Types of Psychological Tests for a Job Interview

Landing a job is hard work. You must create a resume that will entice a hiring manger to bring you in for an interview. During the interview, you must show the hiring manger why you are an indispensable asset to his department. Then you may need to pass a psychological test to be offered the job. Psychological tests are increasingly part of the recruiting process.

Why Companies Use Psychological Tests

• Businesses want to ensure they hire the right person. Job applicants may submit an effective resume and perform well during an interview, but they usually highlight only positive attributes. So how can a business be sure it picks an applicant who is a perfect fit for the position and actually can do the work? The answer is psychological tests. These tests have been validated by experts as a very good indicator of an applicant's working style. Testing potential employees can increase the chances that a company chooses the right person for a job, reducing turnover and lowering training costs.

What the Tests Measure

• Three types of psychological tests may be administered by a company: personality, aptitude and skills. These multiple choice tests gauge an applicant's ability to handle certain situations. Applicants may be given one or a combination of these tests. Often, they are unaware tests are part of the screening process. This increases the chance that a company will obtain a truer picture of applicants. Companies determine the test scores they will accept.

Employee Personality Tests

• Personality tests are the most popular of the psychological tests. They are designed to measure five traits: openness, emotional stability, extroversion, conscientiousness and agreeableness. Questions also may test your propensity for aggression or hostility, which are viewed as negative factors in the workplace. These tests are usually given for positions that require a high level of interaction with other people.

Intelligence Aptitude Tests

• Intelligence aptitude tests are considered excellent predictors of job success. Studies show they are better indicators than interviewing a candidate or considering a candidate's experience or education. These short multiple choice tests measure a candidate's problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills and reasoning abilities. Many companies administer Harvard University's MiniCog Rapid Assessment Battery (MRAB). This 30-minute test measures a candidate's cognitive aptitude on attention, memory, reasoning and processing information.

Skills Tests

• Some jobs require a specific skill set in order for employees to be successful. Companies want to make sure potential employees are able to perform certain job skills. A variety of skills tests are available for different positions, including tests to measure a candidate's verbal and math skills, typing skills, computer skills and data entry skills. These tests measure a candidate's basic intelligence and ability to think logically.