You find yourself quickly approaching the end of the year. Decisions for which you thought you had plenty of time are fast nearing their deadlines. What on earth do you do? Your future depends on some of these career decisions, and it scares you.
Fear no more. Something previously unconsidered may, in fact, be the answer for you. Two words which may, in your time of desperation, sound like angelic singing to your ears: psychometric testing.
You’ve probably heard various opinions on psychometric tests. Some are for it, some against. You’re trying to figure out whether or not it will be a wise decision to take a psychometric test. We decided to research for you and lay out all the pros and cons so you can see and decide for yourself whether it’s for you.
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So, What is Psychometric Testing?
Psychometric testing is an objective way of assessing your skills, personality and attributes to align you with a career that is best suited for you. Sounds cool, right? Right!
It is commonly used by companies who are interviewing prospective employees to see if they suit the job and will be able to cope with the expectations of that job. It gives them detailed explanations on the psychological side and the psyche of the applicant. This means that it’ll work for students who do not know what to study.
Who Can Use Psychometric Testing?
Psychologists understand that this is a scary time for students. Plenty of young people need to make huge decisions they aren’t ready to make. This test has been around for hundreds of years, but has only increased in popularity in the last 50 years.
Whether you’re in Grade 9 struggling to choose subjects, a matric student who still doesn’t know what to study, a university dropout or a graduate with no idea what career to pursue, psychometric testing is for you.
There are online psychometric tests that you can do. Some of them are free and others you need to pay for. The free ones are generally very basic and do not include all of the aspects a psychometric test generally includes. Be sure to do a test that is holistic and measures every aspect of your aptitude, personality and intelligence.
Not sure where to start? Why not try FundiMatch? FundiMatch is a comprehensive online psychometric assessment tool that will help match your personality to your ideal career.
Eager to learn more about FundiMatch? Be sure to click on the button below and figure out your career path.
If you are weary of doing a test online, make an appointment with a psychologist who does these tests with you. He or she can answer all of your questions after the test, and you don’t need to send emails back and forth, which could take ages.
But What if Psychometric Testing Doesn't Work?
Each person is different and every persons brain is wired differently. Which means what works for one person, won’t work for another. Psychologists are still struggling to understand certain mental disorders like dementia and schizophrenia, never mind how each individuals mind works. It just isn’t possible. So there is a risk that you still won’t know what to do at the end of a psychometric test. With that said, it’s impossible to get nothing out of it.
Psychometric tests will still give you an overview of your personality, interests and help create self-awareness, as Kerry says, which can help you in the future or in the long run.
The Pros and Cons of Psychometric Testing
- Get a better understanding of yourself
- Get more confidence on the decision you have made or will make
- If it doesn’t give you a direct answer, it can eliminate some options and shorten your list
- Measure your interests and personality against your aptitude (it provides an answer that considers all aspects)
- Save the time of trial and error by getting an answer in one setting
- If you’re expecting a simple, direct answer, you will probably be disappointed
- It’s time-consuming
- Can be quite pricey if you go to a psychologist
- Can leave you feeling disappointed if it is not what you wanted or expected
- It could confuse you
- Results could clash with what your parents want for you
You should weigh up the options and decide what would work best for you. There are some people who say that psychometric testing doesn’t work, while others are completely satisfied with the results and happy they went for the test.
For many, these tests lead them in the right direction and to careers that they love. So dig around, find some people who have done it, or look at online forums.
- Do some phoning around. Don’t settle at the first practice that offers it. Some places charge outrageous amounts, while others are more affordable
- If you have medical aid – find out if they cover psychometric testing, some do cover it.
- If you do it or have done it, let us know about your experience so that other people who want to do it can hear about it first-hand.
- There are tons of tests available on the Internet. Some of them are free, while others you need to pay for. The free online tests are generally not as comprehensive.
Final Thoughts
No single test is able to fully account for the uniqueness of an individual, and no test can determine exactly which job or course is suited to a person. However, psychometric testing can assist people to attain more self-awareness and clarity when exploring career options. In a career assessment, psychometric tests usually focus on the domains of: aptitude, personality, career interests and career values.
The results of such an assessment help people to be more aware of their personal strengths, weaknesses, preferences and priorities. In turn, this empowers individuals to make more effective and informed choices. Students, as young as Grade 9, often request a preliminary career assessment in order to assist with making subject choices. Other people seek a career assessment in order to help with changing courses at university or embarking on a career transition later in life.
Get Psychometric Testing with FundiMatch
As we mentioned earlier in this article, FundiMatch is a great psychometric assessment platform that can help you match up your personality with your most suitable career!
Use these comprehensive assessments to find out what career path you should follow as well as which subjects you should take at university. You can also get in-depth insights into your worker type personality, which tells you what kind of person you are once you graduate and get a job.
To find out more, visit the FundiMatch website.
