#35: How to pass psychometric tests, with Ben Williams

In episode 35 of the Graduate Job Podcast we cover a topic which can strike fear into many people applying for graduate jobs, namely psychometric testing. We are joined by Ben Williams, managing director at Sten 10, as he guides us through everything you need to know about numerical tests, verbal reasoning tests, situational judgement tests, personality tests…..you name a test, Ben has probably designed it. We cover what each of these tests are, what they look like in practice, and what graduate employers are actually looking for from them. We delve into tips so you can perform at your best, why you definitely should not try and cheat, through to the importance of accuracy and whether you should guess if you don’t know the answer. No matter where you are in the application process, this is an episode which you aren’t going to want to miss. Make sure you listen to the end, as I’ve negotiated a special discount for you with CareerGym.com which has all of the practice tests you need to ace any psychometric test. As always, all links to everything we discuss and a full transcript are available in the show notes at www.graduatejobpodcast.com/test. Before we start don’t forget, I love to hear your feedback so do get in touch either by email or twitter, on twitter I’m @GradjobPodcast, and email is [e-mail]. What you love, people or companies you’d like to see on the show, I’d love to hear your thoughts, so send them all my way. But now without further ado, let’s dive straight in to episode 35.

MORE SPECIFICALLY IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

• What psychometric tests such as numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, situational judgment, abstract reasoning and personality tests actually involve
• Why companies use these tests and what they are looking for
• How many questions you can expect in a test, and how long you have to answer them
• Top tips for improving your test scores
• Whether it is better to guess at an answer or go for accuracy
• Why you don’t want to cheat!
• Why you should always seek feedback on your performance