Employers use pre-employment tests to assess your suitability for a job.
Here you will find information about the different pre-employment testing options and on how to obtain the job of your dreams.
How Do Pre-Employment Tests Work?
Pre-employment testing is used to determine your overall abilities and skills.
Testing the ability of a candidate to perform tasks effectively can provide the company an insight into who you are and what you can do for them.
Pre-employment tests are used for two main reasons:
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Streamline the Recruitment Process
It is generally expensive and time-consuming to interview every applicant who applies for a position at a large company.
Speed is a factor, and pre-employment tests are used by employers to narrow the candidate pool quickly.
A sufficient amount of data will also allow employers to ask much more specific and detailed questions.
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Identify the Applicant’s Qualifications
The employer administers a pre-employment test to determine whether your skills match the requirements of the job.
If, for example, you apply for a job as a manager, then you might be asked by the employer to take a test that will assess your decision-making abilities so that he can determine whether you are the right candidate for the job.
Tests Used for Pre-Employment
There are different types of pre-employment tests: Physical ability, personality, emotional intelligence, cognitive ability, and skills assessment.
Cognitive Ability
A cognitive ability test measures your mental capacity to succeed in a particular job.
It is a part of a family of tests designed to measure general intelligence. In the majority of cases, these tests are formulated as multiple-choice questions.
Employers can predict your job performance based on your answers since they’ll know how you manage and solve complex problems.
To make that prediction, the employer uses verbal, numerical, abstract, and logical tests. Tests in this category can vary significantly in complexity and difficulty level.
Tests of cognitive ability have the following common characteristics:
- The candidate must answer a lot of questions within a short timeframe.
- In most cases, the test subject is not particularly challenging; however, time constraints and switching between subjects can pose challenges.
Providers of Cognitive Tests in The Testing Industry
The following provides an overview of pre-employment cognitive tests commonly used by employers:
Caliper
A Caliper test measures your personality and cognitive abilities.
To select the best candidate, the employer will review each candidate’s Caliper Profile, based on the results of a candidate’s Caliper Test.
You can learn more about the Caliper assessment here.
SHL
SHL is an important provider of job screening tests.
The following are some of the tests provided by the company:
- Cognitive Verify General Ability.
- Verbal Test
- Numerical Reasoning Test.
Various SHL tests are available, including inductive tests, deductive tests, mechanical tests, checking tests, and personality tests.
Criteria Corp
A Criteria Corp test (known as the CCAT test) contains four types of questions. These are Abstract, Verbal, Mathematical, and Logical.
Because the test is time-constrained, it will be challenging for most candidates, particularly those who haven’t studied the high school curriculum in a long time.
Complex questions such as matrix and syllogism need practice.
Ramsay
Ramsay tests (also known as Ramsay Mechanical tests) assess the knowledge and skills of candidates for technical and mechanical positions.
These tests are administered by Ramsay Corporation and require answering multiple-choice questions.
There are currently four popular Ramsay mechanical aptitude tests:
- Ramsay Multicraft Test
- Ramsay Electrical Test
- Ramsay Mechanical Aptitude Test
- Amazon Maintenance Technician Test.
Personality
When you apply for a job, a potential employer will test your personality to see if you fit the company culture.
This test is designed to assess how committed you are to the organization and whether you are compatible with a lengthy career.
Emotional Intelligence
Through the use of emotional intelligence tests, a company can measure a candidate’s ability to build relationships and demonstrate empathy.
Applicants that score high in emotional intelligence can resolve conflicts more efficiently and ease frustrations among their fellow coworkers.
To be able to achieve this, an applicant must demonstrate the following characteristics:
- Empathy: Empathizing with others and understanding their feelings regarding a particular situation.
- Cooperation and Teamwork: Employees who are able to easily understand others’ viewpoints and find points of agreement will have a greater chance of getting ahead at work and advancing in their careers.
- Adaptability: Adaptability refers to an individual’s ability to adapt to changing demands of his manager, position, and workplace.
Physical Ability Tests
A physical ability test determines whether you’re capable of performing in roles that require physical effort, like a firefighter or police officer, with the goal of preventing workplace accidents and hiring productive and well-qualified candidates.
Skills Assessment Tests
The goal of a skill assessment test is to assess the ability of a candidate to perform a certain task.
If you are applying for a position as a secretary, you will likely have to take a typing test to see how fast you type and if you have a good eye for proofreading.
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