What Is A Psytech Assessment?
Psytech assessments are psychometric tests designed and delivered by Psytech, a global organisation with a presence in five continents around the world.
Psytech's mission is to be recognised as a leader in producing psychometric assessments for employers locally and globally.
These tests can be used in the recruitment process for roles at all levels of seniority, including graduate and management level positions. Psytech tests can be administered online and as a paper and pencil test, and in general, the tests take candidates around 30 minutes to complete.
With a wide range of tests on offer, Psytech's tests are a popular choice for employers in various sectors to help them recruit and select suitable candidates for the roles they have to fill.
Psytech Assessment Categories
Several Psytech assessments are offered to employers; each of these assessments focuses on a specific aptitude or ability.
Psytech tests are divided into three different categories, which form the basis of the type or ability being assessed:
- Personality, values, and motivation: there are six different tests within this category.
- Aptitude and ability: there are seven different tests within this category, with each test assessing a specific ability such as numerical reasoning, clerical skills, abstract reasoning, or critical reasoning.
- Preferences: there are two assessments in this category. These tests are often used to help students identify careers best suited to their interests or provide guidance on strategies when learning new material.
GRT1 and GRT2 (Graduate Reasoning Test 1 and General Reasoning Test)
The GRT1 test (graduate reasoning test) and the GRT2 test (general reasoning test) consist of three distinct sections that measure a candidate's verbal, numerical, and abstract reasoning abilities.
The GRT1 test is set at a level appropriate for graduate or management level roles, with the GRT2 test being suitable for non-graduate level positions.
The three sections that make up the GRT1 and GRT2 tests can be given to candidates to sit as an individual test, or if appropriate, for the role administered to candidates together.
- The numerical reasoning section assesses a candidate's ability to use different types of numerical data to solve numerical problems.
- The abstract reasoning test assesses a candidate's ability to look at abstract information presented in the form of shapes or patterns, then to analyse this information to solve a problem logically.
- The verbal reasoning section assesses both a candidate's verbal comprehension skills and ability to understand and use words appropriately.
Employers use the GRT1 and GRT2 tests to assess a candidate's:
- General problem-solving abilities or whether they become confused when presented with a problem to tackle.
- Whether they can logically solve a problem based on the information presented without being influenced by external factors
- Their numerical problem-solving capabilities or whether when presented with numerical information they are unable to use basic mathematical principles to solve the problem.
Each of the three tests with the GRT1 and GRT2 test takes 28 minutes to complete.
It is also worth noting that there is an adaptive version of these tests: AdaptG. The online Adapt G test questions change according to whether the candidate has answered the previous question correctly, becoming progressively more challenging if they have.
ART (Abstract Reasoning Test)
The ART or abstract reasoning test lasts around 20 minutes and is a test that assesses a candidate's overall mental ability.
This test assesses what Psytech terms a candidate's fluid intelligence. That is their ability to look at abstract information and use only this information to solve a problem logically. There is no text or numerical information in this test. The questions are presented in the form of shapes or patterns, and candidates need to use their abstract reasoning ability to answer the questions that follow.
This test is used by many employers to determine a candidate's strategic thinking and is used in the recruitment for management and graduate-level positions.
CRTB2 (Critical Reasoning Test Battery)
Psytech's CRTB2 test battery consists of two tests that assess a candidate's verbal reasoning and numerical reasoning ability. Employers can choose to administer both of these tests as part of their recruitment process if applicable to the role or administer them separately. The CRTB2 tests last around 40 minutes in total and are a measure of various abilities.
The verbal reasoning test focuses on a candidate's ability to read, understand, and interpret information presented in a report format.
The numerical reasoning test measures a candidate's ability to understand and evaluate using their critical thinking numerical-based information such as statistics, graphs, or tables. Then to answer questions based on this.
Critical thinking and reasoning skills are required for many managerial level positions, and the CRTB2 tests enable employers to determine a candidate's ability to:
- Identify patterns and trends
- Evaluate written data and make logical inferences from this data
- Problem-solve using numerical and written information
- Whether candidates make the wrong business decisions based on the information, they have been given
CTB2 (Clerical Tests)
Psytech's clerical test battery assesses a candidate's clerical-related skills. There are four tests within the CTB2 test battery; employers can ask candidates to sit the tests individually or administer all four tests together, thus giving them a broader picture of the candidate's overall clerical-related abilities.
The four tests that make up the CTB2 battery include:
- Numerical reasoning focuses on assessing a candidate's ability to read, understand, and use numerical information related to related clerical roles. Examples include expense calculations.
- Verbal reasoning: focusing on a candidate's ability to read and understand information, grammar, and understanding of words.
- Spelling: focusing on your written comprehension and spelling ability, especially with words that are often spelt incorrectly.
- Clerical checking: assesses a candidate's speed when cross-checking all forms of information such as written and numerical information.
These tests are commonly used for more junior-level roles where clerical abilities are central to the core of the position. The tests take just under 30 minutes to complete and can be administered online or a paper and pencil test if at an assessment centre.
TTB2 (Technical Test Battery)
The TTB2 suite of tests is most commonly used in the recruitment and selection process for highly technical positions such as engineering. Four specialised tests make up the TTB2 test battery; again, employers can choose to administer all four of the tests together or ask candidates to sit one of the tests as relevant to the role they are recruiting for. These tests measure a candidate's understanding and practical application of technical and mechanical theories and concepts.
The tests included in the TTB2 are:
- Spatial reasoning: assessing a candidate's ability to visualise shapes and patterns in 2D and 3D to solve related problems.
- Mechanical reasoning: assesses a candidate's ability to practical apply mechanical concepts, for example, those related to fluids or electrics) to solve problems or situations.
- Fault finding: measures a candidate's ability to identify faults with operating processes or control-based systems. The questions are around identifying nodes within systems and which nodes are incorrect. Candidates need to use their logical reasoning skills and are particularly relevant for the recruitment of engineering-related roles.
- Visual acuity: This test measures a candidate's ability to read, understand, and work with related technical material such as technical drawings and circuit diagrams. Psytech has developed this test for employers in roles requiring working with electric circuits or electrical components.
These tests are often used for apprenticeship-level roles given the wide range of practical and technical knowledge and abilities assessed.
CCSI (Situational Judgment)
The CCSI situational judgmenttest is a scenario-based assessment that focuses on how candidates prefer to behave in certain situations.
This assessment is often used in customer service-related roles where the situations presented to candidates in the question will be similar to those that they will face when on the job.
It is worth noting that there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to the situational judgment test. The test focuses on the way you prefer to behave in work-based situations. While you can't prepare for a situational judgment test, as such, candidates can ensure they have read the role profile and the competencies required for the role and think about how they would behave when dealing with difficult customers or team-based situations.
Tips To Pass Psytech Assessments
No matter which Psytech assessment you are invited to sit, there are many things that you can do to help you prepare for the tests and perform at your best.
Do Your Research
There are many Psytech assessments that employers can use. Many of the test batteries used assess the same aptitude. Ensure that you research which of the tests you will be completing and the length of time allocated for the tests.
Ensure that you refresh your memory of any mathematical or technical-based concepts if you are sitting tests in relation to these.
Practice Aptitude Tests
Practicing the tests that you will be asked to complete helps you become familiar with the format and the style of questioning. It also helps you identify the areas or concepts that you need to work on so that your natural ability comes through and your nerves don't take over, meaning you panic in the actual test. . Practicing the tests will also give you confidence when it comes to sitting the actual tests.
Use Exam Conditions
When practicing the tests, make sure you do so under exam conditions. This means practicing the tests under timed conditions, so you become familiar with how you feel and react under time pressure. Ensure that you practice the tests in a quiet room free from distractions and only use the equipment permitted in the test (if any).
Repeat Hard Questions
When practicing, if you find one of the questions in the practice test challenging, repeat this until you get the correct answer. Making sure you understand where you went wrong can help when it comes to the actual test. It could be that you misinterpreted the question due to the way the question was written.
Or, it could be that you weren't familiar with a particular concept in practice. Repeating the questions that you find challenging, understanding where you went wrong, and understanding how to reach the correct answer means that not only will you gain confidence, but you will know how to approach these questions in the actual test.