Psychometric tests
ABILITY & APTITUDE TESTS
There is a subtle difference between ability and aptitude tests. While the former looks at what an individual can already do, the latter broadly assesses someone’s potential assuming future training.
Saville & Holdsworth Ltd (SHL)
BOC in the UK uses SHL ability tests. SHL ability tests measure the skills and aptitudes necessary for new employees to succeed in any position, at any level within the organisation.
SHL tests maximise objectivity in the hiring process by standardising test conditions, content, scoring and evaluation.
All tests will be administered by a trained Test Administrator.
Some of the current tests used are:
• Management & Graduate Item Bank, aimed at graduate and above level of candidate, these include:
• Verbal Critical Reasoning
• Numerical Critical Reasoning
• Personnel Test Battery, aimed at administrative level of candidate, these include:
• Verbal Usage, measuring basic literacy skills needed for drafting and processing of correspondence
• Numerical Computation, assesses basic number skills with the emphasis on straightforward calculations and the understanding of arithmetical operations.
• Clerical Checking, designed to assess speed and accuracy in checking detailed information transcribed from a handwritten list to a typewritten copy.
• Verbal Comprehension, measures the ability to understand written information presented in straightforward language.
• Numerical Reasoning, is designed to assess simple reasoning skills with numbers through written problems involving decimals, percentages, averages and graphs.
• Basic Checking, tests speed and accuracy in the checking of non-contextual material such as codes consisting of letters and / or numbers
• Audio Checking, measures speed and accuracy in Comparing spoken information against a written copy.
• Text Checking, is designed to test proof-reading ability in terms of both perceptual speed and accuracy and the specification of the exact nature of the errors identified for which simple codes are given.
• Customer Contact Aptitude Series, aimed at sales & customer service
candidates, ie the CSC.
• Verbal Interpretation, measures the ability to understand written information in order to reach conclusions
• Numerical Interpretation, measures the ability to understand and use numerical data in order to answer questions.
• Verbal Evaluation, measures the ability to understand and evaluate the logic of more complex written arguments.
• Numerical Evaluation, measures the ability to evaluate and make deductions from more complex data laid out in the form of tables or graphs.
• Customer Contact Styles Questionnaire, provides information about an individual’s preferred or typical way of behaving in a work context.
• Information Technology Test Series, aimed at the assessment of staff for
IT roles
• Verbal Reasoning, measures the ability to interpret written information set in a technical context.
• Number Series, measures high level numerical reasoning skills, in particular, recognition of relationships between numbers.
• Computer Checking, assesses speed and accuracy in the checking of non-contextual material such as codes composed of numbers, letters and symbols.
• Syntax Checking, measures speed and accuracy in the checking of contextual information while following a set of rules.
• Diagramming, assesses the ability to follow a set of complex instructions.
• Diagrammatic Reasoning, assesses the ability to infer rules from a symbolic system and to apply these rules to new situations
• Spatial Reasoning, measures the ability to visualise and manipulate shapes in three dimensions given a two-dimensional drawing.
• Occupational Personality Questionnaire, designed to give information on individual style or preferences at work, particularly appropriate for use with professional and managerial groups.
• Occupational Personality Questionnaire, focuses on three domains of an individual’s personality; Relationships with People, Thinking Style and Feeling & Emotions
You can get more information on any of these tests, and practice tests, on the SHL web site
 |
www.shl.com |
THOMAS INTERNATIONAL TESTS FOR SELECTION & TRAINING (TST)
• The TST System assesses the ability to learn, mental agility, concentration levels, speed and accuracy, number skills, deductive logic, mechanical / technical logic, verbal reasoning, ability to retain information, literacy and metal visualisation.
• Thomas International Personality Profile Analysis provides written assessments that detail the applicant’s self image, work strengths and self motivation. It also comments on job emphasis, frustrations and ideal management styles