Psychometric Tools

Tests are the key instruments to evaluate the mind as an object, and they are also the key principle of psychometrics as a whole ("metrics"= measure; "psycho"= mind). A test can be defined as a group of stimuli ("items" standardized by type, length, order, sequence and instructions) which are designed to represent a specific cognitive or personality function.

Psychometric tests allow a standard and objective evaluation of the character of candidates (attitude, ability, intellective functions, competences, personality etc).

The utility of these tests is based on their accuracy in predicting behavior and in supplying information on the probability for a person to perform or react to a certain action; they thus offer important support when making decisions.

There are different kinds of tests, which can be organized in three groups, based on the elements the company wants to analyze:

• Aptitude test: It is a standardized test conceived to measure one person's aptitude to operate in a specific professional role. It is used to evaluate the individual's expression of knowledge, competences and abilities. Examples of competences measured through this kind of test include: mechanical reasoning, speed and precision, abstract thinking, deduction and induction, numerical ability, verbal reasoning, spatial relations, use of language, ability to understand written texts, problem solving, etc.
• Personality test: It is a measuring method whose aim is to identify the subject's personality type. In particular, the main tools employed in personnel selection are Cattell's 16 PF (16 PF stands for the 16 dimensions of personality identified in R.B. Cattell's model) and the Big Five Questionnaire, based on the theory of the big five personality traits.
• Progress test: It focuses on the results of a specific learning process, and usually takes place after a training period.

Researches show that, statistically speaking, psychometric tests are among the most reliable instruments to evaluate a candidate's aptitude to a job. It is of course fundamental that these tests are carried out by trained professionals. This is why we can count, within our organization, on qualified consultants and psychologists.

With the client's agreement, we employ psychometric tests as a part of our selection and evaluation process, because the joined use of different approaches and systems allows us to gather more accurate information and to reach more substantial conclusions. We always combine psychometric tests with the main evaluation methods: interviews and/or assessment centre