When we talk about tests we see how psychological tests are a big part of the assessment process. Assessment is a set of procedures that are scientific in nature and are used to evaluate how an individual behaves and to understand his mental processes.

It is usually defined as an objective, standardized sampling of mental or behaviour processes. It’s possible to see nearly all topics in psychology getting measured with a test.

Clinical Testing

Clinical testing is usually administered by clinical psychologists working with abnormal behaviour and mental disorders. Clinical Testing is an excellent way to clarify and diagnose the nature and scope of a person along with the possibility of discovering whether or not they have any disturbances and dysfunction.

However these tests are not just being used in clinics but are being administered in workplaces as well. This is because the increasing stress in the lives of working people needs to be checked and dealt with on a regular basis.

Behavioural assessment and adaptive tests are two kinds of clinical tests that determine how a person is doing in her day to day life and whether or not she shows some common behavioural problems.

A very common instrument used is called the Behaviour Checklist, which kind of assesses how well someone is functioning on an everyday basis and if that person has been showing specific problematic behaviours.

In addition to these disorder oriented testing; there is a wide variety of other tests that are used to measure other purposes that make it a part of the diagnostic process.

There are intelligence tests but even they can show signs of learning disabilities and cognitive dysfunction. Personality tests which are actually designed to gauge personalities can also give a helpful insight to the kinds of psychological issues an individual is facing.

Achievement and Educational Testing

These tests measure an individual’s level of competence. There are three major purposes to this type of testing which are:

  • Identifying employees who need special instructions.
  • Identifying the extent and the nature of difficulties faced by an employee in order to get a spirit of loyalty and love for the company inculcated in him.
  • Finding assistance for planning for the company and getting a proper approach to instruction.
  • A very typical achievement test in companies’ asses very common areas of work activity.

When an employee starts having a hard time at work, you may think that it’s the end of him and if the boss notices it, he will immediately get laid off.

However times are changing and people are trying to get to the root causes of mental health issues. People have finally started to take a step in the direction of treating physical problems and mental issues equally.

This is why companies are keeping a bunch of tests, not just for work purposes and deciding which candidate is good for the job but also for the purpose of solving problems and getting to root causes of mental issues.

When an employee starts having a hard time at work, it is not very unusual to put him through an achievement test. A lot of times, employees struggle with work because of problems like substance abuse, emotional issues or family issues.

A good thing about these tests is that it helps in solving the mystery of such problems that wouldn’t have easily come out.

Behaviour and Aptitude Testing

The behaviour and Aptitude tests help people in making a good decision when it comes to hiring people. Most of these tests have profile questions that get developed by industrial psychologists who try to study the kind of competencies that allow an employer to be successful in the role he carries forward with him in the workplace.

It’s very easy to understand the work skills candidates have because of their prior experience; however, it becomes very difficult to gauge their necessary experiences and skills that you in a particular want in the job which will help them succeed and take the company forward.

Assessment of skills can only tell a small fraction of the story. A person’s behaviour and aptitude is detrimental in understanding whether or not an individual is a suitable match for the organization.

What are the tests you can choose from?

  1. General work skills test for basic employment.
  2. A profile for applicants related to behaviour.
  3. An aptitude test related to customer service test.
  4. A profile test related to the healthcare sector.
  5. Aptitude tests related to the management sector.
  6. Aptitude tests related to the sales sector.

How to decide which test you have to administer?

A number of testing centres have consultants who will first have a one on one interaction with the employers who will tell them the most important success factors for every vacant position.

These important factors will point the consultant in terms of what the employer is looking for in the employees for each position. Along with this knowledge, specific tests can be chosen from a number of test series.

How are behavioural tests developed?

Each test does not get randomly made by a few people getting together. Every test is developed by a group of psychologists who make sure that all tests are created effectively keeping in line with the testing guidelines and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

This is why these tests are slightly expensive. The amount of research and effort that goes into making these tests is extensive. Each test tries to measure candidates on a specific scale so that it can be ensured that all questions are honestly answered.

The test takes anywhere between 10-25 minutes to complete so that you are assured that the candidate is going through a streamlined testing procedure.

How do the scores get displayed?

The scores of the test are immediately displayed towards the end of the test and are handed over to the test administrator. Since these scores are available almost immediately on screen, there is no faxing or hand scoring required.

These scores are in depth and provide scores and descriptions in detail of a candidate’s aptitude and altitude and other suggestions for a follow up interview. This will further allow an employer to probe further into any concerned area.