Understanding Psychometric Tests: Why Are They Used and What Do They Reveal?

Hi all,

Can anyone help me understand what psychometric tests are and why they are used for?

Viswanadh

Hi Viswanadh,

Psychometric tests are used to assess a person's ability, personality, and interests.

The importance of the psychometric test:
- To identify the right person for the right job.
- Screening in the case of a large number of applicants at the early stage.
- Saving money and energy for the employer.
- Not only for recruitment but also for retraining/enhancing productivity (e.g., Hindustan Motors, Infosys Technologies).

In general, psychometric tests can be broken down into six broad categories:
1. Personality Tests
2. Ability Tests
3. Aptitude Tests
4. Motivation/Values Questionnaires
5. Interest/Beliefs Inventories

Psychometric test tools include:
- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
- 16PF (Sixteen Personality Factors)
- FIRO-B (Fundamental Interpersonal Relationship Orientation in Behavior)
- OPQ (Occupational Personality Questionnaire)
- Integrity Tests

Regards,
skr

Hi Viswanath,

Nice answer.

Psychometric tests are used to identify personality traits and determine the type of job that suits an individual's personality. I am quite ignorant about the following assessments:

- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
- 16PF (Sixteen Personality Factors)
- FIRO-B (Fundamental Interpersonal Relationship Orientation in Behavior)
- OPQ (Occupational Personality Questionnaire)
- Integrity Tests

I feel that these tests can only provide insights or a rough sketch of an individual's personality. In your experience, how useful have you found them to be? I believe that only the human brain can truly comprehend another human's mind, and no system can fully capture this understanding.

Regards,
Prakash

Hi SKR,

Can you please let me know in detail about all the mentioned psychometric tests you are talking about? Or, please suggest a site name from where I will get the same. Your help in this regard will be highly appreciated.

Regards,
MANU

Hi, having done PG in Clinical Psychology, we had dealt with testing. Tests are the most misused, the least understood, yet the most valuable sources of information. We can say that tests are a sample of an aspect of an individual's behavior, performance, or attitude. The tests mentioned here are widely used.

16 PF is a personality test where an individual is scored on 16 personality factors. It's developed by Cattell. Also, there are other personality tests such as the Thematic Apperception Test, Rorschach Inkblot Test, etc.

In addition to this, there are several tests such as Achievement Tests, Interest Tests, Aptitude Tests. You can refer to "Psychological Testing" by Anne Anastasi and Susana Urbina.

If you need any further help, you can ask.

Dear friend,

Psychometric means measuring the conscious part of the mind. The human mind is like an iceberg. What is visible is just a grain. The invisible part has many aptitudes, attitudes, skills, and knowledge that are not seen at one go. They come out only at appropriate situations.

In today's competitive world, organizations want people who not only perform in the present but also possess sufficient skills for the future. Organizations want individuals who can work under conditions of risk, uncertainty, conflict, etc.

In this backdrop, organizations are trying to extract the invisible part of the iceberg through various tests. These tests come in the form of MBTI, FIRO-B, MAO-B, etc. You can search for these tests on Google to find out more about them.

Regards,
Dr. Prageetha

Hello, everyone,

Well, tests have to be bought. Yes, but first, one should know what these tests are and on whom they are to be tested. All tests have age considerations. Then, what do you want to get from the test? The best way is to make a sequence or structured actions:

- Why do you want a test?
- When do you want to administer it?
- On whom do you want to test it?
- What do you need to get from the test?

Because all these tests provide results such as personality traits, adjustment levels, decision-making ability of any employee, or even neuroticism, etc.

These tests are available in India at some agencies. I do have a list of them. Ask if you require them.

Thanks,
Reema
reemarajawat@ptindia.com

Hi All,

Can anyone help me with samples of these tests? I am working as a recruiter and want to introduce this concept in my workplace. Will I have to take up some kind of course or studies for the same? Kindly provide me with necessary details.

Awaiting your reply.

Regards, Sneha

At what stage of the recruitment cycle would you recommend that the psychometric tests be conducted?

I am aware that this test is done during candidate interviews. I want to know how I can incorporate it into my process. Can someone guide me please.

Regards,
Sneha

You will need to decide which type of psychometric tests to employ during the recruitment process. One of the posts very neatly lists all the popular tests being used in the industry. If you have the allocated budget, then you might want to purchase these tests. The benefit of which is that the package will contain administrative instructions and training.

You also need to consider at what stage of the hiring process you will administer the tests. I used the MBT tests pretty extensively only after the final shortlist of candidates had been made. I personally feel that the decision to hire should not be based solely on the results of the psychometric tests, but rather on a broader criterion. Although, I must confess that there is a very strong temptation on the part of the hiring manager as well as the HR manager to "peek" into the results to compare against their personal judgments. I have tried to limit the use of the psychometric tests only AFTER the candidate has been selected and an offer made. The test helps in streamlining the person's induction, career path, and training process.

Do a simple search on Google for "psychometric tests" and that should get you started on some of the available online tests. Take the test for yourself, and that should give you a pretty good understanding of their potential. I suggest some extensive reading up about the tests to arrive at a fair decision about their usage for your particular organizational needs.

Hi, I am attaching a sample FIRO-B test. Hope this will be of some use to you.

Please review the attached sample and let me know if you need any further information or assistance.

Thank you.