Aptitude and Psychometric tests

• Your ability to spot patterns/spatial clues and use them to solve problems
• Many organisations especially finance, accounting, banking, engineering

Verbal Reasoning

• Ability to understand, analyse and interpret written information
• Many organisations, especially law, retail, some marketing
• Practice tests - Profiling for Success or try SHL

Critical Reasoning

• These are higher-level verbal ability tests, tasks could include spellings and solving word-based problems.
• Watson Glaser practice questions available from the help desk, Learning Grid University House

How to prepare

• Practise – first untimed, then introducing test conditions
• Read the question carefully
• Tackle aspects step by step, developing a strategy that works for you
• If you get stuck, make an educated guess or come back later if you are allowed
• Get into the habit of keeping going...

On the day

At home: Do the tests in a quiet area and make sure you have the time to complete them. Do the tests yourself – don’t use a clever friend! (You could be re-tested at the assessment centre).

At assessment centre: Work quickly but accurately through each question. Don’t get stopped by one difficult question – leave it and move on. Keep your eye on the time.