Many companies use pre-employment tests to ensure they hire the best talent for any job. Besides the usual interview process, many recruiters emphasize assessing a candidate’s thinking capabilities by administering a cognitive abilities test. If you are currently on the job hunt, here are the essential points you must understand and appreciate about HireNest cognitive ability tests this 2022 and beyond.
An Overview of a Cognitive Abilities Test
A cognitive abilities test or CogAT empowers employers and hiring managers to assess a candidate’s ability to acquire and process knowledge through the senses, experiences, and thought. Cognitive ability reflects your mental processes, allowing you to solve problems, identify patterns, determine relationships, and perform other activities.
Many employers use cognitive abilities testing to predict future work performance. They know that a person’s thinking capabilities influence work productivity. These tests measure a candidate’s potential to perform the inherent job responsibilities without relying on their academic proficiencies.
What a Cognitive Abilities Test Measures
A cognitive abilities test can measure different variables, depending on the assessment tool publisher. For example, a general intelligence test focuses on spatial visualization, reasoning, word meaning, numerical speed and accuracy, and perceptual speed.
On the other hand, IQ tests focus more on a job candidate’s problem-solving and logical reasoning abilities. Unsurprisingly, many recruiters refer to these pre-employment tests as mind-boggling logical questions.
Diagrammatic, inductive, or abstract reasoning tests use nonverbal test terms to assess a job candidate’s rational and logical thinking skills. Test administrators will give you a series of patterns or shapes, expecting you to determine relationships and predict a possible outcome.
Verbal ability tests measure a candidate’s communication skills, comprehension, analytical and critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. After all, companies will want a future employee who understands directions and can communicate effectively across the organization.
Although these cognitive ability tests measure different aspects of brain processes, they provide clues to employers about your ability to think on the job.
Passing a Cognitive Abilities Test
Here’s how you can prepare and pass any cognitive abilities test from prospective employers.
- Try to learn which cognitive ability test publisher the company uses in its tests to familiarize yourself with the areas covered and the assessment format. For example, most businesses use Aon, SHL, or Korn Ferry materials in their tests. Take the practice tests in these resources.
- Avoid spending too much time on a single test item. If it takes you more than two minutes to figure out the answer, leave it and move to the next question. You can always return to the skipped items once done with the test.
- Sharpen your logical and reasoning skills by taking several practice tests. Some resources offer explanations to answers, allowing you to use the guidelines in answering real abstract reasoning questions. Taking these practice tests will help build confidence.
- A general intelligence test will not ask you complicated numerical problems. However, companies expect you to have basic numeracy skills. Hence, it’s advisable to strengthen your fundamental math operations, including percentage changes, currency conversions, graph interpretations, and decimal-fraction interpolations.
- Practice determining relationships of objects in space. You can start with analyzing the first pattern, noting repeated or common features, and checking object positioning or rotation in space.
- Be mindful of your time because IQ tests and other cognitive ability measurements typically last ten to twenty minutes. Check the number of test items and mentally calculate how much time you must spend on each question.
Conclusion
Every job seeker must familiarize themselves with a cognitive abilities test to help them prepare for such pre-employment screening methods and increase their chances of landing their dream jobs. You already know what a CogAT is and what it measures. Your next step is to learn more about passing these pre-employment assessment tests and get ready to take and ace them this 2022 and beyond.
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