The first interviews went well, and then the email arrives: "The next stage of the process is an assessment." For many people that feels like an exam without a syllabus. What will they test? Can you prepare? And what if you have an off day?
The good news is that an assessment is less mysterious than it sounds. The components tend to be similar, and once you know what's coming you can prepare in a focused way. In this article you'll find out which exercises you may face, what you can and can't practise, how to complete a personality questionnaire honestly and consistently, how to approach the day itself and why you should always ask for feedback afterwards.
What is an assessment, exactly?
An assessment is a stage in a selection process in which an employer, or an external provider on the employer's behalf, looks in a structured way at how you think, work and respond. It may be online, in person at an assessment centre or a mix of both, and can last anything from an hour to a full day. Which exercises are included depends on the role. So always ask in advance what to expect. Most organisations are happy to tell you which parts there are and how long it will take.
The exercises you may come across
Ability tests
These psychometric tests measure your reasoning, often under time pressure. Common types are numerical reasoning (interpreting tables and charts, working with percentages), verbal reasoning (reading passages and judging which conclusion follows) and abstract reasoning (spotting patterns and sequences in shapes).
Personality questionnaires
Here you respond to a series of statements about what you're like and what you prefer, such as "I like to take the lead in a group". There's no time pressure and no right or wrong answer. The aim is to build a picture of your working style.
Situational judgement tests
You're shown short workplace scenarios and choose or rank possible responses. These tests look at how you weigh things up in practical situations.
Role plays
You hold a conversation with an actor or assessor playing a part: an unhappy customer, an underperforming team member, a colleague you're in conflict with. Beforehand you receive a short brief with background information.
Case studies and in-tray exercises
In a case study you analyse a business problem and present a recommendation. In an in-tray exercise (sometimes called an e-tray) you get a full inbox of emails, notes and requests, and have limited time to prioritise, make decisions and delegate.
The interview with the assessor
An assessment often ends with a conversation in which the assessor goes through your results or asks about your experience. This is much like a regular interview with behavioural questions. Prepare for it as you would for any interview, for example with our list of the most common interview questions.
What you can and can't practise
Let's be honest about what preparation achieves. You won't change your underlying reasoning ability in a week. What you can improve is everything around it:
- Familiarity with the format. If you've never seen a numerical test, you'll lose time just working out what's being asked. A few practice tests show you what the questions look like and how to pace yourself.
- Handling time pressure. Learn to let go of a question you're stuck on and move on.
- Brushing up the basics. Percentages, ratios and reading a table quickly are all things you can practise.
- Your approach to role plays and case studies. You can work out a clear structure for a conversation or an analysis in advance and try it out.
What you can't practise, and shouldn't want to, is a different personality. More on that below.
Completing a personality questionnaire honestly and consistently
It's tempting to answer the way you think the employer wants. Don't. First, you don't know which profile they're looking for; a role where you work mostly alone calls for something different from a customer-facing one. Second, some questionnaires include checks for consistency or for answering in a socially desirable way. And third, if you're hired on the basis of a profile that isn't you, you end up in a job that doesn't suit you either.
A few practical tips:
- Think of yourself at work. Answer based on how you usually are in a work context, not on your best or worst day.
- Go with your first reaction. Deliberating for too long often makes your answers less consistent.
- Avoid both the safe middle and the extremes. Don't pick "neutral" every time to avoid committing yourself, but don't pick the strongest option everywhere to seem decisive either.
- Expect repetition. Similar statements sometimes return in different wording. That's not a trick; if you answer honestly, your answers will be consistent anyway.
Role plays and case studies: how to approach them
In a role play, the focus is mainly on how you communicate. Read the brief carefully and decide in advance what you want to achieve. During the conversation, really listen, summarise what the other person says and ask open questions before jumping to solutions. Close with concrete agreements. Behave as you would in a real work situation; an assessor can tell the difference between genuine interest and a rehearsed trick.
In a case study or in-tray exercise, your approach counts at least as much as your conclusion. Skim all the material before you start, because information in one document sometimes changes the meaning of another. Distinguish between urgent and important, and jot down briefly why you made each choice. In the debrief you can then explain your reasoning clearly.
In the interview with the assessor, the STAR method helps you make your examples concrete. And if you're asked to introduce yourself at the start of the day, a short, prepared elevator pitch will serve you well.
The day itself
- Get a good night's sleep. For ability tests, being rested matters more than an extra evening of practice.
- Sort out the practicalities. Travel time, photo ID if requested, your glasses, and for an online assessment a quiet place with a stable internet connection.
- Say in advance if you need anything. If, for example, you have dyslexia or another reason why adjustments would help, ask well ahead of time what's possible.
- Read the instructions for each test carefully. Check how much time you have and whether wrong answers count against you.
- Let a bad exercise go. An assessment consists of several parts. The overall picture is formed by the whole, not by one test that didn't go well.
Afterwards: ask for feedback
Whatever the outcome, ask for an explanation of your results. Ask beforehand or afterwards how reporting works: will you get to see the report, and if so, when and in what form? Use the feedback to learn. Where did you come across strongly, what stood out, and does the picture match how you see yourself? Even if you don't progress, an assessment gives you valuable information for your next step.
Get to know yourself better beforehand
An assessment is about you. The better you know yourself, the more calmly and consistently you'll complete questionnaires and the more clearly you can explain in the debrief how you work. MARA has six self-insight assessments covering your working style, career values, communication style and drivers. It's important to know that these are not selection tests and not a simulation of any employer's test. They're designed to help you understand your own preferences and working style, so you can talk about them clearly in interviews.
If you want to practise the interview with the assessor, you can rehearse behavioural questions in the MARA Interview Simulator and get feedback. With MARA's STAR story generator you turn your experiences into clear examples.
Conclusion
An assessment isn't something you can "hack", but it is something you can prepare for well. Find out which exercises are coming, practise the format of ability tests, work out an approach for role plays and case studies, answer personality questionnaires honestly and ask for feedback afterwards. Then you'll walk into selection day with a clear head and show who you really are.