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I always fail every personality/psychometric test for jobs. Where am I going wrong?

For every graduate job and placement I've applied to, whenever they have a personality test or psychometric test, I always fail them. Never passed a single one, ever. I must have failed at least 20 by now.

These are the tests that have "no right answer" but you have to be "honest in your responses". An example of a question is something like:

'You and your colleague have been working on a project. You notice that your colleague has missed out a crucial piece of information and it is close to the deadline. What do you do?'

Then you are given a range of several different options, and you must pick the one you would do. Or they ask you to rank the options according to what you are most likely to do.

Or another example is something like 'I like working in high-pressure situations'.

Then you are given options: Strong agree, Agree, Neither agree or disagree, Disagree, Strongly disagree.


I must be going horribly wrong somewhere. No one can fail every single one of these tests. My personality really must not be suited to anything I apply for. Anyone else been in a similar situation and how do I solve this problem?
(edited 8 years ago)

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Reply 1
Maybe you are a sociopath. Kidding :tongue:. C'mon man, everyone knows that in these questions you answer whatever seems more reasonable and acceptable regardless of what you were actually going to do in the actual situations. You're probably being too honest.
Original post by snowman77
For every graduate job and placement I've applied to, whenever they have a personality test or psychometric test, I always fail them. Never passed a single one, ever. I must have failed at least 20 by now.

These are the tests that have "no right answer" but you have to be "honest in your responses". An example of a question is something like:

'You and your colleague have been working on a project. You notice that your colleague has missed out a crucial piece of information and it is close to the deadline. What do you do?'

Then you are given a range of several different options, and you must pick the one you would do. Or they ask you to rank the options according to what you are most likely to do.

Or another example is something like 'I like working in high-pressure situations'.

Then you are given options: Strong agree, Agree, Neither agree or disagree, Disagree, Strongly disagree.


I must be going horribly wrong somewhere. No one can fail every single one of these tests. My personality really must not be suited to anything I apply for. Anyone else been in a similar situation and how do I solve this problem?


PRACTICE!!!!

Literally get your hands on as many practice numeracy tests as you can (there are paid sites out there for this exact thing), and really grind through them. I'd also urge you to do some percentages in your head whenever you come across anything numerical, or even better try to use your head to work out discounts on prices you see in stores. The key here is to become more comfortable with using numbers, and more importantly, approximating numbers.

For the psychometric tests, again, practice! I always find that you need to portray a more enthusiastic, super supportive personality than you otherwise would be like in real life. Think of the qualities the companies you're going for want to see from you then emulate them.
Original post by snowman77
For every graduate job and placement I've applied to, whenever they have a personality test or psychometric test, I always fail them. Never passed a single one, ever. I must have failed at least 20 by now.

These are the tests that have "no right answer" but you have to be "honest in your responses". An example of a question is something like:

'You and your colleague have been working on a project. You notice that your colleague has missed out a crucial piece of information and it is close to the deadline. What do you do?'

Then you are given a range of several different options, and you must pick the one you would do. Or they ask you to rank the options according to what you are most likely to do.

Or another example is something like 'I like working in high-pressure situations'.

Then you are given options: Strong agree, Agree, Neither agree or disagree, Disagree, Strongly disagree.


I must be going horribly wrong somewhere. No one can fail every single one of these tests. My personality really must not be suited to anything I apply for. Anyone else been in a similar situation and how do I solve this problem?


You should absolutely not be honest in your answers. If everyone was honest, nobody would get the job. You have to tell them what they want to hear, otherwise there will be 100 other people who tell them what they want to hear instead of you. And it is incredibly easy to figure out what they want you to answer.

Honesty is not going to get you far when applying for jobs. You have to treat job applications and interviews as an acting job which you have a prepared script for. You have to bull**** your way through it.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by snowman77
For every graduate job and placement I've applied to, whenever they have a personality test or psychometric test, I always fail them. Never passed a single one, ever. I must have failed at least 20 by now.

These are the tests that have "no right answer" but you have to be "honest in your responses". An example of a question is something like:

'You and your colleague have been working on a project. You notice that your colleague has missed out a crucial piece of information and it is close to the deadline. What do you do?'

Then you are given a range of several different options, and you must pick the one you would do. Or they ask you to rank the options according to what you are most likely to do.

Or another example is something like 'I like working in high-pressure situations'.

Then you are given options: Strong agree, Agree, Neither agree or disagree, Disagree, Strongly disagree.


I must be going horribly wrong somewhere. No one can fail every single one of these tests. My personality really must not be suited to anything I apply for. Anyone else been in a similar situation and how do I solve this problem?


Do not be honest; I know they always say this; but in reality you have to answer in the way 'that you have to.'

Whatever you would look for in a candidate when hiring; this is what you answer as. I know it seems false and misleading but it's what you have to do; you have to play the game with these kind of things.

Don't forget to compile some evidence of you expressing these traits when they ask you at the interview
Reply 5
Original post by KTS89
Maybe you are a sociopath. Kidding :tongue:. C'mon man, everyone knows that in these questions you answer whatever seems more reasonable and acceptable regardless of what you were actually going to do in the actual situations. You're probably being too honest.


Original post by driftawaay
You should absolutely not be honest in your answers. If everyone was honest, nobody would get the job. You have to tell them what they want to hear, otherwise there will be 100 other people who tell them what they want to hear instead of you. And it is incredibly easy to figure out what they want you to answer.

Honesty is not going to get you far when applying for jobs. You have to treat job applications and interviews as an acting job which you have a prepared script for. You have to bull**** your way through it.


Ok so you all agree I should tell them what they want to hear, not what I personally would do. Because clearly what I would do is not what they want (as is evidenced by all the rejections I've had at this stage).

Surely though I will be "found out" later down the line and they will realise I am not suited to the job?
Reply 6
Original post by Princepieman
PRACTICE!!!!

Literally get your hands on as many practice numeracy tests as you can (there are paid sites out there for this exact thing), and really grind through them. I'd also urge you to do some percentages in your head whenever you come across anything numerical, or even better try to use your head to work out discounts on prices you see in stores. The key here is to become more comfortable with using numbers, and more importantly, approximating numbers.

For the psychometric tests, again, practice! I always find that you need to portray a more enthusiastic, super supportive personality than you otherwise would be like in real life. Think of the qualities the companies you're going for want to see from you then emulate them.
I never mentioned anything about numeracy tests.

I think I've had enough practice with all my rejections. You can practice all you want, but if you're not giving the right answers, then practice is useless. This should be an easy stage to pass, but it hasn't been for me.
Original post by snowman77
I never mentioned anything about numeracy tests.

I think I've had enough practice with all my rejections. You can practice all you want, but if you're not giving the right answers, then practice is useless. This should be an easy stage to pass, but it hasn't been for me.


I know, I jumped to conclusions - my bad.



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Reply 8
Original post by snowman77
Ok so you all agree I should tell them what they want to hear, not what I personally would do. Because clearly what I would do is not what they want (as is evidenced by all the rejections I've had at this stage).

Surely though I will be "found out" later down the line and they will realise I am not suited to the job?


Psychometrics tests are ridiculously terrible at vetting job candidates.

Just because you don't answer those questions how they want you to does not mean that you will not be suited to a job. The fact is you don't really know whether a person will be good at a job until you employ them.
Reply 9
Original post by Swanbow
Psychometrics tests are ridiculously terrible at vetting job candidates.

Just because you don't answer those questions how they want you to does not mean that you will not be suited to a job. The fact is you don't really know whether a person will be good at a job until you employ them.


Exactly! Every single candidate for every position should be employed for at least 1-2 years to see if they are right for the job.
Original post by h3110
Exactly! Every single candidate for every position should be employed for at least 1-2 years to see if they are right for the job.


:lol:

I'd rather say that a combination of interviews and work place trails is a better way of gauging whether a person is capable or suited for a job. Of course that in itself would make employing people more expensive and difficult.
Original post by h3110
Exactly! Every single candidate for every position should be employed for at least 1-2 years to see if they are right for the job.


Not sure if this is tongue in cheek, or serious, but that is a terrible waste of money.

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Reply 12
Original post by Princepieman
Not sure if this is tongue in cheek, or serious, but that is a terrible waste of money.

Posted from TSR Mobile


Yes it was sarcasm mate
I remember B&Q telling me I had failed their psychometric tests when I was 17 and applying for a part time job. Still makes me laugh.

But yeah, I had to do one for the job I have now and they really are just common sense answers. Although I would be worried if your honest answers were the polar opposite of what the common sense answer would be. You're either overthinking it or you'd be a complete nightmare to work with...!
You're not chatting enough **** in them
Original post by h3110
Exactly! Every single candidate for every position should be employed for at least 1-2 years to see if they are right for the job.


Original post by h3110
Yes it was sarcasm mate


Many jobs have probationary periods (e.g. 6 months) for exactly that reason.
Original post by snowman77
For every graduate job and placement I've applied to, whenever they have a personality test or psychometric test, I always fail them. Never passed a single one, ever. I must have failed at least 20 by now.

These are the tests that have "no right answer" but you have to be "honest in your responses". An example of a question is something like:

'You and your colleague have been working on a project. You notice that your colleague has missed out a crucial piece of information and it is close to the deadline. What do you do?'

Then you are given a range of several different options, and you must pick the one you would do. Or they ask you to rank the options according to what you are most likely to do.

Or another example is something like 'I like working in high-pressure situations'.

Then you are given options: Strong agree, Agree, Neither agree or disagree, Disagree, Strongly disagree.


I must be going horribly wrong somewhere. No one can fail every single one of these tests. My personality really must not be suited to anything I apply for. Anyone else been in a similar situation and how do I solve this problem?



Perhaps you are answering honestly? No-one else does this. You're supposed to tick the boxes that you think they will want to hear, and make sure you get a good balance between the various neuroses they're testing for.
Generally their qualifications should tell you whether someone is suitable for the job. A few technical questions and a piece of written work should prove they are not bull****ting. An interview should tell you whether or not they're a complete mentalist/dickhead.
Original post by snowman77
Surely though I will be "found out" later down the line and they will realise I am not suited to the job?


Nobody who applies is suited to the job, everyone gives them the answers they want to hear and when they get the job, they keep pretending they 'love working under pressure', 'always patient' 'has great attention to detail' and 'love working in a fast paced environment'. This is just how jobs work and this is the rest of your life. I am sorry but you sound so naive lol.
Reply 19
Original post by Mega0448
I remember B&Q telling me I had failed their psychometric tests when I was 17 and applying for a part time job. Still makes me laugh.

But yeah, I had to do one for the job I have now and they really are just common sense answers. Although I would be worried if your honest answers were the polar opposite of what the common sense answer would be. You're either overthinking it or you'd be a complete nightmare to work with...!
I do use common sense in my answers.

Original post by cole-slaw
Generally their qualifications should tell you whether someone is suitable for the job. A few technical questions and a piece of written work should prove they are not bull****ting. An interview should tell you whether or not they're a complete mentalist/dickhead.
Except I know many people who don't pass interviews who aren't mentalists/dickheads - they are normal people but they get rejected. I have had a few interviews before (none of them I passed) and i'm pretty sure I didn't come across as some mentally challenged weirdo or dickhead in any of them.

Original post by driftawaay
Nobody who applies is suited to the job, everyone gives them the answers they want to hear and when they get the job, they keep pretending they 'love working under pressure', 'always patient' 'has great attention to detail' and 'love working in a fast paced environment'. This is just how jobs work and this is the rest of your life. I am sorry but you sound so naive lol.
So you're saying:

- no one is themselves in life, it's all just a faking/bull**** act that everyone is putting on
- everyone is doing a job they don't want to do. they only do it because they have to pay the bills
- people do what others expect of them, not what they personally want to do

What a fantastic life everyone must be leading. They lie to get ahead, they're slaves to other people's expectations and they are forced to follow a collection of unwritten social/societal rules.

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