How’s your Verbal Reasoning? Not too sure? How about Situational Judgement? Or Error Checking? If you’re new to the job market or haven’t applied for a role in some time, you might be surprised to learn that most companies, from Aldi to Amazon and including the NHS and local councils, expect you to complete online aptitude assessments before you are even offered an interview.
These tests can include:
· Literacy tests
· In-tray exercises
· Numeracy tests
· Case study exercises
· Verbal reasoning
· Error checking
· Numerical reasoning
· Critical thinking
· Written tests
· Gamified assessments
· Presentations
· Situational judgement
· Aptitude tests
· Spatial reasoning
Usually, you will know that a test is coming as it should state on the job description or person specification that you will be measured by a test for a certain element of the job role. But sometimes they are a surprise, and you may receive a link to a test when you are invited for an interview. So, now you know that the tests are coming – what can you do?
Practice! Practice! Practice!
1. Find out which tests the company will ask you to complete. This is usually in the ‘Measured by Test’ section of the job description or personal specification.
2. If they don’t specifically state which test or tests, you can often find out through Glassdoor or Indeed reviews and interviews.
3. If you still can’t find out, call the hiring manager to ask.
4. Luckily, there are companies that offer free practice tests. AssessmentDay is an excellent company to start with and they have a range of just about every test going to help you gain confidence with your test taking abilities. Practice4Meis another brilliant company offering practice pre-employment tests. SHL is used by many councils and well-known brands and offer example questions.
5. The tests are usually timed, and they can be quite daunting, but it has been shown that people’s improvement with practice is up by 25%. The more you practice the more you get a feel for the tests and the easier they become.
So, what are you waiting for? Get practicing!