Do you think that psychometric testing is a novel concept and has been in use for last few years? Well, many people do. There were some popular theories that were published in the late 1980s and 1990s which are mostly supposed to be the foundation of Psychometric tests, however, the concept is far too old. Some of the researchers claim that psychometric testing has prevalence as old as 2200 B.C. and it was first used by a Chinese emperor to select the right warriors for his army. It included personality assessments along with his talent assessment. Definitely, this field has evolved greatly since then and now there are many verified theories in this field which are being used across the world. The foundation of the current psychometric test is based on the theories that were given by Sir Francis Galton who lived from 1822-1911. In modern times, Sir Francis was the first person ever who stressed on assessing a person based on his personality traits in addition to knowledge. It was initially called ‘mental test’ by James Cattell in 1890s. It was after 15 years of him that psychometric testing actually got derived with the help of Alfred Binet. The use of psychometric tests began in the 20^th century and it actually gained much popularity. Now, it is being used as a standard test to assess a person’s abilities, personality traits, skills, and aptitude.

Now psychometric tests are being used globally for purposes such as recruitment and education

Although psychometric tests have been used in developed nations since the 20^th century, in India, it came quite late i.e. in the beginning of 21^st century only. In India, use of psychometric tests started with corporates. These companies started using psychometric tests for assessment of a candidate’s skills and personality. Every job opening is set with a minimum personality trait score and candidates are tested based on that. Soon, educational institutes also started using psychometric testing service for the purpose of career counselling. In India, career counselling started with some career experts starting their private services in metro cities such Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. Career counselling gained popularity in 2010 when many individuals began stressing on taking professional help to decide career. Also, education sector saw some tremendous growth and foreign models began their implementation in different schools and Universities. One of the concepts was of career counselling which was readily adopted by teachers and educational institutes.

Advancements in psychometric tests since the beginning

Psychometric tests initially started as paper based tests. When these emerged in the 20^th century, they mainly focussed on assessing the intelligence of the candidate. The test was designed by psychologists manually and they used to score the test manually according to the standards already set for the test. Even today, paper based tests are used at many places where there is no computer facility. In rural areas, paper based test is still the preferred way. With advancements in technology, now various tools have been made which have made psychometric test taking extremely easy and convenient. Now anybody can give a test even while sitting at home. There are online modes of tests available. Also, the good thing about these tests is that they give the results instantly. So, if a company is using the test, it does not need to wait for the results, they get results instantly and they can do their recruitment in a timely manner. Also, if it is being used by career counsellors, they can instantly use the tools to map the talents of students to the right career options. Now students rely on scientific methods and technology instead of knowledge of one career counsellor.

How are psychometric tests designed?

There are different kinds of psychometric testing methods which are being used for different aims. The tests are basically designed specifically for specific purposes. For example, if a company is using it to assess someone for a leadership position, the test will mainly focus on assessing leadership skills of the candidate. For educational purposes, the psychometric test is used in different formats. For example, at CareerGuide.com, different psychometric tests have been designed with the help of expert career counsellors and student psychologists. The tests can be helpful for a student to decide a stream after 10^th class, select a career after graduation, explore skills by professionals etc.

Are psychometric tests reliable?

Many people consider that psychometric tests get impacted by the surrounding environment, stable mental peace and a calm composure. Definitely, this helps in receiving the most accurate results. Pressure may affect the results negatively. However, current psychometric are designed considering the fact that there could be a slight mismatch in the answers given by the candidate and there are multiple questions to assess a single personality trait. Psychometric tests have evolved to be more reliable over the years and thus are being used even for crucial job posts. In the education field, it is even considered as an essential element of studies since it can help the students to select their career and make an informative decision at the right time. The purpose of psychometric test is to analyze the personality traits of a person. This test does not comprise of any right or wrong answers but is more focused on assessing the personality of the person. There could be several strengths and weaknesses in a person that makes them suitable for a particular field and unsuitable for others. This test is focussed on highlighting those traits and makes the person giving the test realize his own traits which he can either develop or improvise according to his aspirations and dreams.

For further queries and related information, you can approach the Professional Experts at CareerGuide. Hope this will help you!