Earlier this week I received a call back from one of the companies I had applied a position at. Apparently my follow-up email after my first interview had impressed the manager. He asked me to go into their Sydney branch for a 2nd session which was basically just a "little" exam.
The exam was to last approximately 3 hours long and included a timed IQ test, English proficiency test, and 318 psychological/personality profile questions.
"Not to worry" said the manager, "It's just a standard procedure and it's just something to give us a better picture of what kind of person you are"
So on Thursday, I joined the crowd during the rush hour to go down the their office in the city before 9.00am.
They brought me to a room which was set-up with a few computer terminals. The test administrator briefed me on what I had to do, gave some instructions on how to log-in the computer terminal and how to key in my answers on the computer, and then left me to work through the series of tests and questions for the next few hours.
After she had left, I poured myself a glass of water, adjusted my seat and clicked on the first test displayed the computer screen.
The IQ test was timed at 20 minutes and consisted mostly of pattern recognition tests like this one:
Find the picture that follows logically from one of the six below.
The English proficiency test was timed at 15 minutes and contained questions such as:
Four of the following words are similar in some way to each other; pick the two words that are different.
Coffee
Tea
Paper
Sugar
Onion
Milk
The 318 psychological/personality profile questions were like a marathon. Fortunately it was an untimed test. But by question 97, I was starting to wonder when it would ever end.
This test asked straight-out moral questions such as:
Have you ever stolen anything as a child?
Some were basically assessing my working style:
Do you prefer to work alone or as part of a team?
Some were outright bizarre in trying to make sure I wasn't a psychopath/schizophrenic:
Do you ever get the feeling that people around you are all secretly plotting against you?
And even:
Do you feel uncomfortable in a small room and have the feeling that walls are closing in on you?
Imagine having to endure 318 of such questions.
I finished the entire series of tests in under 3 hours. I should hear from them sometime next week.
This entire ordeal better be worth it!!!
The exam was to last approximately 3 hours long and included a timed IQ test, English proficiency test, and 318 psychological/personality profile questions.
"Not to worry" said the manager, "It's just a standard procedure and it's just something to give us a better picture of what kind of person you are"
So on Thursday, I joined the crowd during the rush hour to go down the their office in the city before 9.00am.
They brought me to a room which was set-up with a few computer terminals. The test administrator briefed me on what I had to do, gave some instructions on how to log-in the computer terminal and how to key in my answers on the computer, and then left me to work through the series of tests and questions for the next few hours.
After she had left, I poured myself a glass of water, adjusted my seat and clicked on the first test displayed the computer screen.
The IQ test was timed at 20 minutes and consisted mostly of pattern recognition tests like this one:
Find the picture that follows logically from one of the six below.
The English proficiency test was timed at 15 minutes and contained questions such as:
Four of the following words are similar in some way to each other; pick the two words that are different.
Coffee
Tea
Paper
Sugar
Onion
Milk
The 318 psychological/personality profile questions were like a marathon. Fortunately it was an untimed test. But by question 97, I was starting to wonder when it would ever end.
This test asked straight-out moral questions such as:
Have you ever stolen anything as a child?
Some were basically assessing my working style:
Do you prefer to work alone or as part of a team?
Some were outright bizarre in trying to make sure I wasn't a psychopath/schizophrenic:
Do you ever get the feeling that people around you are all secretly plotting against you?
And even:
Do you feel uncomfortable in a small room and have the feeling that walls are closing in on you?
Imagine having to endure 318 of such questions.
I finished the entire series of tests in under 3 hours. I should hear from them sometime next week.
This entire ordeal better be worth it!!!
![[image%255B6%255D.png]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgklTcgdp4ShiuQFXLk9XWEUawGTavh-b5e48CCxOF8lfmadTD_nvl09fLGF8KTblHJSkUilWdkIG4YzBdQnQZvjN0ENv8W-I74RTVTI40g8YPzAr3cJpD__khQpvH6CAVYg_piGw/s1600/image%255B6%255D.png)
![DSC06501A_thumb[1]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrS5bShBTbRbdHdNATztRt1iTHkM1k1lM8f5DfxA6qCmGyLSaig1LW7BHAnrZnD_F0P4o-bh7ZFGNf4RdtzM3cTY26f6HLcGmrbmL-MQT3u3N2iVJ1JZKqdUgoirav8eppFwVeg//?imgmax=800)
I too hate to do such tests. I feel as if someone's prying into my life. However I don't mind doing it on my own - then I can assess my strengths and weaknesses and work to overcome my weaknesses. I find that I've changed as the years passed.i certainly hope it will turn out ok.
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