Be prepared for those awkward interview moments with our interview question quiz.

 

Types of assessment tests

Assessing candidates for a particular job role is very important in choosing the best fit. It may involve one or more of the following:

 

- Ability test
- Personality questionnaires
- In-tray exercise
- Group discussions
- Presentation exercise
- Panel interview

 

Ability test

Ability tests are usually presented in a multiple-choice question and answer format for completion either online or in person. All questions have a single correct response and alternative incorrect responses. Your achievement is measured on the basis of the number of correct answers you can provide in the time allowed. The best strategy for tests of this nature is to work as quickly and accurately as you can, but not so quickly that you make careless mistakes. If you are not sure of an answer, mark your best choice but avoid wild guessing.

 

Personality questionnaires

Personality questionnaires measure a candidate's preferences for certain types of behaviour. Candidates are asked to describe themselves - their preferences in communicating and interacting with others and their typical working style - by rating the extent to which a number of statements apply to themselves. The output is a report which describes the candidate's likely working style, interpersonal approach and preferences overall. Personality questionnaires are not used to sift candidates out of the recruitment process. Rather, they add to the richness of the information gathered in other parts of the assessment process which recruiters can use when considering a candidate's suitability for a particular role overall. There are no rights or wrong answers in a personality questionnaire. The best response to offer is an honest one.

 

In-Tray exercise
An In-tray or in-basket exercise asks to assume a particular role as an employee of a fictitious company and work through the correspondence in your in-tray. This exercise is designed to measure your ability to organize and prioritize work.

 

Presentation exercises
In a presentation exercise you will be given a topic or possibly a choice of topics and asked to make a presentation of around ten minutes with five minutes at the end for questions. This is designed to measure your presentation skills including your ability to organize and structure the information and to communicate your points clearly and concisely.

Group discussion exercise
Group discussion exercises involve you working with other candidates as part of a team to resolve a presented issue. These exercises are designed to measure interpersonal skills such as group leadership, teamwork, negotiation, and group problem solving skills.

Panel Interview
Panel interview are regarded as a more objective means of assessing your suitability as you will be interviewed by between three and five people and therefore the decision is not reliant on just one person's opinion. In addition, they are usually more structured than a one-to-one interview as the panel need to assess all of the candidates against the same criteria.

 

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