Published on December 8th, 2015 | by Guest

Science behind the psychometric career test

Choosing a career is perhaps the most important aspect of one’s life. The chosen career is not only what pays the bill but will shape your life personally and carve the kind of person you are going to be. There is virtually an avalanche of career options available nowadays. So how does one make the right choice? Psychometric tests pave way for this question in a scientific unbiased way.

Science behind these psychometric career tests is anything but simple. Since a person will have so many facets in their personality, these tests help uncover towards which career option they most lean towards and steer them in the right direction.

More and more employers are now taking the help of these tests to place their hires into the right niche. Instead of facing these tests at the employment level, what could be better than to make a wise career choice by using the same?

These tests come in two parts – ability and personality traits.

The ability section is more towards the quantitative side. It measures a student’s skills, logical reasoning and aptitude. This is of course the more comfortable part of the test as for a student this would be the kind of tests they take all the time. There will be a time allocated for this test and the questions will be set to gauge the student’s verbal skills and abstract reasoning while at the same time keeping track of response time as well.

The second part is more unfamiliar for the students and brings forth the personality traits. The questions are set in such a way that the responses will automatically reveal, towards which career a student is consciously or subconsciously leaning towards.

These tests not only reveal the hidden or otherwise inclination of a student, but also give them information about the multitude of career options they may be actually unaware of. It steers the student clear of the option they MAY NOT be suitable for as well. Taking this test as early as 10th standard helps make the student a better decision as to which stream they can take going further.

Again these tests are not restricted to the students. Although best possible time to make the right career choice is when one is at the brink of stepping into a career, there are many who blindly follow a path and land a work situation in which they are efficient and capable but holds no interest for them. Psychometric tests once again lend a hand when an individual decides to make a career change. Even though they may have worked in a particular situation for years together , this test effectively reveals what would make them most happy and satisfied and to make a sensible change.

Since psychometric tests make use of both quantitative as well as qualitative aspects of a person’s nature – they are highly relied upon by employers at the time of hiring the right candidate for the right position.

Whether it is a change in career or taking up a new career or even for choosing the stream after high school, psychometric tests are an insightful way of suggesting the right path. The decision cannot be based solely on these tests. They can steer one towards the right direction or away from a not so suitable one. They reveal new options which may not have been apparent before. They also help in reinforcing a decision or an idea already in place.

While some may believe that psychometric tests are not an accurate measure of abilities, these tests are, in reality, known to be unbiased and thoroughly objective. The candidates all face the same method of assessment and their responses decide the direction to take. It also showcases the weaknesses which can be improved upon. If a candidate is so inclined towards a particular line of work and the test reveals certain weakness which may be a hindrance in choosing what one wants, that particular aspect can be worked upon and improved. These tests provide a level and fair playing field and you can practice and improve your responses in a better way to succeed in your chosen field. The key to taking these tests is confidence and a calm, honest approach. There is no win or lose with these tests. If the performance is not so good in one area it simply means that you can go ahead and avoid that particular line and know it would have been a wrong choice.

Last but not the least, these tests can be great fun too. They are a good way to bring forth the hidden talents you may be unaware of, and show you the career paths you may subconsciously desire. Since there is no right or wrong answers here- have fun deciding your career path!

About the Author:

Renu Kishor, works as Content Analyst @CareerGuide.com. Beside her work she also has a keen interest in counseling students to take the right stride towards achieving their career goals. She like to write, listen to music besides travelling to exotic locations.

Tags: career, psychometric, test