Four Types of Tests You Might Face During the Interview Process

Interviews used to be a straightforward face-to-face affair, where candidates and prospective employers got to find out a little more about one another before the final hiring decision was made.  These days employers are finding that they’re often faced by equally well-qualified and experienced individuals, and that makes choosing between them harder.

With that in mind, many recruiters are now using a huge array of interview tests to help them get a better picture of the candidates before them.  If you’ve been invited to an interview, here are just a few of the more common tests you might expect and some tips on how you can prepare for them.

Psychometric Tests

Many people are phased by psychometric tests but, as they’re becoming more common, it’s worth understanding a little more abut them.  Psychometric tests are often used to test a particular skill, whether it’s verbal ability, numeracy, reasoning, logic or IT skills.  Generally employers will have some sort of benchmark to measure their candidates against, so how well you do will really depend on how well you can perform under pressure.  A quick internet search will turn up all sorts of online practice papers you can run through, and it’s also a good idea to flex your mental muscles by doing a few of the brain games you’ll find in any newspaper or magazine.

Personality Tests

The good news is, you can’t fail a personality test!  These tests are normally written by an occupational psychologist and are built around a framework designed to bring out a little more about your beliefs, ambitions and work ethic.  There isn’t really any way you can prepare for these tests and it always pays to be yourself.  If you try to shape your answers into what you think your prospective employer wants to hear, you will almost certainly be caught out.  It benefits neither of you to lie.  Remember, these tests are as much about you working out whether you like the company ethos as it is about whether the company likes you.

Presentations

Whether you’re asked to prepare something beforehand or are put on the spot, you may be asked to carry out a presentation.  You could be pitching them an idea or product, with this sort of test being used to gauge your confidence levels, ability to think on your feet and your communication skills.  The best way to prepare for this is through practising.  Try picking up the most mundane object in the room and thinking about how you could ‘sell’ it to a stranger.  It’s hard to do a practice run of standing up in front of a crowded room, but you can think about coping strategies which will hopefully alleviate the pressure when the time comes, such as breathing exercises to control your nerves.

Group Activities

It’s common for recruiters to run group interviews or activities, to see how well candidates get on when working as part of a team.  Whether you’re a bubbly and outgoing person or more of the thoughtful, retiring type, everyone gets a chance to shine during group activities.  Often it’s not the most outspoken and confident person recruiters are looking for, as the more introverted candidates can sometimes prove a better fit for the role and company.  If you’re not the most confident person, try not to get anxious about group interviews.  Make sure you chip in with something valuable as and when you can, and that can impress prospective employers just as much as becoming the team leader.

The most important thing to remember is that you have done well even to be offered an invitation to an interview, so go easy on yourself!  There’s no point getting anxious about what they might throw at you.  Prepare as best you can and remain calm, because that’s what is going to help you perform to the best of your abilities on the day.

Lizzie Exton writes for Inspiring Interns & Graduates, the UK’s leading graduate recruitment agency.