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Psychometric Testing: The Big Players in the Testing Industry
Who uses psychometric tests, what kind, and why? In this illuminating article, psychometric expert Mike Bryon outlines the biggest players in the testing industry, and what they hope to get out of using psychometric tests.
1. SHL is a leading publisher of tests, including ability screening online. The company has an extensive client list, and giants like L’Oreal, Colgate-Palmolive, Ford, Sony, Philips, Kraft Foods, Ericsson, Vodafone and many others use its psychometric products, which include a wide range of behavioural, ability and situational judgement assessments.
2. Recruitment to BT’s professional services division involves a battery of tests and if you pass you are invited to an assessment day; it comprises an analysis exercise, interview, one-to-one exercise and group exercise.
3. Psychometric Services Ltd (PSL) produces online and pen-and-paper questionnaires and ability tests with titles such as Occupational Personality Inventory, Dynamic Personality Questionnaire, Motivational Questionnaire, Customer Service Questionnaire, and Advanced Sales Questionnaire. Its client list includes, for example, Cadbury Schweppes, HMV, Lloyds TSB and Toyota.
4. Ernst & Young currently requires you to sit two numerical tests. The first is online, and if you pass that, there follows a second, invigilated, pen-and-paper test. Companies such as Land Rover do the same. Deutsche Bank is currently using a numerical test in which a calculator is not allowed. You have to work pretty quickly in the Citigroup online numerical test, and the time limit is also tough in the numerical test used by Deloitte.
5. Cathay Pacific uses an online numeracy test that consists of 33 questions and is time limited to 30 minutes. A favourite assignment involves the conversion of currencies. No one seems to make it through the whole exam.
6. Test publisher cut-e assesses over two million people per year in over 70 countries and 20 languages. Its online tests and questionnaires are used by, for example, IKEA, Nestle, Vodafone and Siemens. The company offers numerical, verbal, logical and spatial reasoning sub-tests and an English language proficiency test which examines fluency and vocabulary.
7. The Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal is very widely used and examines five skills: accurate inferences, recognition of assumptions, proper deduction, interpretation of information, and evaluation of arguments. You usually sit it alongside the RUST advanced numerical reasoning appraisal which examines comparison of quantities and sufficiency of information.