Psychometric Assessment
A psychometric test or psychometric assessment is an evaluation of an individual’s cognitive skills and personality traits. It helps assess whether the individual is capable of thriving in a specific professional role. Psychometric testing can help understand aspects of mental ability and behavioral style that organizations are unable to gauge during conversations and interviews.
A psychometric test is a standard and scientific method that plays an equally significant role in educational or clinical settings. It also offers an unbiased evaluation of a broad range of parameters, such as logical reasoning, industry-specific aptitude, role-specific qualities, type of personality and more.
Psychometric assessments are usually of the following two types:
1. Personality tests
2. Cognitive ability tests
1. Personality tests
Personality tests are a form of psychometric assessment that helps identify specific personality traits required to perform in a job role or industry. These tests offer significant insights into a candidate’s key qualities, motivations, behavioral styles, etc.
The science behind testing personality
Personality tests usually follow two major schools of thought: the trait-based approach and the type approach. While the type theory categorizes personalities into introverted/extroverted, the trait theory measures the degree to which key personality traits exist in an individual.
The type theory defines individuals as either introverts or extroverts, in varying intensities. Examples of models that follow the type theory are:
- Enneagram of personality: An Enneagram recognizes nine “enneatypes” or interconnected personality types. A geometric shape known as an “enneagram” represents these interconnections based on various aspects of intelligence. It is helpful in predicting behavior patterns, emotional intelligence and the ability to build professional and personal relationships.
- DISC profile: This method analyses personalities based on dominance, influence, steadiness and conscientiousness. Instead of testing for aptitude, intelligence or values, the DISC profile focuses on an individual’s reactions, influence and speed under challenging situations. The most significant drawback of the DISC profile is its failure to assess specific personality traits that may be essential to succeed in a job role.
- MBTI (The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator): MBTI groups personalities into 16 major types that are varying combinations of introversion/extraversion. The 16 types contain abbreviations of four letters each, denoting key dynamics.For example:
- ESTJ: Extraversion, Sensing, Thinking, Judgment
- INFP: Introversion, Intuition, Feeling, Perception
Personality tests based on the type theory often lack objectivity and comprehensive insight into an individual’s psyche. When used in a professional context, the type-based tests also lack reliability, as it is possible for an individual to get different results every time.
2. Cognitive ability tests
Cognitive ability tests, also known as aptitude tests, evaluate the mental abilities of individuals. They help measure an individual’s critical thinking, logical reasoning, verbal ability and problem-solving skills. They also assess how individuals use past experiences in novel situations.