Graduate Toolkit

Psychometric tests

Psychometric tests are a common stage of the recruitment process in the graduate labour market. Organisations often use them as an early screening tool as they are a relatively cost-effective way of quickly reducing the candidate pool for a given opportunity.

Psychometric tests typically include ability/aptitude tests such as verbal, numerical, and diagrammatic reasoning; as well as situational judgement tests. You may also be asked to complete different forms of personality tests.

Your objective when preparing for taking a test should be to improve both your accuracy and speed in order to achieve a small margin of improvement. A small improvement in your test performance can increase your chances significantly of getting through to the next stage of a graduate selection process.

How to prepare

Step 1: Research and revise

  • Research which tests you are likely to be asked to do to give focus to your practice. Sometimes this is listed in the email sent by the employer.
  • Then research what the test is likely to involve. An in-depth analysis of the different types of exercises can be found on the Assessment Day website, including numerical and verbal reasoning.
  • Revise what you may be tested on. If you're likely to face numerical reasoning, practice doing arithmetic both with and without a calculator. Brush up on your numerical skills generally and revisit some of the maths you did for GCSE. Study data presented in tables, charts and graphs.

Step 2: Have a go

The best way to learn is to practice! So use our recommended free external resources:

  • Graduates First – University of Leicester graduates have access to an array of practise tests, including verbal, numerical and logical tests, as well as a Situational Judgement Test (SJT), personality questionnaire and the Watson Glaser test. They have been developed by consultants who have worked for SHL, the major UK publisher of psychometric tests. To get your graduate access, login to your graduate MyCareers account and submit a quick query. We’ll take it from there and be in touch.
  • SHL
  • Assessment Day

Step 3: Reflection and ask for help

  • Using the feedback forms developed by the provider, identify the areas or issues that are causing you the most trouble and then identify how you can improve on these next time. If you can identify problem areas – try another test.
  • If you are unsure as to how you can improve come along to an in person drop-in or book a one-to-one appointment for further guidance.
  • Start the 3-step process again!

Further support and resources

The following websites have useful information and many have practice questions. Some of these are specific to certain sectors or occupations. Please note that some sites charge a fee.

  • Legal sector: Watson Glaser is a critical thinking test particularly common with law firms and increasingly by other employers. You can practice these using Graduates First. There are also sample tests available on The Lawyer Portal website
  • Medical and dental schools: UCAT (UK Clinical Aptitude Test) is used in the selection process by a number of UK university medical and dental schools
  • Entry to graduate business and management programmes, such as an MBA: The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) may be used for admission to graduate business and management programmes
  • Practice reasoning tests: Free employer reasoning tests to help improve performance and includes numerical tests, logical, inductive and diagrammatic reasoning tests (view a guide to aptitude tests)
  • Psychometric Success provides another way to practice questions
  • TARGETjobs provides general information about psychometric assessments and links to various practice assessments
  • Test Partnership: tips on how to tackle psychometric tests and opportunity to take practice tests
  • Educational Testing Service (ETS): private educational organisation - includes practice questions relating to:
    • Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
    • Praxis: Professional assessments for beginning teachers
    • TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language
  • Practice Aptitude Tests: free service which allows you to practice various aptitude tests.

The University of Leicester is not responsible for the content of external internet sites. References and links to sites should not be taken as an endorsement by the University of opinions expressed or services provided at those sites.

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