Ashok was making great paper boats and planes and Krishn veer too, wanted to make one. He enquired his teacher, what should he do! His teacher guided him about watching a video or animation on how to make your own boats and planes; take a paper and try experimenting; read and follow the guidelines and instructions and build his own paper plane; or simply ask his friends on how to get started?
In a newspaper report published of late, this is among the many questions that high school students have to provide not as part of any examination but as a part of the psychometric test that students in schools are being asked to attempt or take. These tests are being made mandatory in several schools. It is also intended at measuring the mental and emotional stability of children.
Like it or not, in the competitive scenario of modern times, there is nothing more appropriate than a psychometric test to understand personality, mental make-up and skills of individuals. All that it needs is to analyse the answers of a specific set of questions, queries, situations etc. For those charting out a career path, an interesting career with a low remuneration or a highly paid uninteresting career path will both ultimately lead to eventual disappointment. Many aspirants simply end up following a career either under the influence of family or peer pressure or due to biased influencers in their social circles.
It is in this context, psychometric tests have emerged as a wonderful tool aimed at providing better career prospects and recruitment choices. An unbiased analysis of personality and interests of an individual allows them to find out possible career choices. Individual aspirants can either pursue research or connect with a career counsellor for greater understanding of the compensation standards in the industry before taking the final leap.
The term ‘psychometric’ has been derived from Greek words: ‘psyche’ and ‘metron.’ It has the following meaning:
Psyche – Mind
Metron – Measure
Therefore, psychometric tests serve as a tool to evaluate and measure different psychological constructs of an individual.
Psychometric assessment is a scientific and easy-to-use online assessment tool instrumental in supporting inexperienced individuals to choose the right career at the right time. Test-takers get a personalised report based on the answers provided to questions. This is then matched with the available career options. And after suitable analysis, options on matching career paths are generated and suggested to the test-takers.
Psychometric tests help us understand and assess individual differences, human behaviour, and in making informed decisions in various contexts. These tests offer a better understanding through objective measures for individuals, organisations, clinicians, and educators.
Psychometric tests encompass a wide range of assessments designed to measure aspects of human behaviour, abilities, cognition, and personality. These tests are standardised, meaning they are allocated and scored in a constant manner to ensure validity and reliability.
This article will provide reliable information pertaining to meaning, types and purpose of psychometric tests.
Understanding Psychometric Tests: Meaning of Psychometric Tests!
What is termed as a psychometric test?
In simple words, a psychometric test is an assessment of skills and abilities, personality traits, knowledge and the overall potential of an individual. In the process of opting for a career, the test-takers gain a better understanding of the career that would suit him/her. The test is created on the basis of the skills and traits in demand in the corporate world and components required in order to become successful in any given career. By analysing the skills and traits of the candidate, the assessment tool generates a report with the best career options along with an analysis of his/her strengths, both in terms of knowledge and personality traits. In a nutshell, the assessments figure out psychological attributes personality traits including intelligence, attitudes, and skills.
Understanding Psychometric Tests: Purpose of Psychometric Tests!
The purpose of psychometric tests is multifarious and extends across various domains, including education, employment, clinical psychology, and research. It may be pointed out that the purpose of the psychometric test is also about self-evaluation and these tests are not only meant for students who are about to begin their career, but also for working professionals. The objective of a psychometric test is to help the test-taker choose the right career as per his/her skills and efficiency.
Some of the basic purposes of psychometric tests are listed below.
Students – Career Guidance and Development
If a student is seeking career guidance and development then the psychometric test is a valuable tool. It helps analyse the weaknesses, strengths, values, and interests of the test-takers and provide personalised career recommendations.
Employment – Assessment and Selection
Organisations nowadays use psychometric tests in the process of recruitment and selection of candidates. The organisations evaluate the profile and suitability of candidates meant for specific roles. The employers use psychometric tests to identify candidates with the right personality traits, skills, and abilities, the components critical in job success. The hiring decision can be streamlined by assessing aptitudes, cognitive abilities, and personality traits leading to a matching outcome.
Educational Institutions – Educational Assessment and Placement
Psychometric tests play an important role in assessing learning styles, academic abilities inherent and potential areas for improvement. Educators use this test to identify the strengths and weaknesses of students. Further, this test helps to frame tailored guidelines in order to meet the different learning requirements.
In academic institutions, psychometric tests are used in identifying students for academic placement, and diagnose learning disabilities. This works as a helpful enabler for the educators to create supportive learning ecosystems.
Research Institution – Research and Validation
Researchers use psychometric tests to gain an improved understanding of human behaviour, personality dynamics, cognition, and psychopathology. Also, it serves to develop and validate new assessment tools. It explores relationships between investigating the effectiveness and psychological constructs of interventions undertaken. A researcher can create a reliable pool of data and validate it with the help of rigorous research methodologies.
Understanding Psychometric Tests: Types of Psychometric Tests!
Psychometric tests are used in various contexts, including employment, education, research and more. Below listed are some of the most common types of psychometric tests.
Personality Tests
Personality tests help individuals evaluate their behavioural tendencies, emotional patterns, and personality traits. Students should refer to the Career Buddy – Psychometric Assessment Tool, participate in the tests and webinar to gain an improved understanding of their interests, skills, and personality types.
Intelligence Tests
Intelligence tests aim to measure the cognitive ability of an individual in multiple domains, such as perceptual reasoning, verbal comprehension, processing speed, and working memory. These tests offer an overall intelligence quotient (IQ) score and help assess the problem-solving skills, cognitive functioning, and logical reasoning abilities of an individual.
Aptitude Tests
Aptitude tests are employed to evaluate specific aptitude, skills, and abilities that are relevant to a particular domain, profession or task. These tests are specially designed to explore the potential of an individual to perform in a specified field. Generally, educational institutes, employment selection committees, and career assessments use these kinds of tests.
Mostly, the aptitude tests consist of the following:
- Test on Verbal Reasoning
- Test for Spatial Reasoning
- Numerical Reasoning Test
- Clerical Aptitude Test
- Mechanical Aptitude Test
Interest Inventories
Interest inventories on the hobbies, preferences, and career interests of an individual help guide vocational and educational decision-making. This type of assessment helps explore different environments, personal preferences, values, and work activities.
Emotional Intelligence Tests
Emotional intelligence tests help in measuring a person’s ability to understand, regulate, and express emotions. This kind of assessment evaluates skills vis-a-vis self-awareness, empathy, emotional and social management.
Psychometric Test Meaning: FAQ
Q. What is a psychometric test?
Ans. Psychometric tests are generally employed to measure the cognitive ability and personality of a candidate.
Q. Which type of psychometric test is employed to assess personality of an individual?
Ans. A personality psychometric test is best suited to assess the unique personality of an individual. It is designed to help assess how well an individual is likely to do in an actual personality test.
Q. Why is the psychometric test important for students?
Ans. Psychometric tests help students gain an improved understanding on career path suitable for them.
Q. How much does a psychometric test cost?
Ans. Different professional organisations offering similar services may have a cost associated with it. Buddy4Study only charges a nominal amount and offers multiple webinar sessions and career counselling along with the tests.
Q. Is it easy to pass a psychometric test?
Ans. Yes, the psychometric test is easy to pass. However, it is important to gain a comprehensive understanding of the structure and pattern of questions asked in the test. Students can appear online for the psychometric test. Online link of Buddy4Study is available on the following hyperlink of psychometric test.