What Is a Personality Test?Personality tests determine personality or character traits. These tests are usually given online during the job application process. Show
There are several formats used for these tests but the most common is a questionnaire. Personality has a significant role to play in deciding whether you have the enthusiasm and motivation that the employer is looking for. It also determines how well you are going to fit into an organization, in terms of your personality, attitude and general work style. In most working situations, it’s the personalities of the people involved that affect the day-to-day success of the organization. If a manager can’t motivate their staff or the team doesn't work well together, then the quality of service and productivity will suffer. Personality testing is a huge industry that has expanded greatly in the last decade. There are currently well over 2,500 personality questionnaires on the market and each year dozens of new companies appear with new products. Some of these products are broad-spectrum tests designed to classify basic personality types, some are designed to test candidates for suitability for a particular job and some are designed to test for particular traits – for example, honesty and integrity. A downside to personality testing is that people are not always accurate when identifying their own personality traits and can sometimes choose answers to make themselves appear more likable. What are Personality Types and Traits?Psychologists define personality as: ‘The particular pattern of behavior and thinking that prevails across time and contexts, and differentiates one person from another.’ A personality trait is assumed to be some enduring characteristic that is relatively constant as opposed to the present temperament of that person which is not necessarily a stable characteristic. Consequently, trait theories are specifically focused on explaining the more permanent personality characteristics that differentiate one individual from another. For example, being:
The goal of psychologists is to understand the causes of individual differences in behavior. To do this, one must firstly identify personality traits and then determine the variables that produce and control them. One of the first trait theories was developed in ancient Greece by the physician Galen who suggested that our personality was a reflection of the four humors (fluids) that were important in the human body. Personality Tests If one of these humors dominated the others then the personality type associated with that humor would be observed. The kind of strict categorization suggested by theories like Galen’s suggests that there very different types of personalities. More recently, personality theories have leaned more towards the idea that we all have similar personality traits or characteristics, but the extent to which we possess that trait differs. For example, we often classify people as tall or short, but we don’t really think that people must be either one or the other. We understand that height is a trait the some of us have more of than others, but we all have it to some extent. If we accept the existence of common personality traits that we all have to varying extents, then the next stage is to agree on how to define them. Factor AnalysisPsychologists have used a technique known as factor analysis to identify groups of items that are strongly inter-correlated (these groups of items are known as factors) and believe that these factors provide operational definitions of personality traits. These traits are validated by correlations between scores on these factors and observed behavior. For example, a factor emphasizing extraversion would be correlated with outgoing behavior. The Five Trait ModelModern personality theory is a relatively new field and really began in the 1920s. For more on the history of personality theories, see our dedicated article. Costa & McCrae’s 'five trait' model has received significant support from other research and is now widely accepted among psychologists. Personality Tests Each of these five personality traits describes, relative to other people, the frequency or intensity of a person's feelings, thoughts or behaviors. Everyone possesses all five of these traits to a greater or lesser degree. They exist on a continuum rather than as attributes that a person does or does not have. These five traits/factors are: Extraversion is marked by pronounced engagement with the external world. Extraverts enjoy being with people, are full of energy and often experience positive emotions. They tend to be enthusiastic, action-oriented, individuals who are likely to say yes to opportunities for excitement. In groups, they like to talk, assert themselves and draw attention to themselves. Introverts lack the exuberance, energy and activity levels of extraverts. They tend to be quiet, low-key, deliberate and disengaged from the social world. Their lack of social involvement should not be interpreted as shyness or depression; the introvert simply needs less stimulation than an extravert and prefers to be alone. The independence and reserve of the introvert is sometimes mistaken as unfriendliness or arrogance. In reality, an introvert who scores high on the agreeableness dimension will not seek others out but will be quite pleasant when approached. 2. Agreeableness – One’s level of orientation towards other peopleAgreeableness reflects individual differences in concern with cooperation and social harmony. Agreeable individuals value getting along with others. They are therefore considerate, friendly, generous, helpful and willing to compromise their interests with others. Agreeable people also have an optimistic view of human nature. They believe people are basically honest, decent and trustworthy. Disagreeable individuals place self-interest above getting along with others. They are generally unconcerned with others' well-being and therefore are unlikely to extend themselves for other people. Sometimes their skepticism about others' motives causes them to be suspicious, unfriendly and uncooperative. Agreeableness is obviously advantageous for attaining and maintaining popularity. Agreeable people are better liked than disagreeable people. On the other hand, agreeableness is not useful in situations that require tough or absolute objective decisions. Disagreeable people can make excellent scientists, critics or soldiers. 3. Conscientiousness – How ‘structured’ one isConscientiousness concerns how we control, regulate and direct our impulses. Impulses are not inherently bad; occasionally time constraints require a snap decision, and acting on our first impulse can be an effective response. Also, in times of play rather than work, acting spontaneously and impulsively can be fun. Nonetheless, acting on impulse can lead to trouble in several ways. Some impulses are antisocial. Uncontrolled antisocial acts not only harm other members of society but also can result in retribution toward the perpetrator. Another problem with impulsive acts is that they often produce immediate rewards but also undesirable, long-term consequences. Impulsive behavior, even when not seriously destructive, diminishes a person's effectiveness in significant ways:
Accomplishments of an impulsive person are therefore small, scattered and inconsistent. A hallmark of intelligence, what potentially separates human beings from earlier life forms, is the ability to think about future consequences before acting on an impulse. Persons who score high on the conscientiousness scale are perceived by others as intelligent. 4. Neuroticism – Tendency to worryFreud originally used the term ‘neurosis’ to describe a condition marked by mental distress, emotional suffering and an inability to cope effectively with the normal demands of life. He suggested that everyone shows some signs of neurosis, but that we differ in our degree of suffering and our specific symptoms of distress. Today, neuroticism refers to the tendency to experience negative feelings. Those who score high on neuroticism may experience primarily one specific negative feeling such as anxiety, anger or depression, but are likely to experience several of these emotions. People high in neuroticism are emotionally reactive. They respond emotionally to events that would not affect most people and their reactions tend to be more intense than normal. They are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult. Their negative emotional reactions tend to persist for unusually long periods, which means they are often in a bad mood. These problems in emotional regulation can diminish a neurotic's ability to think clearly, make decisions and cope effectively with stress. At the other end of the scale, individuals who score low in neuroticism are less easily upset and are less emotionally reactive. They tend to be calm, emotionally stable and free from persistent negative feelings. Freedom from negative feelings does not mean that low scorers experience a lot of positive feelings; the frequency of positive emotions is a component of the extraversion domain. 5. Openness to Experience – Tendency to be speculative and imaginative‘Openness to experience’ describes a dimension of cognitive style that distinguishes imaginative, creative people from down-to-earth, conventional people. Open people are intellectually curious, appreciative of art and sensitive to beauty. They tend to be, compared to closed people, more aware of their feelings. They tend to think and act in individualistic and nonconforming ways. Intellectuals typically score high on openness to experience. Another characteristic of the ‘open’ cognitive style is a facility for thinking in symbols and abstractions far removed from concrete experience. Depending on the individual's specific intellectual abilities, this symbolic cognition may take the form of mathematical, logical or geometric thinking, artistic and metaphorical use of language, music composition or performance, or one of the many visual or performing arts. People with low scores on openness to experience tend to have narrow, common interests. They prefer the plain, straightforward and obvious over the complex, ambiguous and subtle. They may regard the arts and sciences with suspicion, regarding these endeavors as abstruse or of no practical use. Closed people prefer familiarity over novelty; they are conservative and resistant to change. Openness is often presented as healthier or more mature by psychologists, who are often themselves open to experience. However, open and closed styles of thinking are useful in different environments. The intellectual style of the open person may serve a professor well, but research has shown that closed thinking is related to superior job performance in police work, sales and many service occupations. Remember, none of the five traits is in themselves positive or negative; they are simply characteristics that individuals exhibit to a greater or lesser extent. Personality Tests Each of the big five personality traits is made up of six facets or sub-traits. These can be assessed independently of the trait that they belong to.
Agreeableness Facets
Conscientiousness Facets
Neuroticism Facets
Openness Facets
It is possible, although unusual, to score high in one or more facets of a personality trait and low in other facets of the same trait. For example, you could score highly in imagination, artistic interests, emotionality and adventurousness, but score low in intellect and liberalism. Desirable and Undesirable Personality TraitsAll employers see some personal qualities as desirable. For example: Personality Tests If a potential employee seems to be missing any one of the personal qualities listed above then they will almost certainly be screened out by the personality test. This is true even if the job they are applying for does not explicitly require the personal quality in question. Conversely, all employers see some personal qualities as undesirable. For example: Personality Tests It would be difficult to find an employer who would offer a job to anyone who appeared to have any of the undesirable personal qualities. Any doubts about your honesty or any hint of a tendency towards angry or violent behavior will put you out of the running immediately. However, even if you are scrupulously honest and not prone to anger, the way that some questions are interpreted can cause doubts to be raised about both your honesty and your stability. Honesty/IntegrityPeople applying for jobs in retail, banking or the security services industries are often asked to take an integrity test which claims to predict if they will lie, cheat or steal on the job. These questions appear more frequently in personality tests in the US than elsewhere. The important thing is that tests that use these questions are not interested in mitigating circumstances. They want clear answers and they had better be the right ones. Whatever you may think privately, you should strongly agree with all of the following types of questions:
You should strongly disagree with all of the following types of questions:
You need to be perceived as someone with a rigid sense of right and wrong and with no room for moral ambiguity whatever the circumstances. You should never admit to even knowing anyone who has engaged in crime of any sort or who has ever used drugs. AngerAny hint that you are prone to anger at work will most likely mean the end of your job application. These types of questions may also refer to vandalism at work, including computer viruses and hacking. You should strongly agree with all of the following types of questions:
You should strongly disagree with the following types of questions:
You need to be perceived as someone who disapproves of anger and anger generated behavior in the workplace. StressYou need to show that you cope well with stress and that you have not and suffered any stress-related health problems. You should agree or strongly agree with all of the following types of questions:
You should disagree or strongly disagree with all of the following types of questions:
You need to show that stress has minimal impact on your relationship with others in the workplace, that it does not affect your productivity and that it has never led to any time off work. MotivationEmployers expect staff to be totally committed to the organization and to getting the job done. You should agree or strongly agree with questions of this type:
You should disagree or strongly disagree with questions of this type:
You need to be seen as the employee who will go the extra mile every time. Determination, persistence and the willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals are the things that employers are looking for. Some jobs have become synonymous with extrovert personalities. Sales is one example, it is difficult to imagine a successful salesperson who is not naturally extroverted. However, for almost all jobs, not just sales, employers prefer extroverts over introverts every time. The reasons for this are twofold:
Obviously, there is no point in trying to pretend that you are highly extroverted if you are not. Psychologists believe extroversion/introversion to be the most difficult personality trait to consciously change. However, you most definitely do not want to appear to be too introverted. You should strongly agree with all of the following types of questions:
You should strongly disagree with all of the following types of questions:
LeadershipLeadership qualities in professionals at all levels of management play a key role in business success and there has been an increasing interest in the qualities that make someone a leader rather than just a boss. Many of the graduate and management personality tests try to determine your leadership qualities. Whatever type of job you are applying for, showing some of these qualities is probably a good thing. Once again, there is no point in trying to pretend that you are a natural leader if you are not, but you don't want to give the impression that any sort of leadership is beyond you. You should strongly agree with the following types of questions:
You should strongly disagree with the following types of questions:
What Are the Most Widely Used Personality Tests?There are many types of personality tests available. Here are some of the most popular personality tests that you might come across during your job hunt: 1. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)One of the most popular personality tests in the world is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a psychological-assessment system based on the work of psychologist Carl Jung. Two and a half million Americans a year take the Myers-Briggs test. The Myers-Briggs assessment is designed to measure preferences in how people see the world and make decisions. The MBTI test classifies people into types based on four bi-polar dimensions: Personality Tests
The sixteen personality types resulting from the cross-products of these four dimensions are illustrated below: Personality Tests For more information on the Myers-Briggs test, see our dedicated article. 2. SHL Personality TestThe SHL test measures aspects of behavior that are crucial to performance potential which cannot easily be identified by other techniques, such as reading CVs and interviewing. The SHL OPQ provides a clear, simple framework for understanding the impact of personality on job performance. The SHL OPQ is available in more than 30 languages and is administered online. The questionnaire takes the majority of people less than 30 minutes to complete and a range of reports are available, providing clear, concise, graphical summaries of performance against job competencies. Most of these reports are designed for use by line managers. Popular reports include:
For more on the SHL test, see our dedicated article. 3. DISC TestDISC is a behavioral model based on the work of William Marston PhD. It focuses on styles and preferences of behavior which are classified by testing a person's preferences in word associations. DISC is an acronym for:
For more on the DISC test, see our dedicated article. Why Do Employers Use Personality Tests?Personality tests are a great way for employers to pre-screen potential candidates for an interview and also to help rate a candidate before a hiring decision is made. Many jobs attract hundreds of applicants. An easy way to cut down on time spent pre-screening applicants is to give a personality test. You can also use personality tests to help choose specific candidates that will enhance your current team by choosing personality traits that your current employees do not have. Personality Tests Personality Is Important to EmployersThere have been significant changes in the past 20 years in the way that organizations operate. For example, management styles tend to be less autocratic and there are usually fewer levels of management than there were. The move, in the western world at least, towards more knowledge-based and customer-focused jobs means that individuals have more autonomy even at fairly low levels within organizations. These factors have contributed to your personality being seen as more important now than it was in the past. There are only three questions the employer has to answer during the selection process:
Personality has a significant role to play in providing answers to the second and third of these questions. Employers Want a Legally Compliant Selection ProcessDespite the controversy surrounding some aspects of personality testing, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of personality tests over the past ten years or so. The single most frequently given reason for increases in testing is the need to have a selection process that can withstand legal challenges. Increased test use can, therefore, be seen in part as a defensive strategy, adopted in response to regulation and legislation. Many HR departments are keen to use resources that give a scientific or technical aspect to the HR function. Personality questionnaires do this very well as they are seen to give the notoriously subjective selection process some objective and scientific credibility. Personality Tests Are Easy to AdministerAnother factor is the ease with which these tests can now be delivered online. This approach has distinct advantages over paper and pencil tests:
How Personality Tests WorkThe principle behind personality questionnaires is that it is possible to quantify your intrinsic personality characteristics by asking you about your feelings, thoughts and behavior. You will be presented with statements describing various ways of feeling or acting and will be asked to answer each one on a two-point, five-point or seven-point scale. For example: 1. I enjoy public speaking A) True 2. I have clear personal goals A) strongly disagree 3. I am good at dealing with difficult people A) very strongly disagree The number of questions you are expected to answer varies from about 50 to 200, depending on the duration of the test. It is easy to see that some of the questions could be answered honestly in different ways depending on your particular interpretation of them on the day. For example, take question 3 above, 'I am good at dealing with difficult people’. Your answer to this question depends on your interpretation of two things:
The important point to remember is that even the best of the personality questionnaires used in selection are far from perfect. However, even if we accept that these tests do have some shortcomings, we still need to know what they are trying to measure and why. How Personality Tests Are ScoredThe companies that produce personality tests and the human resources staff who use them invariably refer to these tests as personality ‘questionnaires’ rather than ‘tests’. This is done to avoid giving the impression that there are right and wrong answers and that the test can be either passed or failed. Instead, a personality test will generate a personality profile that will be analyzed by the test provider and the employer. It is important to remember that low, average and high scores on a personality trait questionnaire are neither intrinsically good nor bad. Scores and descriptions can only approximate your actual personality. Whilst all of this may be true, in the real world, your test results will likely have a significant influence on your chances of being rejected. How Personality Profiles Are Used by EmployersThe following is an example 16-factor personality profile: Personality Tests The interesting thing is that the individual who completed the questionnaire on which the profile is based has been successfully working in sales for over 20 years. If she was looking for another sales job, her high score on the 'trusting' scale would almost certainly mean that her negotiating abilities would be ‘red-flagged’. How could someone intrinsically so trusting be an effective negotiator? If she was lucky and her previous track record was taken into account, she may get the opportunity to explain how she has managed to cope successfully in sales despite the high 'trusting' score. More likely, in a field of other strong candidates, it would be enough to put her out of the running. Human resources professionals would argue that personality questionnaires are not used in isolation and that they form only part of the whole selection process. This is true as far as it goes, but you only need to look at the arithmetic of the recruitment process to see that the overwhelming majority of candidates need to be rejected for one reason or another. Commercially available personality questionnaires produce very authoritative looking documentation and are often trusted to make evidence-based recruitment decisions, even though there can be anomalies in the data. How to Pass Personality Tests – Top TipsWhen it comes to preparing yourself for a personality test, the advice is usually limited to ‘just be yourself’. This is a very inconsistent position to take. After all, if you’re going to spend considerable time and effort preparing your resume and preparing for the interview, then why not prepare yourself for the personality questionnaire? There are three approaches that you can take to the personality test:
Qualities like honesty, integrity, motivation, extraversion and leadership are only some of the personal attributes that personality tests attempt to measure. They do however represent areas where you can easily ‘blow’ your chances if you don’t understand what the employer is looking for. Some of the other personality traits or facets may be equally as important – this will depend largely on the job you are applying for as well as the employer. How much you choose to try and influence the resulting personality profile is something only you can decide. Common sense would suggest that you should not attempt to influence the results too much as they will probably be seen to conflict with your past achievements and with how you are perceived at the interview. Work PersonalitiesMost of us find some aspects of our jobs require us to modify our preferred behavior. Perhaps you’re more assertive at work than at home or maybe you’re more inclusive. The point is that we can and do deal with the demands of the workplace by adopting a ‘work personality’. Most of us do this fairly effortlessly. We accept that the world of work is not about living within our comfort zone all of the time and we all have the ability to step outside of our natural behavioral preferences to get something done. Personality Tests One argument that you may hear is that if you try to influence the test results then you will have to operate outside of your personality type for 40 hours a week. This is overstating the case to the point of absurdity; very few people would even consider applying for a job which was totally unsuitable for them. Anecdotal evidence and personal experience suggest that a significant number of people can behave very differently between home and the workplace. If you recognize in yourself this dichotomy between workplace and non-workplace behaviors then you should answer all personality test questions from a workplace perspective. For example, consider the following statement: 1. It's easy for people to see my moods A) strongly disagree You may wear your heart on your sleeve at home, but if you are much more guarded at work then make this clear in your answer by selecting C) or B) rather than D). Despite all of the platitudes to the contrary, either you have the ‘right’ personality or you get rejected in favor of someone who has. If you want the job then you had better find out what it is that the employer is looking for and make sure that your personality questionnaire answers reflect it. At the very least, you need to make sure that you don’t blow your chances because one trait comes over as too extreme or inappropriate. Remember, almost all of the interviewees have to be rejected. The amount of effort you need to spend on engineering your personality questionnaire answers depends on two factors:
Whilst you don’t want to pursue jobs that you are obviously unsuited for, you need to make sure that your personality questionnaire answers won’t cause any red-flags to appear in selection for jobs that you feel comfortable with, or where you already have a track record. Frequently Asked QuestionsThe modern workforce is made up of people from a diverse array of ethnic and cultural groups, including many persons for whom English is not the primary language. Some of these individuals may experience difficulty on standardized tests due to cultural differences or lack of mastery of the English language. Depending on the nature of the job for which they are applying, this could mean that their test scores will not accurately predict their true job potential. These situations must be handled with professionalism and sensitivity. Properly handled, this can be accomplished without compromising the integrity of the assessment process. Accommodation may involve ensuring physical accessibility to the test site, modifying test equipment or tests, or providing other forms of assistance. Giving extra time for certain kinds of tests to test takers with dyslexia or other learning disabilities and administering a braille version of a test for the blind may be examples of reasonable accommodation. Despite the claims of test producers, it is very easy to cheat. This is supported by a study conducted by the American Psychological Association which found that over 80% of job applicants who were hired after taking a personality test had intentionally manipulated their answers to make themselves look better. Certainly, most tests contain some so-called impression control questions, designed to catch out candidates who are trying to give an overly good impression. Unfortunately for the test designers, they have yet to develop any impression control questions which are not blindingly obvious. These questions almost invariably use the words; ‘always’ or ‘never’ in relation to something where ‘occasionally’, ‘very occasionally’ or ‘usually’ would be an honest response. Typical impression control questions look like this:
In all cases, you are being asked to agree to some unconditional statement – which is what gives these questions away. You should answer these impression control questions honestly as disagreeing with a statement like ‘I never tell white lies’ will obviously not count against you. The only area where there is any room for confusion about impression control questions is the honesty/anger/stress questions. These are the only other types of questions where you may see ‘always’, ‘never’ and other unconditional statements and be expected to strongly agree or strongly disagree with them. So, whilst you should strongly agree with a statement like: 'I have never become angry at work', it is OK to disagree with the statement 'I have never felt angry at a supervisor or manager'. This is because the first statement is asking you if you have ever displayed unacceptable behavior at work, and you should obviously answer in the negative. The second statement is asking if you have EVER FELT angry at a supervisor or manager. If your answer claims that you have never felt anger, then this suggests that either you are lying or you don't care sufficiently about your job to ever feel angry, neither of which makes you look like a desirable employee. It is worth making a list of the honesty/anger/stress questions and the impression control questions and working through these systematically until you can appreciate the (sometimes) subtle differences between the two. As a general rule, it is OK to admit to negative thoughts and feelings but do not under any circumstances admit to negative behavior in the workplace. How much you choose to try and influence the resulting personality profile is something only you can decide. Common sense would suggest that you should not attempt to influence the results too much as they will probably be seen to conflict with your past achievements and with how you are perceived at the interview. The best approach is probably to take the time to understand how these tests try to measure your personality and then to make sure that you don't allow any aspects of your personality to be perceived as inappropriate for the job. Taking a personality test is a great way to evaluate yourself. These tests help you identify and understand your strengths, weaknesses, and motivations. They suggest careers and roles that best suit you, and they help refine your social skills and personal development. Knowing your traits and shortfalls allows you to manage social interactions and situations better – particularly in the workplace. As personality tests assess so many different factors, it is difficult to say which one is the most accurate. The two most popular ones are the Myers-Briggs test (MBTI) and the Big 5. The MBTI assesses whether someone is an extrovert or introvert, has a sensing or intuitive preference when processing information and makes decisions based on feelings or thinking. The results yield one of 16 personality types. The Big 5 assesses openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. It is considered the most scientifically sound personality test. Though all personality tests do have their limits. Some argue that the Myers-Briggs test is statistically validated but not scientifically validated. This means that there is enough data available to back the theories Myers and Briggs created. However, many argue that the Myers-Briggs is not accurate enough to be scientifically validated and therefore not a reliable measure of your personality. The most popular personality tests are the Big 5, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Caliper Profile, 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire, SHL Occupational Personality Questionnaire, Birkman Method, 9 Personalities & Enneagram test, NEO Personality Inventory test, and the Jung Personality Test. Due to the amount of research and analysis that has gone into personality tests, they can be considered a reliable measure of your character. However, as with any test, there are limits and negatives. Sometimes the questions or scenarios are very black and white, asking for one reaction or statement. But the reality is, that we often react differently in the same situations. Our reactions come from the circumstances at the time and it is sometimes impossible to say for sure what our behavior will be. The questions are also vague. In reality, we would have much more information to assess the situation or make a judgment. The wording of the questions can sometimes be confusing and unclear. It is also often the case that people lie on their tests because they want to appear as a certain type of person. If the reliability of personality tests comes from the data collected, then a large percentage of it is inaccurate. Some believe the 16 personalities test is scientifically accurate. But many others fail to see it as a scientifically credible test. Instead, it is considered a statistically accurate test. Due to the number of people who have completed the 16 personalities test and the number of revisions it’s had, there is a high chance of it being accurate. But there are also many instances where the results have been inaccurate, either because of misunderstandings, generalizations, or untruthful answers. With the continuous development of technology such as AI, personality testing can become more personalized and therefore more accurate. It is also believed that emotional technologies that include automated coaching will play a role in future personality testing. The Metaverse and virtual reality will also play a part, allowing candidates to work through scenarios as they would in real life. This feeling of reality puts the candidate at ease and allows them to think and operate more as themselves. No, you cannot fail a personality test. There are no right or wrong answers. Instead, the recruiter will use your answers to determine how much of a match you are for the company’s culture. So while you cannot fail a test, you can be unsuitable for a company. People fake personality tests because they want the role they are testing for. Many recruiters and employers use personality tests in the first stage of recruitment to eliminate a large number of unsuitable candidates. Depending on the role, these pre-employment tests will measure aptitude for a topic or specialty, or they will assess your personality in comparison to the company culture. Candidates will lie or manipulate their answers to appear as the perfect person for the role. The two personalities that are the easiest to fake are conscientiousness and neuroticism. When applying for a job, the best one to fake out of the two is conscientiousness. These personality types are methodical, dependable and organized. Knowing how a conscientious person thinks and what qualities they possess helps you select the answers that they would. SummaryIf you are going to take a psychometric test, aptitude test or ability test as part of the recruitment process then you should download free psychometric tests from this website and work through them before you do the real thing. What is the most widely used objective personality test?The most frequently used objective test for personality is the MMPI. It was published by Hathaway and McKinley in 1943 and revised in 1951.
What type of measure is most widely used in modern personality research?Self-report measures
The first type—which easily is the most widely used in modern personality research—asks people to describe themselves.
What is the most familiar and widely used approach to assessing personality?Definition. Objective tests (Loevinger, 1957; Meyer & Kurtz, 2006) represent the most familiar and widely used approach to assessing personality.
What is the most common way to measure personality?The most widely used personality measure used in pretreatment evaluation is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). This inventory was developed in the 1940s as a means of evaluating mental health problems in psychiatric and medical settings.
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