When you apply for a job, it is expected that if you are a top candidate, you will be interviewed, and will possibly have some type of job tryout. But you now may have to prepare for something else – an exam.

Companies more and more are using tests to assess the qualifications of job candidates. Currently, about three-fourths of all companies with 100 employees or more use some type of test. And that number is expected to climb.

The tests are used in three general areas – to evaluate the aptitude or skill level of a person, to evaluate a person’s work ethic, and to evaluate a person’s personality. Research has shown that tests are accurate predictors of these qualities.

The skill level tests generally assess things like a person’s reasoning ability and his or her ability to learn. They look at what you can do and what you know.

Since companies are also looking for employees with a good work ethic, there are tests that attempt to get a picture of a person’s personality and how motivated they are to succeed and how they are able to balance getting ahead with getting along.

Employers also use psychological testing to get a better understanding of a person’s personality, particularly what is called emotional intelligence. This is a person’s capacity to get along with other people, to be empathetic, the ability to work with and understand others.

Naturally, as a job candidate you want to do well on these tests and might be wondering if there is any way to improve your performance. Testing experts say that there is. As with many other areas, practice can help you to improve.

Studies have shown that people can increase their scores on aptitude tests by as much as 20 percent through practice. A good test to use to work on your verbal, mathematical and logical reasoning is the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). There are also many different types of psychological tests online to help you become familiar with the types of assessments employers are using to test work ethic and personality.

You don’t want to deliberately mislead anyone on these tests – this wouldn’t be in your best interest because you might end up with a job you are not intellectually or emotionally suited for. But you do want to give yourself the best chance you can on the test. That means having a good understanding of what the tests are designed to measure, and in particular, what kinds of things a company is looking for. You can probably get an idea of what a particular company is looking for from perusing its website. There, you will be able to glean information about what kinds of personality traits the company values, and, consequently, what it might be looking for on the tests.

If you are looking for work in the New York City area, Winston Resources can help you find the job that fits your background and skills. Winston is a recognized leader in the staffing industry. Give us a call today.