David, personality test expert at JobTestPrep.
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What Are Pre-Employment Personality Tests
A pre-employment personality test is a psychological assessment designed to reveal the various aspects of a person's character, or personality traits, specifically focused on those that will affect his or her suitability as an employee.
The majority of personality tests used today are based on the big five personality traits model, also known as OCEAN, which measures: Openness to experience, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.
Leading companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, General Motors, as well as Airlines, banks, and health-care enterprises often use personality tests in their recruitment process alongside cognitive ability tests, with interviewers often taking questions from a personality test and inserting them into the interview.
In any personality test, there will always be characteristics that are seen as desirable and others that are seen as undesirable - depending on the specific requirements of each position.
Check out the video below, where Minna will go over a couple of personality test examples, and the importance of preparation:
Pre-Employment Personality Test Example Questions
In personality tests, it is always useful to think what the statement aims to reveal about your personality, i.e. which personality traits are relevant to it. The personality test examples below (or similar ones) are common, and examine crucial personality traits. Take a moment to read them, and to think about what they aim to reveal.
- In meetings, I usually let others do the talking.
- I arrange my things in a clean and orderly manner.
- I make rigorous assessments.
- I rarely feel ill-at-ease when I am around others.
Answering Personality Test Questions
Can you figure out which traits the questions above are asking about? If you said assertiveness, conscientiousness, and Neuroticism you would be right. Based on your answer here and on similar personality test items that measure assertiveness, an assertiveness score is calculated and then compared to the parameters decided in advance for the position.
For example, when applying for a management position, employers expect a relatively high level of assertiveness. Choosing the disagree / strongly disagree ratings for the personality test example question above would point to you having what it takes to lead and manage.
On the other hand, answering agree / strongly agree would indicate that you do not easily express your opinions and desires and prefer to let others manage the course of affairs - not a desirable trait for management.
Prepare for Your Pre-Employment Personality Test
Even though answering free personality tests is a great way to start preparing for your upcoming personality test, the best way to maximize your chances of passing this tricky step of the recruitment process is with JobTestPrep's prep pack. You will receive a full length, 200 question personality test, complete with a fully personalized report and our in-depth study guide. These will allow you to get a clear picture of how you come across to your employer, and give you the ability to let your best qualities shine.
Free Employment Personality Test
To give you a taste of what taking a real personality test is like and to kickstart your preparation, we have created a free personality practice test, with accurate personality test example questions and a personalized personality profile sample. By answering these questions, you will better understand the types of questions you will face in the real test, their complexity, and how confusing it can be to understand what they are trying to reveal about your personality traits.
After trying our personality practice test, the surefire way of getting through the real thing successfully is with JobTestPrep's Personality Test prep pack, which includes a full 200-question personality test, a complete personality profile report, and a study guide.
Although all personality tests are based on similar principles, questions may be asked in a variety of formats which pose different challenges. To help you better understand your test, here are some free samples of personality tests commonly used by companies:
Free Predictive Index Personality Test
What is the Big Five Model
There are many types of personality tests (you might have heard of Myers Briggs for example), but none have quite gained the stature of the Big Five Model - also know by as the five factor model (FFM), or by the acronym OCEAN.
This model is the basis of many personality tests, and aims to measure a multitude of personality traits through five central factors:
- Openness to Experience - scoring high on this factor points at a personality types with an appreciation for art, high in emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, intellectual curiosity, creativity, and a preference for a variety of experience.
- Conscientiousness - personality types who score high here tend to be organized and dependable, show self-discipline, act dutifully, aim for achievement, and prefer planned rather than spontaneous behavior.
- Extraversion - this trait reflects energy, positive emotions, assertiveness, sociability and the tendency to seek stimulation in the company of others.
- Agreeableness - reflects a tendency to be compassionate and cooperative rather than suspicious and antagonistic toward others. It is also a measure of one's trusting and helpful nature, and whether a person is generally well-tempered or not.
- Neuroticism - a tendency to experience unpleasant emotions easily, such as anger, anxiety, depression, and vulnerability. It also refers to the degree of emotional stability and impulse control, which is why it is sometimes referred to by its low pole, "emotional stability."
How to Pass Personality Tests
Even though you cannot fail personality tests, if your personality type is substantially different from the required job profile, you could be disqualified from the hiring process and the position will go to the next candidate. If so, personality tests can be highly influential in your personal development and career path.
To succeed on your psychological testing, you should first of all understand which traits are needed for the position you are applying for, and how to answer in a way that shows you fit the bill. Just as you would think carefully about how you present yourself in a job interview, thinking about how you answer a personality test is crucial.
This is how our personality test preparation pack will help you pass:
- A full personality test and report based on the knowledge of our experienced psychologists will reveal your score on each personality trait. This will allow you to see which areas of your personality profile match the position you are aiming for, and which do not.
- Get practical tools and tips on how to adjust specific answers to better fit the requirements of the role, using a comprehensive personality test study guide.
- With 30 single-trait practice pre-employment personality tests, you will be able to practice how to answer in a way that best fits the position you are applying for.
While our free personality practice test will give you a feel of what personality tests are like, our full personality test preparation includes over 200 questions to generate the most accurate feedback you can find - giving you a true picture of how you come across in personality tests, and the keys to passing.
Learn more ways to prepare for your pre-employment personality test on our personality test tips page.
Find Your Personality Practice Test
JobTestPrep uses in-depth research and vast experience to prepare job seekers for aptitude tests, including pre-employment personality tests. Over the years we have developed numerous accurate preparation packs for some of the industry's leading psychological assessments, each including personality practice tests, study guides and more. Click on the links below to learn more!
- Procter and Gamble PEAK Performance Test
- Hogan Personality Tests
- Wonderlic Test
- Caliper Assessment
- PI Behavioral Assessment
- MMPI test (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory)
- Gallup's StrengthsFinder Personality Test
- Leadership Assessment Test
- TTI Success Insights Personality Test
- 16 Personality Factor (16PF) Test Preparation
- SHL OPQ Personality Test
- DDI Leadership Assessment Test
- Myers Briggs Personality Test (MBTI)
- Korn Ferry Leadership Assessment Test
- Management Personality Test Practice
- Tips for How to Pass A Pre-Employment Personality Test
- CPP Personality Test
- Birkman Personality Test
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