If you’re applying for a role in the technology industry you may be asked to take a Talent Q test as part of the recruitment process. Designed to adapt to your capabilities, the Talent Q aptitude and personality test questions will adjust until they’re at the right level for you - at which point you’re expected to answer the questions accurately in the 16 minutes you have to complete the test. Below, you’ll find more information on the Talent Q tests.
What Is A Talent Q Assessment?
A Talent Q assessment is a type of psychometric assessment used by employers. Devised by Roger Holdsworth, who also developed the Saville and Holdsworth psychometric tests, Talent Q assessments are adaptive. The questions asked as part of a Talent Q assessment change in difficulty according to whether the candidate has answered the previous question correctly.
If you get the previous answer correct, the level of difficulty of the question that follows will increase. If the question is answered incorrectly, the assessment adapts so that the following question isn't as hard.
These assessments are designed to ensure that candidates sitting the test remain focused on the information relevant to the question being asked.
Which Tech Employers Use Talent Q Assessments?
Due to their adaptive nature Talent Q tests are often used by employers where the calibre of the candidate being recruited is high. Many employers use Talent Q assessments as part of their recruitment and selection process.
Examples of such employers include Ford and BT.
How Talent Q Tests Work
Talent Q tests are a different type of psychometric test. A Talent Q test is a reactive and dynamic psychometric test that adapts to how the candidate answers the test questions.
Questions change in the difficulty level depending on whether the candidate has answered the previous test question correctly. If they have, then the following question will be more challenging. If they haven't, then the test adapts to make the next question easier. This type of questioning is also known as computer adaptive testing.
In addition to the adaptive nature of the tests, Talent Q tests also include information that is both relevant and irrelevant in helping work out the answer to the question. This means that the candidates need to concentrate and figure out what information they need to reach an answer while being confident in disregarding information.
A Talent Q test is therefore challenging in its nature and focus. For candidates, it means that they have the opportunity to perform to the best of their ability.
Talent Q Assessment Categories
There are five different types of Talent Q assessment categories.
- Elements: several tests make up the Elements suite of tests
- Aspects: five different tests make up the Aspects suite of tests
- Motivations
- Situational Judgement
- Dimensions
Each category assesses a different aspect of a candidate's abilities, development areas, or strengths. By using a Talent Q test as part of their recruitment process, employers can then assess all of the characteristics and behaviours required for success on the job.
Talent Q Elements Suite
There are a number of tests that make up the elements suite of Talent Q assessments. These assessments are generally used at the graduate level as they contain the types of ability tests that many graduate employers use: numerical reasoning, logical reasoning, and verbal reasoning tests.
Talent Q Elements Numerical
This test assesses a candidate's ability to work with numerical data such as graphs, charts, and diagrams.
Candidates need to read and understand the data and then use numerical concepts to work out and select the correct answer from a list of multiple choice answers.
The elements numerical test is a timed test. There are approximately 10 minutes to complete the 12 questions in the test.
Talent Q Elements Verbal
The Elementsverbal test assesses a candidate's ability to read and understand passages of information, then to answer questions on this.
Answers are again presented as multiple choice answers. There are 15 questions to answer in the elements' verbal test.
As with all tests, reading and understanding the information given properly is essential, especially with the elements verbal test. By taking the time to read the information, candidates can then decide what information is relevant and irrelevant when analysing the information and selecting their answer.
Talent Q Elements Logical
The logical reasoning test is a timed test that assesses a candidate's ability to analyse and understand the information in shapes, patterns, and sequences. Then to determine the relationship between these and to select the correct answer as determined by the pattern.
This test shows how well a candidate can solve problems and use logical reasoning to determine the right answer.
Talent Q Aspects Suite
The aspects suite of tests is generally used for roles that involve customer service and are customer-facing. These tests are competency-based, designed to assess behaviours and abilities depending on the type of test.
The aspects tests are online assessments that are short in length, usually around eight minutes. As such, these tests are generally incorporated into the early stages of a recruitment process, especially for volume recruitment where there is a large number of candidate applications and roles to fill.
There are four types of aspects tests, each test is timed, and again these tests are adaptive:
- Aspects styles
- Aspects ability verbal
- Aspects ability numerical
- Aspects ability checking
Talent Q Aspects Styles
The aspects styles tests focus on a candidate's behaviours, traits and competencies as relevant to the role applied for. This test is in questionnaire format with questions relating to the competencies required for success on the job.
Talent Q Aspects Ability Verbal
There are twelve questions in the aspects verbal test. This test is similar to the elements verbal test in that the test assesses a candidate's ability to read and understand the information presented in the form of passages of text, then answer questions on this.
In this reading comprehension test, answers are given as multiple choice answers, with candidates selecting the answer they believe to be correct.
Talent Q Aspects Ability Numerical
This assessment looks at a candidate's numerical ability. Information is presented in tables; candidates need to use basic maths principles to work out the correct answer from the multiple-choice list of answers given.
There are 12 questions in this test. The time limit for answering the first question is longer than for the remainder of the test. Working quickly but accurately is important when sitting this test to ensure that all of the questions are completed in the allocated time.
Talent Q Aspects Ability Checking
The aspects ability checking test is an assessment that looks at a candidate's ability to read information and pick out mistakes in this information. This test requires candidates to compare information represented in tables and look for errors or inconsistencies in the tabular information.
The test is again timed, so keeping calm under pressure is essential to ensure that you perform at your best in this test.
Talent Q Motivations
The Talent Q motivations assessment is an online questionnaire that focuses on a candidate's motivations and behaviours when in the workplace. The information gained from this assessment is used to match a candidate's motivations against what is required for success in the job being recruited for.
The questionnaire takes around 30 minutes to complete. Candidates are presented with a series of questions and asked to rate the statement according to whether it is 'extremely important to them' or 'not important' to them.
The test is adaptive, so answering these questions honestly and not second-guessing what you think the recruiter wants to see will mean that you present an accurate picture of your motivations when in the workplace.
Talent Q Dimensions
The dimensions assessment is a personality assessment that looks at a candidate's characteristics, traits, and behaviours at work. Questions are asked in the form of statements, with candidates rating the statement on a 1 to 5 rating scale as to whether they feel it is 'very true' through to 'completely 'untrue' in terms of how they behave at work.
The results can then be broken down into different category profiles such as a team profile, traits profile, role match profile, and behaviour profile.
This type of assessment enables recruiters to gain information on whether a candidate is suited to a role and the culture of the organisation.
Talent Q Situational Judgement
The Talent Q situational judgment test is different from the ability tests in that there is no right or wrong answer to the questions. The test looks at how you respond and behave in situations faced in the role applied to.
The questions asked are scenario-based and aligned to real-life situations that candidates will encounter when on the job. Candidates need to select from the list of statements the one that best represents how they would respond in that situation when at work.
While there are no right or wrong answers, and it is important to answer the questions honestly, it is worth bearing in mind the type of role applied to and looking at the competencies and behaviours required for the position.
How To Pass Talent Q Publisher Tests
Talent Q tests are challenging due to their adaptive nature, allowing candidates to perform at their maximum ability or potential. To allow yourself to perform at your best when it comes to sitting any of the Talent Q tests, there are several things you can do beforehand that will not only give you confidence but mean that you approach the test in the right frame of mind.
Understand The Assessment Format
Talent Q assessment tests differ in their format in terms of how the questions are presented or the way questions are answered if on a rating scale.
Becoming familiar with the format and the style of questioning will help ease any nerves and mean that when you come to sit the test itself, you don't waste valuable time figuring out the format of the questions and answers.
Practice Lots Of Different Tests
When sitting any assessment test, it is essential to practice several tests beforehand. Doing so means that you get used to answering questions in a limited timeframe and knowing how you react when under pressure.
Improve Areas Of Weakness
Practicing lots of tests and identifying areas of weakness enables you to improve on these areas of weakness. If the numerical tests are a development area for you, then refresh your knowledge and practical understanding of basic maths skills.
If you tend to skim read questions, practice improving the speed at which you read questions to work quickly but accurately.
Improving areas of weakness when it comes to sitting the tests will mean that you perform to the best of your ability and approach the test with confidence.
