1. WHAT IS A PSYCHOMETRIC ASSESSMENT?

Psychometric tests attempt to objectively measure aspects of your mental ability or your personality, normally for the purposes of talent decisions like job selection, development or succession planning.

The word ‘psychometric’ is formed from the Greek words for mental and measurement.

2. WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS OF A PSYCHOMETRIC ASSESSMENT?

A psychometric test must be:

• Objective – The score must not be affected by the testers' beliefs or values.
• Standardized – It must be administered under controlled conditions. The test needs to be as consistent as possible for the test results to be accurate.
• Reliable – It must minimize and quantify any intrinsic errors.
• Predictive – It must make an accurate prediction of performance.
• Non-Discriminatory – It must not disadvantage any group on the basis of gender, culture, ethnicity, etc.

3. WHAT ARE THE MAIN REASONS EMPLOYERS USE PSYCHOMETRICS?

• Candidates over-work their CV's
• Education does not always indicate a candidates ability
• Interviewers may have biases they are unaware of
• High cost of hiring and legal risks of firing 
• Cost and time effective for screening large numbers of candidates
• Traditional screening methods are proving to be flawed in many ways
• Previous employment references are notoriously unreliableIts scientific, objective and credible

4. WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS?

Psychometric tests fall into 2 categories:

• PERSONALITY ASSESSMENTS look at things like: Motivation, Attitude, Work Style, Leadership Style, Emotional Intelligence, Integrity, Behavioral Styles
• APTITUDE ASSESSMENTS which focus on Cognitive Ability and Reasoning which measure: Thinking Styles, Learning Potential, Problem Solving, Levels of Work, Reasoning Ability, Verbal, Numerical, Spacial, Abstract

5. WHAT ARE THE BUSINESS APPLICATIONS OF PSYCHOMETRIC ASSESSMENTS?

• Selection: Psychometric tests provide objective and quantitative data that can be used to compare candidates in a fair and unbiased manner.
• Development: Assessments give insights into the candidate's strengths and areas for development that can be helpful for coaching and development.
• Succession Planning: Using psychometric assessments in succession planning is that they can help identify individuals who have the potential to excel in leadership roles.

6. WHAT ARE THE WAYS THAT PSYCHOMETRIC ASSESSMENTS WORK IN FAVOUR OF THE CANDIDATE?

• Tailored to the job: Psychometric assessments are often designed to measure specific traits and abilities that are relevant to the job for which the candidate is applying.
• Objective measurement: Psychometric tests provide objective and quantitative data that can be used to compare candidates in a fair and unbiased manner.
• Predictive validity: These tests have been shown to have a high degree of predictive validity, meaning they can accurately predict future job performance.
• Minimize unconscious bias: By using objective measures, psychometric assessments can help to minimize the influence of unconscious biases that may exist in more traditional interview methods.
• Identifying strengths and areas for development: The assessments give insights into the candidate's strengths and areas for development that can be helpful for coaching and development.
• Reduced cultural bias: Psychometric tests are often standardized and validated on diverse populations, reducing the potential for cultural bias.

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