Career Counseling Has More Impact with Psychometric Test

A psychometric test is an internationally accepted method to gauge a person’s capabilities. A student has to take tests that assess his critical thinking ability and problem solving capabilities. This scientific test can help the student to realize which academic field he or she is good at. Sometimes, a student might think he or she is good in physics and wants to take up science for higher studies. The test will prove whether he or she is capable to study the subject or has a natural inclination towards it. The analysis of the test results should be done by a career counseling expert who is trained to use the knowledge of the test. A career counselor will first interview the child and then ask him or her to appear for a psychometric test. They will then combine the results of a psychometric test and the inference drawn after the interview to give a sound career advice. Psychometric tests are beneficial because it helps the person to understand his or her real capabilities or skills which they choose either to overestimate or ignore. This test is an eye opener and career counseling without a thorough psychometric test is incomplete.

Psychologists have used psychometric tests since 1900’s to quantify a person’s intelligence and find out facts about their behavioral traits and preferences. This test is used in schools, by the army and in mental health clinics. It is used by employers for the recruitment process and by market analysts to dig out information about people’s preference for a product and also its packaging and branding. The test can be given to teams in classroom or an individual during counseling session. The test can comprise of multiple choice questions or a standard question and answer format. All psychometric career tests use a scoring system to measure the traits and aptitude of an individual. Different types of measurement theories and statistical analysis models are used for scoring psychometric tests. This makes the tests both valid and reliable. Validity implies consistency in test results and subjects among different populations and over time. Different types of validity are measured like content validity, validity of construction and validity of criteria to name a few. Parents, teachers and students should know the basic principles of psychometric test.

There are two types of psychometric tests-

• Aptitude, personality and interest tests measure the candidate’s general performance. These open ended questions have no right or wrong answers. It is used to measure the test takers personality, value, beliefs and behavior towards others.
• Aptitude or ability tests are formulated to measure an individual’s ‘maximum’ performance capacity. This type of psychometric test can be termed close ended test and the test taker has to mark out the right career options in a multiple choice questionnaire.

Other types of psychometric tests includes-

• Interest Inventories measure a person’s preferences or the kind of activity a person’s enjoys doing. This test also measures motivation to do something.
• Aptitude or ability tests measure an individual’s skills in reading, comprehension and problem solving. It can also be termed as educational test.
• Intelligence tests combine various approaches to quantify a person’s innate level of intelligence. It is a very refined testing process.
• Achievement tests are a type of aptitude test which measures a person’s performance of learned skills.
• Occupational tests are aptitude and interest test used in a recruitment process, employee development and career counseling.

• Behavioral Test: It is a type of personality test which is used to determine why people take certain decision, the environmental factors that influence behaviors, how people learn and how they react to certain circumstances or consequences.
• Creativity tests use pictures, drawing or sentence completion to measure thought processes. This is used in preschools and kindergartens for early childhood development testing. Mostly used in admission test in primary schools. Often art therapy is used in school counseling to find out whether a student needs special education or determine his or her hidden talents.
• Neuropsychological testing includes clinical testing to determine an individual’s perceptions, sensory functions, motor and cognitive functions. This test is usually used on people with mental or behavioral disabilities, those suffering from depression and trauma, brain injuries and other clinical applications.

The test takers should answer each question honestly. Don’t over think what a tester might be looking for in your answer as this will tamper with the results of the test. If you are taking the test make sure that you don’t spend too much time on a single question. Don’t worry about the fact that you couldn’t complete the test. However, one should still try to work quickly and accurately, since some aptitude tests measure both speed and accuracy. Prepare for the test like practice basic arithmetic without using a calculator. If it is a subject oriented test try to go prepared like you would do for any other exam. You can search for online psychometric tests and practice and you can also prepare for non-verbal, problem solving and critical thinking tests before hand.

Career development is a lifelong issue and the decision they take affect’s their quality of life. Career counseling should help to equip the student or client with skills, career knowledge and confidence so that they can take proper decisions. For this reason career counselors rely heavily on these psychometric tests which are technical or scientific.  The term ‘scientific’ attached to psychometric test means that the test instructions needs to be clear, the questions or content needs to appropriate so that the results are reliable and valid.

When the student or client sees that the career experts are giving the career advice based on the results of the psychometric test then they will perceive that the session had depth and it was both positive and smooth. This will also help the students to trust on the career counselor’s expertise. Statistical survey reveals that if a career counselor uses a non-delivered test interpretation style then the client finds him or her to be more genuine. The client interprets such career counselors as having their best interests in mind.

Whatever test interpretations style a career counselor employs the moot point remains the same- their session with the client should be full of depth and information. The career counselor should point out his positive qualities and areas where the client needs improvement. The counselor should also tell what those skills he needs to acquire are and how to acquire them so as to reach his or her target. The client should feel self satisfied and confident with the guidance given by the counselor. They should feel that the career counselor will be able to help them to fulfill their career dreams.

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