Cheating on online aptitude tests?

I was wondering if anyone on here has cheated on online aptitude tests?

Reason I ask is because i'm looking at graduate schemes - and loads of the one's im interested in require you to sit online aptitude tests - including numerical ones. See i haven't done maths since GCSE's. Plus from going to various employer career talks i have been told many times you dont need maths skills to do the jobs i want - they just use the numerical tests to filter out 'weak' candidates because they get so many applicants. Got me thinking about how many people just cheat on these? It wouldn't make sense to cheat for a job which you actually need to be great at maths for - as you would get find out and wouldnt be doing yourself or your employer any favours. However i do think it's different when considering jobs that you have researched and KNOW dont require anything other than basic maths (far more basic than the numerical aptitude tests).

So has anyone on here got a friend to sit an online aptitude test for them? I'd rather hear from people with direct experience rather than those who simply think it's morally right or wrong.

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Reply 1

Wololo

A number of issues to bear in mind...

1) Some companies will make you take the aptitude test again at your interview, to make sure that you really did get the score you did. It won't be the exact same test either, so you can't try to memorise it.

2) If they have maths as an aptitude test, chances are you'll need it in the job.

3) The maths needed is almost never any more complex than basic primary school stuff like add, subtract, multiply and divide. It's being able to solve problems that's really on test.

Reply 2

CreativeBass

Wololo

Thats well said; I wouldn't risk cheating as you will probably get caught out when you do the test over there.

Reply 3

FrancesO

Agree with Wololo; I had to do one for the IBM gap year scheme, and they'll do another one on the interview day as well. Don't cheat it. You should be able to pass it anyway to be competent at the job.

Reply 4

sarubobo28

I don't think they are stupid enough to make applicants take the test where they can easily cheat tbh...

Reply 5

ChemistBoy

You'll find that it is very common to have to sit the aptitude test again at assessment centre or final interview stage, so it is completely pointless to cheat on it in the first place. For most companies for non-technical roles the pass mark is usually pretty low tbh anyway.

Reply 6

danny111

those "numerical tests" are nothing more than logical tests.

if you cant do them then your not logical enough. so your aragument "oh this job doesnt need maths" is flawed.

however, since i bet some ppl cheat, you might as well.

bear in mind what others said - you will have to sit the aptitude test again. and huge differences between ur two sittings may make them believe you cheated.

Reply 7

Jiser

Ive applied for a few grad schemes. With these completely stupid and pointless graduate numerical/verbal cr*p. Ive got quite a few years of experience yet get denied due to these tests. I apply for jobs which have no need for numerical or stupid verbal skills.

They force it upon us yes to weed out people.

Its weird they expect you to know all this maths crap after not doing it for 7 years.

Reply 8

Quady

sarubobo28

I don't think they are stupid enough to make applicants take the test where they can easily cheat tbh...

You mean like in your own house...?

Reply 9

Quady

Jiser

Its weird they expect you to know all this maths crap after not doing it for 7 years.

It's not tough stuff - a 14 year old could do them pretty darn easily.

Reply 10

Mazija

I've never cheated on aptitude tests myself. But I don't find them easy peasy either. Like you, I havn't done any maths since GCSE days and I'm not particularly gifted with the numbers either.

A friend of mine is a maths whizz Oxford grad and his friends regularly ask him to do their online aptitude tests. He's offered to do mine in the past but I havn't accepted, for the reasons you stated. I would be terrified if I completed an aptitutde test with flying colours but failed any further tests in person or, performed poorly on the job.

Reply 11

Jiser

Quady

It's not tough stuff - a 14 year old could do them pretty darn easily.

Not really no. I work in a school so I know this for a fact. In my GCSE maths I got a good B. Ive done basically nothing in maths apart from binary long division during the 1st year of uni which was 6 years ago for me. Its ok for people who are applying for things like finance/accounting and rubbish.

Here is an example of one question. I would have no problems doing this with a bit of time. Its near on impossible to do a question a minute unless ur a genius.

In Spain the consumption of bottled water continued to rise by 6% per annum for the next two
years (2005 and 2006), but then the consumption in 2007 declined by 4% on the 2006 levels.
What was the consumption (in millions of litres) in 2007?
6,427 6,083 5,933 5,606

Reply 12

Monday1987

Jiser, I'm assuming calculator usage is allowed as it seems to be in most online tests (how would they police it otherwise?), in which case, what exactly is the issue with doing that question? Take the original figure, multiply by 1.06, 1.06 again and then multiply by 0.96. Should take a maximum of 10 seconds.

Reply 13

Quady

Jiser

Not really no. I work in a school so I know this for a fact. In my GCSE maths I got a good B.

In Spain the consumption of bottled water continued to rise by 6% per annum for the next two
years (2005 and 2006), but then the consumption in 2007 declined by 4% on the 2006 levels.
What was the consumption (in millions of litres) in 2007?
6,427 6,083 5,933 5,606

Well you need the initial value otherwise its impossible... and as Monday1997 said that takes about 10 seconds, the hardest part is the not having a fat fingers fail with the calculator.

Multiplication is not tough stuff.

Reply 14

flugestuge

Jiser

Its near on impossible to do a question a minute unless ur a genius.

In Spain the consumption of bottled water continued to rise by 6% per annum for the next two years (2005 and 2006), but then the consumption in 2007 declined by 4% on the 2006 levels.
What was the consumption (in millions of litres) in 2007?
6,427 6,083 5,933 5,606

That is a 10 second problem for a 12 year old with a calculator.
Sounds to me like the tests are screening out precisely those who should be screened out.

Reply 15

Jiser

flugestuge

That is a 10 second problem for a 12 year old with a calculator.
Sounds to me like the tests are screening out precisely those who should be screened out.

Hi there. I achieved a high 1st for my degree. Had a year international experience working in the U.S. for a big bank doing I.T. Also on top of that 3 years I.T. experience in business and in schools. Also have a post graduate qualification as well as various industry standard qualifications. Ive been responsible for budgets as well.

That was an example question I didn't say I couldn't do it. These tests are stupid for areas of graduate schemes which should be testing on the thing your applying for e.g. In my area I.T.

Reply 16

Quady

Jiser

That was an example question I didn't say I couldn't do it.

It was a very, very poor example for you to use then.

It would be too costly for each company to develop their online tests to form a long list. Its far cheaper and easier to use a commercial product to weed out those who cannot apply basic maths and verbal reasoning.

What other way would be more effective?

(btw if you're so great then you should be going for experienced hires not grad schemes)

Reply 17

shark67

flugestuge

They are very basic and a 12 year old should be able to pass them.
If you cant pass them, there is a problem with you, not with the tests. And they are trying to screen out people like you.

what a load of crap