Understanding pre-interview tests

If you’ve ever applied to a big graduate scheme (think the likes of Boots or KPMG), you might have come across some pre-interview or pre-assessment tests.

They’re a great way of seeing how your brain works in situations you might get on the job – both as a way for you to understand yourself, and to see if the way you react aligns with the company’s values. There are a few different tests that you might come across, which we’ll explain to you.

Situational judgement test

These tests explore how you are likely to behave in work-based situations similar to those you might encounter on the job. They check if your behaviour fits with what is expected in the organisation, and generally involve being given a situation and 4 statements to choose which you are most to least likely to do in response.

Personality assessments

Personality assessments can be used to assess your motivations – the things that make you tick – to determine if these and your values and behaviours match those the organisation is looking for. They might test to see whether you prefer to work alone or in a team, if you’re motivated by helping others or generating profit. There’s lots of different behaviours that can be tested for, but one thing to remember is that you should always answer these types of questions honestly! There’s no point lying to get a job, and then being miserable in role because the environment isn’t quite right for you.

Reasoning assessments

Reasoning assessments are used to explore how well you reason with numerical, written, or diagrammatical data. These tests are generally timed and will have a right or a wrong answer – they can be used to assess for a variety of roles, and are particularly valued by employers looking to recruit into analytical, financial, IT or engineering jobs. They’re all about logical thinking, identifying patterns in data and diagrams, and applying them to find a solution. Verbal reasoning tests assess your ability to comprehend complex written information, evaluation or arguments, and how you communicate answers. I’ve added a link at the bottom of this lesson for you to try out some practice questions.

Game-based assessments

Game-based, or gamified, assessments look just like a computer game or app and are seen as a more fun and interactive way of assessing candidates. They can involve short-response games which might test your memory, response time, or how risk averse you are, or could involve longer interactive scenarios. These tests can collect thousands of data points about you – such as the tracking of your mouse when choosing an answer, response time, or number/sequencing of clicks on the screen. Testers also claim they’re a more reliable measure of your abilities when compared to questionnaires as it eliminates personal bias.