to conclude that almost all companies will be using psychometric testing eventually, as part of their process to find the best fit for their role – you!

Psychometric testing gained in popularity in Canada since the 1980s, when a spate of formal research studies were done to examine the effectiveness and frequency of testing. As there is little formal research on the proportion of companies undertaking psychometric testing today, we decided to have a look for ourselves. According to LinkedIn, the top 10 companies to work for in Canada are as follows: RBC Banking, TD Banking, Scotiabank, CIBC Banking, BMO Financial Group, Deloitte Canada, National Bank of Canada, Shopify Internet, Desjardins Banking, and PwC Canada. Interestingly, these are all financial institutions or businesses that deal with buying and selling, meaning it is vital for all employees to have numerical reasoning – will they all require their employees to undergo psychometric testing?

Prepare for the unexpected

We looked at the recruitment process of each of these companies and found that the use of psychometric testing was inconsistent with 30% of the top ten confirming psychometric testing as part of their recruitment. A whopping 40% of the top ten companies to work for listed psychometric testing as something candidates ‘may’ have to do depending on the roles they are going for at the time with the final 40% being unable to determine whether psychometric tests are involved or not.

This uncertain result makes preparing for a psychometric test more important than ever. Just because they haven’t specified they require this, doesn’t mean they won’t do it. Oftentimes, candidates will fail to prepare for a psychometric test because it has been placed under the umbrella term ‘online assessment’ or ‘pre-interview test’. Don’t let failure to prepare stop you from obtaining your dream job; invest time in yourself and get prepared for any psychometric test that appears during your career journey. Being able to excel in a psychometric test will give you transferable skills that help you both in test conditions as well as on the job – what could be a better investment in your Canadian career than that?

Try our free Aptitude Test Readiness Evaluation to see how prepared you are.

The post How widely used is psychometric testing in Canada? appeared first on Aptitude-test.com.

Although it is commonly quoted internationally that a majority of top-performing companies use psychometric testing as part of their recruitment process, there is a scarcity of information in regards to the proportion of businesses using similar tests in Australia alone. Regardless of this lack of specific data, it still appears that psychometric tests are exceedingly popular in large-scale Australian companies. With the overall use of psychometric test use predicted to grow each year by as much as 10-15%, it is reasonable to assume that Australian companies of every size will follow this trend.

Top companies utilizing psychometric testing

As there is little formal research on the proportion of companies undertaking psychometric testing, we decided to have a look for ourselves. According to LinkedIn, the top 10 companies to work for in Australia are as follows: Westpac Group, Sydney, National Australia Bank Melbourne, ANZ Melbourne, Commonwealth Bank, Lendlease Sydney, PwC Australia, CIMIC, Deloitte Australia, Salesforce, and Amazon Sydney.

We chose to examine these companies’ recruitment processes because of their popularity; it has long been noted that psychometric testing is an excellent filter tool when employers are faced with an excess of applications to fill a single role. While not a formal study, it does provide a snapshot of the popularity of psychometric testing in the upper echelons of Australian recruitment and provides a clue as to how other companies may follow suit in the future, as the top-performing companies typically set a best practice precedent for aspiring companies to follow.

We found that 80% of the top 10 companies require candidates to complete some form of psychometric test during the recruitment process. The two companies that did not require all candidates to sit psychometric tests, were Westpac Australia and CIMIC Australia, who both state that ‘some roles’ require psychometric testing, which means they choose to make psychometric testing compulsory depending on the position applied for at the time.

With ANZ Melbourne stating that 60% of candidates do not proceed past the psychometric testing round, understand that it is both challenging and competitive. If you’re job hunting in Australia, then prepare for psychometric testing.

Slowly evolving psychometric environment

Out of all the companies examined, Deloitte Australia was the only company providing what has been termed as the ‘gamified’ version of a psychometric test. While Deloitte Australia still administers either a psychometric, skills-based test, or a case study, the company also offers a 20 min game-based simulation of work tasks which is currently intended for their graduate program applicants only and is a trial in response to an evolving need to make psychometric testing experience more natural in order to allow candidates to shine. While an example like this sounds very ‘fun and game-like’, this doesn’t mean candidates need to update their ‘game’ skills; a solid range of general psychometric competencies would do every candidate well.

Prepare to excel

If you have a strong set of skills and can perform well in any psychometric test put in front of you, you will stand the best chance of being offered the role regardless of how the psychometric testing environment evolves over time. Professionals take the same approach; being able to excel in a traditional test will give you transferable skills that help you both in test conditions and on the job – what could be a better investment in your Australian-based career than that?

Are you ready to face a psychometric test? Try our free Aptitude Test Readiness Evaluation and find out.

The post How widely used is psychometric testing in Australia? appeared first on Aptitude-test.com.

Although it is commonly quoted that 75% of Times Top 100 companies in the UK use psychometric testing as part of their recruitment process, there is a scarcity of information in regards to the proportion of smaller-sized, family-owned businesses using similar tests. Regardless of this lack of specific data, it still appears that psychometric tests are exceedingly popular, with the overall use of psychometric test use predicted to grow each year by as much as 10-15%. Looking at this information, it is reasonable to conclude that all companies will be using psychometric testing eventually, as part of their process to find the best fit for their role – you!

Increasing use of psychometric tests

Since the 1980s, UK-based businesses have begun to incorporate more and more psychometric tests in their recruitment processes. It has been suggested that psychometric tests in the UK have sprung out of a need for the UK to be more ‘internationally competitive’. There has been an abundance of government-driven reports highlighting which skills the UK workforce is in dire need of obtaining. Because of this, employers have been more receptive to administering tests that objectively analyze candidates’ skills and competencies; an essential in what is a nation comprised of a high number of highly-qualified professional immigrants and working with very differing backgrounds.

In the UK, it is reasonable to assume that the more complex and rarer a role is, the more likely it is that the recruitment process will have psychometric testing as a component. This is especially true for technical roles, which recruitment professionals themselves will lack the competence to assess. If you intend to apply for a role such as this, expect your employer or human resources department to outsource the psychometric testing component to a specialized agency capable of assessing your abilities.

Be prepared for any eventuality

While psychometric testing is great for roles with intricate requirements, they are also becoming more and more common for every type of job, from entry-level to upper-management. It has become easier than ever for large numbers of people to apply for a single role; a psychometric test serves as a filter for employers to sift through the large quantities of computer-generated applications, allowing them to cut down valuable recruitment time.

Because of this, it is essential that all UK-based or bound job seekers polish up their psychometric skills regardless of the role they are looking to obtain. Before you apply for your next dream role, why not spend some time doing a diagnostic test to see where your weakness and strengths lie? With a bit of dedicated practice, you are sure to do well. After all, being able to excel in a psychometric test will give you transferable skills that help you both in test conditions and on the job – what could be a better investment in your career than that?

Want to know how ready you are for a pre-employment aptitude test? Try our free Aptitude Test Readiness Evaluation.

The post How widely used is psychometric testing in the UK? appeared first on Aptitude-test.com.

Although it is commonly quoted that 80% of Fortune 500 companies in the USA use psychometric testing as part of their recruitment process, there is a scarcity of information in regards to the proportion of smaller-sized, family-owned businesses using similar tests. Regardless of this lack of specific data, it still appears that psychometric tests are exceedingly popular, with the overall use of psychometric test use predicted to grow each year by as much as 10-15%. Looking at this information, it is reasonable to conclude that all companies will be using psychometric testing eventually, as part of their process to find the best fit for their role – you!

The need for psychometric testing

Psychometric testing is popular in the USA for a reason. With a steady stream of graduates armed with similar qualifications, employers and recruiters are finding it more difficult than ever to differentiate between candidates, to see their actual skillset, and to find the best fit for the role. In some cases, graduates come out of college, or graduate school, lacking essential basic skills such as numeracy or deductive reasoning.

In saying that, if you’ve come out of graduate school and you identify that your math skills aren’t as sharp as they used to be, never fear. This is a common complaint from graduates whose skills have become rusty during the course of their studies. Acknowledging this is the first step towards working on it; the next step is making a choice to overcome it – which means practice, practice, practice.

Practice, however, can only get candidates so far; you really have to master it, which is why we offer a range of tests designed to lift your level of competency. A lack of genuine psychometric test mastery adds to a candidate’s level of test anxiety, which has long been identified as an employment barrier for some people, who are simply too terrified of the concept of a test to do as well as they are able on a daily basis.

Evolving psychometric environment

In response to this, some United States based recruiters are transforming the way psychometric tests are administered. Instead of being pure test form, they are incorporating them into a game style situation, which encourages candidates to respond naturally while also challenging them in a similar way a psychometric test would.

US-based company Deloitte has transformed their standard psychometric testing suite into a game style situation which requires candidates to engage in a simulated work situation. At a lengthy 20 minutes, it requires candidates to act on regularly occurring workplace tasks. The candidates’ performance is used in the first round of the recruitment process allowing the employer to select people with the desired competencies regardless of how they compare to others with similar qualifications. Interestingly, Deloitte have crafted it to pique candidates’ interest in the role, making it attractive enough for candidates to want to work there.

While an example like this sounds very ‘fun and game like’, this doesn’t mean candidates need to update their ‘game’ skills; a solid range of general psychometric competencies would do every candidate well. If you have a strong set of skills and can perform well in any psychometric test put in front of you, you will stand the best chance of being offered the role regardless of how the psychometric testing environment evolves over time. Professionals take the same approach; being able to excel in a traditional test will give you transferable skills that help you both in test conditions and on the job – what could be a better investment in your career than that?

Are you ready to face an aptitude test? Find out today, try our free Aptitude Test Readiness Evaluation.

The post How widely used is psychometric testing in the USA? appeared first on Aptitude-test.com.

From the dawn of human history

Psychometric tests are found throughout human history, appearing across cultures and religions. In ancient China, candidates were required to take examinations in order to obtain prized occupations which involved the need to be competent in areas such as fiscal policies, revenue, agriculture, military, and law as well as tests that determined physical capability of potential soldiers.

Early forms of psychometric tests were not easy. Rather, they were a test of skill and intelligence, as well as endurance. An early psychometric test required the candidate to attend testing for a full day and night – imagine that next time you are taking a not-so-simple assessment spanning a couple of hours! To make matters worse, these tests were so challenging that they had a pass rate of little more than 7%. You could almost say these psychometric tests were not just about assessing competency; they were about pushing candidates to their limits to find the absolute best.

While it may seem like it would be ideal to be in that 7%, unfortunately being at that elite level did not mean the candidate was successful. Rather, it meant they moved on to the final round of psychometric testing, which had a pass rate of about 3%. The lucky few that achieved this entered the much sought after public official roles. This procedure was eliminated in 1906, and a fairer but still difficult test was chosen in its place, but this type of testing still exists today in modern China, as well as other nearby countries such as the Republic of South Korea.

The importance of accuracy

Interestingly, the Bible[1] also makes a mention of an informal psychometric test, which involved a group of people pronouncing a single word – proving that sometimes just that little bit of preparation is all you need to gain an extra edge. These kinds of psychometric tests exist today, especially when it comes to roles which require exact, clear pronunciation or a type of language specific to one area. It can also be seen in occupations where accuracy is essential, such as the military, and perhaps to a greater extent the medical profession, where accurate and clear communication can be a life-or-death situation.

Although we have evidence of psychometric-type tests coming from ancient sources, researchers agree that the first true psychometric test, in terms of how we identify it today, was developed by Francis Galton, who in the 1880s created a framework of tests to gauge participants’ intelligence based on an examination of their sensory and motor skills. In fact, it was Francis Galton who created the term “psychometric” and his work in developing this efficient sensory and motor skill psychometric test went on to influence noted psychologist Dr. James Cattell, who is renowned for developing psychometric tests further at that time than they had ever been before, when Galton’s work was criticized as not being very useful when it came to predicting educational outcomes.

Toward modern psychometric testing

The modern type of psychometric test we know today has roots in France in the 19^th century and was devised to allow physicians to identify and separate patients with mental deficiencies and those experiencing mental illness.

Three renowned psychologists, Alfred Binet, Victor Henri, and Theodore Simon, got together to work on developing a psychometric test that could identify young children affected by mental deficiencies. It took them 15 years to develop their groundbreaking assessment tool, which looked at participants’ verbal skills and then assessed their level of mental capacity. Referred to as “mental retardation” in their day, the test became known as the Binet-Simon test, and remarkably, is still in use today.

Now known as the Stanford-Binet test, it is in its fifth edition, having been updated and released in 2003 in conjunction with Stanford researcher Lewis M. Terman to address the challenges of diagnosing children in the modern era. Terman used the original Binet-Simon Intelligence Scale, but removed problematic cultural assumptions, such as a task which required the child to select the “prettiest looking” person, which could clearly be affected by cultural bias. With significant revision, but based on the heart of the original work, the resulting test is now able to identify developmental deficiencies as well as intellectual challenges.

The roots of personality testing

Psychometric tests include aptitude tests (cognitive, IQ tests, and other tests that assess aptitude rather than knowledge or a skill set), ability tests (tests that assess learned knowledge and skills – this could be a spelling & grammar test, a typing test or an MS Office test), and personality tests. Personality tests are very popular in today’s recruitment, with plenty of employers looking to find candidates’ Myers-Briggs personality type, regardless of the fact that many psychologists no longer believe[2] the results are meaningful.

Before the popular Myers-Briggs, and other in-house personality types which give a better indication of how someone would behave in a team functioning inside a workplace environment, personality tests were rather unfortunate, especially if you weren’t what society termed “an ideal beauty.” The now debunked practice of phrenology assessed candidates’ personalities by looking at their physical features, in particular the face and head. Created by Dr. Franz Joseph Gall, phrenology has long been debunked, but nonetheless would have contributed toward many unlucky candidates losing out on opportunities simply because a candidate with more “desirable” physical features had also applied. Interestingly, researchers at the University of Oxford have put phrenology to the test[3] and found no link whatsoever between a patient’s personality with shape or measurements of their face and head.

Addressing the needs of war

As we have mentioned, ancient China was the first civilization on record to take a psychometric approach when recruiting, and this extended to their military selection. Western armies followed suit, and were able to select soldiers with what was considered the most suitable personality with a test which was known as the Woodworth Personality Data Sheet (1917).

However, rather than being an administered clinical test, it was a self-reported inventory that gave candidates some leeway on how they represented their personality. Initially designed to ensure candidates were not at risk of developing shell shock, the test became popular as a general personality test and paved the way for personality tests used in recruitment today.

The test consisted of 116 questions[4] where the candidate could respond “yes” or “no” and included revealing questions that helped recruiters identify people at risk of stress. Answering “yes” to “Are you troubled with dreams about your work?” may have put candidates into a pool not best suited for military life, as they would be too affected by what they saw and did on a daily basis. Plenty of modern psychometric tests, such as the Symptom Checklist 90, ask questions that have come directly from Woodworth’s diagnostic test.

Psychometric testing today

Most employers make use of psychometric testing to ensure they are selecting candidates with the right mix of skills, knowledge, and capabilities as well as the capacity to learn more on the job, adapt to changes instantaneously, and the ability to function well in the face of stress – which most workers deal with as roles become much more demanding.

The psychometric test industry has evolved to suit the needs of the employer, who is faced with increasing numbers of applications as well as a desire to assess all candidates objectively. So instead of just facing a personality or intelligence test, candidates may be asked to take an aptitude test covering cognitive skill, an IQ test, or another test that assesses aptitude in general rather than knowledge or an established skill set.

Employers can choose to administer an aptitude test alone, or combine it with an ability test which assesses the candidates’ learned knowledge and skills – this could be a punctuation test, a word processing test, or an Excel test. Finally, some employers still choose to use personality tests, which can actually be a good thing for you as a candidate as it helps you determine which environment is right for you. Remember, a job interview is a good time to see whether you want to work in the environment the potential employer offers, so don’t hesitate to use the insight you receive about your skills and tendencies to make a choice that is a good fit for you.

With such a fascinating history, psychometric tests continue to reveal insight into how people work, and with a little preparation, can help you land a role that perfectly matches the unique set of skills you’ve developed over your working life – what could be better than that?

Want to try a psychometric test? Try our free mixed aptitude test.

Additional references:

http://www.ablongman.com/partners_in_psych/PDFs/Gregory/gregory_ch01.pdf

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/j.2330-8516.1987.tb00238.x

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_testing

[1] https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/j.2330-8516.1987.tb00238.x

[2] https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/give-and-take/201309/goodbye-mbti-the-fad-won-t-die

[3] http://theconversation.com/neuroscientists-put-the-dubious-theory-of-phrenology-through-rigorous-testing-for-the-first-time-88291

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodworth_Personal_Data_Sheet

The post The History of Psychometric Testing appeared first on Aptitude-test.com.

The most common psychometric tests Most employers notify you in advance if they expect you to complete a psychometric test. While you may not know the exact test they have in mind for you, here are the most common psychometric tests used in the recruitment industry today:

• Aptitude Tests
• Ability Tests

An aptitude test is designed to provide an objective measure of a wide range of skills which provide an indication of your future performance in the workplace. Unlike other psychometric tests, they are not a test of your knowledge or skillset, rather they are a test of your potential and intelligence. Aptitude tests can focus on one area or cover a wide range of aptitudes relevant to the job description.

Skills Assessment Tests
Skills-based psychometric tests are a great indication of each candidate’s actual skill set. In most cases, these tests require simulations where the test taker works on a real-life project, rather than answering a set of questions. Examples include spelling and grammar tests, typing tests, and MS Office simulations.

Knowledge Tests
Job knowledge tests are a specialized kind of psychometric test which employers use to determine the candidate’s depth of knowledge in either their industry or their role. Examples include engineering concepts tests, legal reasoning tests, and finance tests.

• Personality Tests

Personality tests are designed to provide a general idea of who you are as a person and how you function in a workplace environment, whether you are introverted or extraverted, and your strengths and weaknesses. Common personality tests include the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Big Five Personality Test. How employers use psychometric test results Psychometric test results are most commonly used in the final stages of recruitment. Here are the 5 major things employers look for when examining psychometric test results:

1. To determine how much you know
   As we’ve mentioned, it is hard for employers to compare candidates with similar backgrounds. A psychometric test provides them with objective evidence which will help them select an employee with an excellent working knowledge of their industry. It’s worth briefly revising your industry knowledge and getting up to date with advances in your area in order to ace this test.
2. To see whether you can do what you say
   Simulation style job skill tests are the gold standard for employers wishing to find new hires with solid practical skills. High performers confirm that they can do as they say and will be beneficial in their role as well as in the company. To prepare, make sure you are up to date with any changes in the software or processes most used in your industry.
3. To determine your potential
   Candidates who perform well across all three types of psychometric tests are typically high potential people who have the capacity to learn new skills, acquire new knowledge, and apply those attributes in the workplace to help the business reach its goals.
4. To find out what kind of person you truly are
   Employers can only learn so much from resumes, references, and job interviews. Psychometric testing allows companies to see, for instance, who is best suited to spend all day at their desk taking orders from superiors, and they’re also able to determine who will comply with their requests.
5. To see whether you can work to deadlines
   It goes without saying that completing your psychometric test in line with the deadline is a fundamental part of the exercise. Candidates who comfortably complete the test in the set time frame, with few errors, prove to be valuable employees who work hard to get the job done every day.

Self-awareness is key! Psychometric tests are designed to give employers insight into who you are, your current ability, and your future potential. When combined with your resume, references, and your interview responses, they give employers a clear indication of whether you’d be a good fit for the vacant role in their business. Do you know your own psychometric test score? If you take a test before your interview, you can use the information to prepare to ace the test, which will give you a better chance of securing the role. Why not put yourself in your prospective employer’s shoes and see whether you are a good fit for your dream role? Take a free test today!

The post How do Employers use Psychometric Tests? appeared first on Aptitude-test.com.