Assessments

Assessments are becoming a key element in the selection of job candidates, and are used to build up a picture of an applicant's key strengths against a 'template' of what is required to do the job well.  Assessments can show an employer a candidate's ability to prepare for the unknown and deal with unfamiliar and unexpected situations.

There is a wide range of different exercises and tests and that employers can use to give applicants the opportunity to display the skills and talents needed for the job, and can includepresentations, group exercises, psychometric tests and analysis tasks.

These exercises may be held at the employer's premises or off-site at a hotel or another similar venue and may be assessed by human resources staff, managers or possibly external consultants. Depending on the seniority  and responsibilities of the role, these assessments may take place over a few hours or a few days; however, most may be completed over one day.

In this section, we take a look at the types of tests that you might encounter in more detail, along with a range of practical hints and tips to help you to shine on the day.