APPLICATION ESSENTIALS
Recruitment tests Psychometric and online assessments were widely used even before COVID-19 greatly increased recruiters use of virtual recruitment tools. Expect to encounter online tests as an initial screening stage or later in the process, and even to be retested at assessment centres. Ability tests require both speed and accuracy. Test familiarisation and a little practice helps candidates to focus their energy on finding correct answers, rather than wasting time on understanding how to answer the questions. See the Careers Service’s advice on preparation and how to access free practice resources at www.careers.ox.ac.uk/psychometric-tests. Candidates should always study any practice questions offered by a company to minimise the risk of being tripped up by new styles of question. To perform at your best in these tests: Choose a time and place where you can focus without distraction. Always read instructions carefully. Work as quickly and accurately as you can, reading both questions and answer-choices carefully. A good strategy is to eliminate as many wrong answers as possible. For example, with numerical
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tests a quick estimate may help you discard options without working out every alternative. Keep an eye on the clock. Do not spend too long on any one question – if you get stuck, leave it and move on rather than wasting time.
Types of tests
Tests of ability include numerical and verbal reasoning tests. Unless a job requires a high level of numeracy, numerical tests are not likely to be pitched higher than GCSE-level maths. Candidates can expect to calculate percentages and ratios, and extract information from charts and graphs, accurately and under considerable time-pressure. If your mental maths or calculator technique are rusty, start practising: Study different types of charts and financial reports in quality newspapers and the financial press. Attend the Careers Service’s numeracy refresher sessions, advertised via the Events Calendar on CareerConnect. Brush up with BBC bitesize maths revision: www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize Verbal reasoning and critical reasoning tests typically evaluate your ability to extract the details and main points from a short piece of information, sometimes requiring you to make logical inferences from the text. Use the free practice resources we offer you to become familiar with these tests and the range and subtleties of the distinctions you need to make. These tests are perhaps more difficult to prepare for than numerical tests, but reading material from outside your academic discipline, for example in technical and business journals, can help you to become comfortable with different written styles.
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www.careers.ox.ac.uk
