Question 1

What is a Psychometric Test?

Accepted Answer

A psychometric test is an instrument for measuring psychological characteristics like knowledge, intelligence, personality, motivation etc. Since these psychological characteristics are conceptualised in many different ways, there are multiple categories of psychometric tests. The most common and widely accepted categories of psychometric tests are - Ability Tests and Personality Tests. Ability tests are those tests that measure cognitive part of psychological characteristics like Aptitude, Intelligence, Reasoning, Thinking, Knowledge etc... whereas Personality Tests are those that measure the behavioural part of psychological characteristics like personality traits, occupational interest, Values, Motivations, Personality Type etc...

Question 2

In what way Psychometric Tests are useful?

Accepted Answer

Psychometric Tests are used extensively in business organisations and education institutes across the world for a variety of a purpose.

In industrial/organisational settings, psychometric tests are used to:

Identifying the most suitable candidates in fresh as well as lateral hiring.
Facilitate targeted and evidence based Human Resource Development.
Identifying High Potential candidates for creating leadership pipeline.
Enhancing the well-being of the employees.

Some major usage of Psychometric Tests in educational settings are:

Identification of gifted children ( children with extraordinary high potential)
Identification of learning disability or intellectual deficit
Career Guidance - by measuring aptitude and occupational orientation or interest
Enhancing psychological well-being

Question 3

What is the difference between knowledge/skills tests and Psychometric Tests?

Accepted Answer

Skills tests are a kind of Psychometric Tests. When a skill test is evaluated against the psychometric criteria and is proven to demonstrate measurement properties in reliable and valid manner, it can be called a psychometric tests. Psychometric Test is an umbrella term which stands for any measurement of any psychological characteristic (all knowledge and some skills ARE psychological characteristics) as long as they have demonstrated acceptable measurement properties. There is a widespread misconception that only behavioural or personality tests are psychometric tests whereas most standard setting bodies in the world like ITC (International Test Commission), BPS (British Psychological Society) and IIBP (Indian Institute of Business Psychology) categorise skills tests under Ability Tests.

Question 4

Is psychometric testing useful for Small and Medium organizations?

Accepted Answer

If those organisations employ people and want to know about their people (their intelligence level, personality traits, motivations and values) Psychometric Tests maybe be of help, otherwise not.

Question 5

Is psychometric testing useful for large organizations?

Accepted Answer

Answer is the same as above, as long an organisation employs people and wants to measure the psychological characteristics of those people (for any purpose whatsoever) psychometric tests are most effective method to measure them.

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