Psychometric test success

Strictly speaking you don't succeed or fail at psychometric tests.

There are no pass and fail marks in the conventional sense. On the other hand, there are things you can do to get the best out of a test.

If you're asked to take a psychometric test, it's probably because your employer or potential employer would like to know if you are a good for a particular job. However if you don't match their requirements, there may be a suitable opening elsewhere.

Make the best use of employees

Some employers use the tests like the Hogwarts sorting hat to make the best use of existing employees.

Supporters of psychometric theory believe the tests give useful insights into someone's attitudes and beliefs as well as their personality. In this way they can, for example, make sure empathic employees with good communications skills work in front of customers while the miserable bastards are kept in the back rooms where they are unlikely to upset anyone.

This is controversial in some circles as not everyone agrees psychometric tests have any value. What's more, while reducing individual personalities to a handful of key terms can by handy, it's an oversimplification and can lead to wrong assumptions about how people will react to various circumstances. Also, people change. If you take the same test on two different days you may get remarkable different results.

While it is possible to game a psychometric test, for example to present yourself with the personality required for a plum job, this is extremely difficult. It's also pointless.

Cheating is pointless

Cheating is difficult because well-designed psychometric tests have subtle cross-references to tease out inconsistencies. Skilled testers will know when your replies are not genuine. And, let's face it, being shown up as flaky and dishonest not a good outcome (unless perhaps you are seeking a career where these traits are an asset). Alternatively, you may just end up looking like you're confused or slightly crazy.

This aside, successfully cheating a psychometric test is utterly pointless because the purpose is to decide whether you are a good fit for a particular job.

Why would you want to trick your way into a role which, by definition, you are clearly unsuitable? Not only will you make yourself unhappy, but you'll almost certainly doom yourself to abject failure.

So, what can you do to get the best from a test?

Ten tips for getting a good psychometric test result:

1. Have a good night's sleep before your test. You'll think clearer.
2. Relax. Clam those nerves, this isn't going to hurt. You'll give a more accurate picture of your personality if you're in relaxed frame of mind.
3. Read the instructions carefully. Read the questions carefully. Reread anything that's unclear. If the tester says anything you don't understand before the test starts ask for clarification.
4. Make sure you are comfortable.
5. Don't hurry. Psychometric tests are rarely timed, so work through the questions carefully and consider each answer before ticking the box or clicking the mouse.
6. The testers want to know what you are like as an employee, so answer the questions based on what you are like at work and not at home or in private.
7. Answer the questions based on how you feel now and not in the past or in the future. The company wants to use your current personality.
8. Don't read too much into each question. Individual questions don't have hidden underlying  meanings, the subtlety lies in how the questions mesh together.
9. Avoid making too many extreme answers. If you have to mark things on a scale of one to five make sure there are more twos, threes and fours than ones or fives.
10. After the test is over ask the tester to discuss the results with you. While you may not get the job in question, the test may provide insights in to more suitable career options.