Practice Leaflet

Why are aptitude tests used?

You will have been informed which of these types of test and questionnaire you will be required to complete. An introduction to aptitude tests - why are aptitude tests used?

PricewaterhouseCoopers make extensive use of ability tests and personality questionnaires in our recruitment processes. These take various forms, notably tests of verbal and numerical reasoning, tests of diagrammatic (logical) reasoning, and personality questionnaires. This leaflet contains some examples of each of these tests and questionnaires, and some background information to assist applicants. The first section concentrates on ability tests, while the next section relates to personality questionnaires. Additional information on these selection tools can be found on the Internet at www.shldirect.com.

INTRODUCTION

Whatever the context in which you are being asked to complete some aptitude tests, you may find this leaflet helpful. It has been designed to introduce you to three types of aptitude tests commonly used in graduate and school leaver recruitment as well as professional and managerial selection and development. The leaflet should help you prepare for the test session. to find out more about your own strengths and weaknesses Tests can help you to be fairly assessed in a competitive situation

You may be asked to complete some aptitude tests in the context of an extended selection or development procedure. Assessment centres typically combine the information gained from aptitude tests with that obtained from other questionnaires and exercises such as personality and interest inventories, in-trays, group exercises and interviews to build up a comprehensive picture of the person being assessed.

Employers are increasingly incorporating aptitude tests into assessment procedures - both for selection and for development and counselling purposes. There is good evidence that tests which are professionally used and evaluated can provide objective, reliable and relevant information concerning the likelihood of job success and satisfaction.

to be comprehensively assessed for selection, development or counselling purposes. to identify areas of weakness for staff development to select people best suited to the demands of the job Tests enable the employer

to select a career path for which you are suited

to counsel staff appropriately

to place personnel appropriately within an organisation. The tests you are being asked to do will measure skills relevant to the job, position or responsibilities for which you are being considered. While different jobs make different demands on individuals, extensive analyses of many managerial and professional jobs have shown that competence in verbal and numerical critical reasoning is a common requirement. More abstract abilities are also widely applicable within more technical roles. This practice leaflet covers tests which require you to: What sort of tests might you have to do? infer and apply rules within symbolic systems and flowcharts. interpret data from statistical tables evaluate the logic of given statements

In order to familiarise yourself with the type of questions that may be asked, read the instructions in each case, and work through the questions as quickly and accurately as you can, bearing in mind that the tests themselves have time constraints.

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The verbal, numerical and diagrammatic questions which follow are multiple choice. For each question, you are given several possible answers. When you have selected your answer, you should fill in the appropriate circle on the answer sheet provided. In this test, you are given two passages, each of which is followed by several statements. Your task is to evaluate the statements in the light of the information or opinions contained in the passage and to select your answer according to the rules given below.
MARK CIRCLE A MARK CIRCLE B MARK CIRCLE C

Instructions

VERBAL TEST

if the statement is patently TRUE or follows logically, given the information or opinions contained in the passage.

if the statement is patently UNTRUE or the opposed follows logically, given the information or opinions contained in the passage.

if you CANNOT SAY whether the statement is true or untrue or follows logically without further information.

fossilce between nuclear and The big economic differen more that nuclear reactors are fuelled power stations is run. mmission, but cheaper to co de d an ild bu to e siv expen systems ve efficiency of the two So disputes over the relati m niu ura the prices of coal and revolve not just around ich wh t also around the way in today and tomorrow, bu ome. inc nt rre cu th compared wi future income should be
1 The main difference between nuclear and fossil-fuelled power stations is an economic one.

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Answer Sheet 1

If nuclear reactors were cheaper to build and decommission than fossil-fuelled power stations, they would definitely have the economic advantage.

The price of coal is not relevant to discussions about the relative efficiency of nuclear reactors.

Verbal Test

1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 A 6 A

B B B B B B

C C C C C C

physical ing bombarded by be e ar we t en om At any given m r attention. i competing for ou ul im st l ca gi lo ho yc ore than 5 and ps pable of handling m ca e ar es ey r ou capable of Although nd, our brains are co se r pe ta da of . With million bits of data per second ts bi 0 50 t ou ab ly interpreting on her senses and een each of the ot tw be es iti ar sp di r e visual, simila e that we select th se to sy ea is it n, pute at the brai at we wish to com th i ul im st ile ct ta auditory, or any specific time.
5 4 The capacity of the human brain is sufficient to interpret nearly all the stimuli the senses can register under optimum conditions. Eyes are able to cope with a greater input of information than ears. Physical stimuli usually win in the competition for our attention.

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For some numerical tests of this nature you may be provided with a calculator - for some you may be required to work without one. You may try the following questions with or without the use of a calculator - as you wish. In addition, you may be provided with rough paper for your working out. Statistical Tables POPULATION STRUCTURE 1985
Population at start of year (million) UK France Italy Germany Spain 56.6 55.2 57.1 61.0 38.6 Live Births per 1000 population (Jan-Dec) 13.3 13.9 10.1 9.6 12.1 Deaths per 1000 population (Jan-Dec) 11.8 10.0 9.5 11.5 7.7 Percentage of population at start of year aged 19 21 19 15 23 under 15 21 19 19 20 17 60 or over

In this test, you have to use facts and figures presented in statistical tables to answer the questions below. In each question, you are given either five or ten options from which to choose. One, and only one, of the options is correct in each case. Note that for questions which have 10 options you may have to fill in more than one circle to indicate your answer.

NUMERICAL TEST

PRODUCTION OF 15MM BUTTONS, JULY-DECEMBER

Production in thousands
105 100 95 90 85 80 75 70 65 60 55 50 July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Total (standard and sub-standard) button production Standard quality button production

SALES PRICE:
Standard quality buttons Sub-standard quality buttons

5.70 per 100

2.85 per 100

MONTHS

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NUMERICAL TEST - QUESTIONS 1 Which country had the highest number of people aged 60 or over at the start of 1985? UK
A B

France

Italy
C

Germany
D

Spain
E

What percentage of the total 15mm button production was classed as sub-standard in September? 10.5%
A B

23.5%
AB

AC

13% 25%

15%
C AD

27.5%

AE

17.5%
D

28%

20%
E BC

30.5%

How many live births occurred in 1985 in Spain and Italy together (to the nearest 1000)? 104,000
A B

840,000

1,044,000
C

8,400,000
D

10,440,000
E

What was the net effect on the UK population of the live birth and death rates in 1985? Decrease of 66,700
A

Increase of 84,900
B

Increase of 85,270
C

Increase of 752,780
D

Cannot say
E

By how much did the total sales value of Novembers button production vary from Octobers? 28.50 (Decrease)
A

142.50 (Decrease)
B

285.00 (Increase)
C

427.50 (Decrease)
D

No change
E

What was the loss in potential sales revenue attributable to the production of substandard (as opposed to standard) buttons over the 6 month period? 213.75
A B

427.50

2,137.50
C

2,280.00
D

4,275.00
E

Answer Sheet 2 Numerical Test

1 2 3 4 5 6

A A A A A A

B B B B B B

C C C C C C

D D D D D D

E E E E E E 5
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Each problem in this test consists of a series of diagrams, on the left of the page, which follow a logical sequence. You are to choose the next diagram in the series from the five options on the right. Then indicate your answer by filling in completely the appropriate circle on the answer sheet. Time guideline: see how many questions you can answer in 5 minutes, remembering you should work accurately as well as quickly.
A 1 B C D E

DIAGRAMMATIC SERIES

A 2

A 3

A 4

A 5

A 6

A 7

A 8

Answer Sheet 3 Diagrammatic Test

1 2 3 4
6

A A A A

B B B B

C C C C

D D D D

E E E E

5 6 7 8

A A A A

B B B B

C C C C

D D D D

E E E E

You will find the correct answers on the back page of this leaflet

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Questionnaires are used by employers and careers advisors to help gain a picture of how people match different jobs. This leaflet is designed to help you understand more about questionnaires and help you prepare for completing them. Personality questionnaires are concerned with peoples typical or preferred ways of behaving, such as the way they relate to others, or the way they approach and solve problems. The benefit of a questionnaire is that the same carefully designed and fully researched questions are asked of all people and their answers are captured and interpreted in a fair, consistent and objective way.

AN INTRODUCTION TO PERSONALITY QUESTIONNAIRES

Questionnaires typically explore the broad range of personality characteristics which are generally relevant to the world of work. They are often used by organisations where information is required about an individual, for example, in development, selection or counselling. When questionnaires are used with other methods of assessment they can help to ensure a more thorough exploration of how well a person is suited to a particular job. Why do we use questionnaires? We can learn more about which jobs might be suitable for you They make our procedures fairer and more objective

They help show us who is right for a job

We can identify your training and development needs What benefits are there for you? You are assessed in a fair and objective way

You can learn how you might develop in different areas What sort of questions will I be asked?

You can gain a better understanding of your personality and main sources of motivation

You can choose work for which you are better suited and which will be more satisfying for you

The questions ask about your typical or preferred style of work. Your answers are then used to produce a profile of how you see yourself compared to a group of similar individuals.

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The first block has been completed for you. The person has chosen, Enjoys organising people as most true (or typical) and Seeks variety as being least true (or typical) of him/herself. Now try questions 2, 3 and 4 yourself. I am the sort of person who....... A B C D Has a wide circle of friends Enjoys organising people Relaxes easily Seeks variety
A A A A A A A A B B B B B B B B C C C C C C C C D D D D D D D D

You will be given blocks of four statements: A, B, C and D. Your task is to choose which one you think is the most true or typical of you in your everyday behaviour, and then choose the one which is least true or typical of you. Indicate your choices by filling in the appropriate circle in the row marked M (for Most) and in the next row L (for Least).

Here are some examples of the sort of questions that will be asked.

M L

A B C D A B C D

Helps people with their problems Develops new approaches Has lots of energy Enjoys social activities Has lots of new ideas Feels calm Likes to understand things Is easy to get on with Enjoys organising events Sometimes gets angry Is talkative Resolves conflicts at work

M L

M L

A B C D

M L

Often, personality questionnaires are completed using paper and pencil. Typically, you will be asked to fill in circles to indicate your answers as in the examples here. Sometimes, however, computers are used. In this situation, you wont need to know how to operate a computer. Everything you have to do will be explained at the session and you will be given a chance to practice using the computer and ask questions before you start. Whether you use paper and pencil or a computer, you will be asked the same kinds of question, and only be allowed to choose one Most and one Least option for each set of statements.

How do I complete a questionnaire?

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Final points about personality questionnaires.

The questions are concerned with how you typically behave at work. Thinking about a typical work situation may help you answer. If you have little formal work experience, think about how you behave in similar situations such as voluntary work, school, college, or when doing other tasks, for example housework and hobbies.

Although there is no time limit, you should work quickly rather than pondering at length over any one question. This helps you to give your most natural answer, the one which best reflects how you are. Make sure you answer all of the questions. People who try to guess what is wanted are often incorrect and may give an impression of themselves which doesnt fit in with other information. Many questionnaires contain questions which help to check whether someone is describing themselves honestly and consistently, so try to be as accurate as possible when answering the questions. Feedback will be offered, usually in the form of a narrative report. We may want to discuss our results with you. If you are offered this opportunity, use it to find out as much about yourself as you can. This may be helpful to you in understanding yourself and your strengths and limitations better. The questionnaire is about your personality style, that is, the way you go about things. It is not about ability, and there are no right or wrong answers. Just answer as you are. Dont worry if some questions do not seem relevant. We will be focusing on those areas most relevant to your situation. The results will typically form only part of an assessment, and will be interpreted alongside other information about you. We will respect the confidentiality of your results.

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ANSWERS TO THE APTITUDE TEST PRACTICE QUESTIONS.

Verbal Test Numerical Test C C C C C C Diagrammatic Test C C C C C C D D D D D D E E E E E E

1 A 2 A 3 A 4 A 5 A 6 A

B B B B B B

1 2 3 4 5 6

A A A A A A

B B B B B B

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

A A A A A A A A

B B B B B B B B

C C C C C C C C

D D D D D D D D

E E E E E E E E

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO GIVE YOUR BEST PERFORMANCE? Dont be discouraged if you found the questions difficult: there are several things you can do to improve your performance. Read newspapers, reports, business journals. Do verbal problem solving exercises, e.g. crosswords. Verbal Tests: Read financial reports in newspapers. Study tables of data. Practise your mental arithmetic. Numerical Tests: Solve puzzles in newspapers and magazines involving diagrams. Play games involving sequence or strategies eg. chess, draughts. Diagrammatic Test And finally, be prepared for the test session Get a good nights sleep before the tests. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the assessment. If you wear glasses or a hearing aid, be sure to take them with you and please let us know in advance if you require any special facilities to help you complete these tests. Listen carefully to the instructions. Dont be afraid to ask questions. Read each question carefully before answering. Work quickly and accurately - most tests have time limits. At the session

REMEMBER - the outcome of most assessments is based on the combination of data from different sources. Even if you dont feel confident about your performance in the tests, you may have other strengths which will be taken into account. Employers often offer the opportunity to obtain feedback on test performance. This may help you to understand your own relative abilities and may aid you in your career thinking.

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SHL Group Limited, 2007 The Pavilion, 1 Atwell Place, Thames Ditton, Surrey KT7 0BP Telephone: 0208 335 8000 Facsimile 0208 335 7000 www.shlgroup.com The reproduction of this blue and yellow practice leaflet by photocopying process, duplicating machine or any other method, including computer installations, is breaking the copyright law. SHL is a trademark of SHL Group Limited which is registered in the United Kingdom and other countries.