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Student Opportunity: Careers

Testing

When applying for jobs, testing might form part of the selection process. These tests can be anything from a simple numeracy test to a situational judgement test to see how you would react in certain situations.

Graduates First

Free unlimited access to 100+ assessments and tools which are used by over 8,000 of the world’s top employers.

University of Warwick have partnered with Graduates First, granting Warwick students free access to a range of practice psychometric and personality tests commonly used by employers as part of the recruitment and selection process.

These include Numerical Reasoning, Personality Questionnaires, Situational Judgement Tests, Video Interviews, Game-Based assessments, and many more.

Register with Graduates First for free

Aptitude tests

  • Numerical Reasoning
    • Averages, percentages, ratios or comparisons
    • Most organisations especially finance, accounting, banking, engineering
  • Abstract/Logical Reasoning
    • Your ability to spot patterns/spatial clues and use them to solve problems
    • Many organisations especially finance, accounting, banking, engineering
  • Verbal Reasoning
    • Ability to understand, analyse and interpret written information
    • Many organisations, especially law, retail, some marketing
  • Critical Reasoning
    • These are higher-level verbal ability tests, tasks could include spellings and solving word-based problems.
    • Watson Glaser practice questions available from GraduateFirst
  • Situational Judgement
    • Ask you to resolve hypothetical (often conflict) situations described
    • Increasingly popular, often tailored to the job role – N.B. strengths focus

Personality and self

While the tests above are focused on aptitude, these questionnaires focus on your unique traits, strengths and personal working style. You can use these to help understand yourself better. For more help in this area, read our get to know yourself guidance.

Personality Questionnaire

  • Used to evaluate your “fit” for the role/firm
  • icould Buzz quiz - short MBTI-style personality questionnaire
  • 16 personalities - more indepth MBTI-style assessment

Strengths profile

  • A self-assessed questionnaire to identify your strenghts
  • Complete a free strengths profile to identify:
    • Which strengths most energise you
    • Which you would enjoy developing
    • One weakness
    • Something you can do but don’t enjoy
  • Identifying your unique qualities can help enhance your applications and interview performance and inform your career decision making
  • Our careers staff are trained Strengths practitioners and can discuss your profile with you

How to prepare

  • Practise – first untimed, then introducing test conditions
  • Read the question carefully
  • Tackle aspects step by step, developing a strategy that works for you
  • If you get stuck, make an educated guess or come back later if you are allowed
  • Get into the habit of keeping going...

On the day

At home: Do the tests in a quiet area and make sure you have the time to complete them. Do the tests yourself – don’t use a clever friend! (You could be re-tested at the assessment centre).

At assessment centre: Work quickly but accurately through each question. Don’t get stopped by one difficult question – leave it and move on. Keep your eye on the time.

Free external practice tests

General aptitude tests

Numerical reasoning

E-Tray/In-tray exercises

Situational judgement

Information/resources

E-books available via the library include:

The numeracy test workbook / Mike Bryon

Verbal reasoning test workbook / Mike Byron

Ultimate psychometric tests / Mike Bryon

There are also print copies of testing books in the main library and in Learning Grid, University House. Use the library catalogue to search for books.