What Is A Psytech Assessment?
Psytech describe themselves as 'global leaders of psychometric assessments and solutions of the workplace’, and with more than five million people assessed worldwide, there is some weight to this claim.
Established in 1984, this UK-based test publisher assesses candidates based on a combination of standalone assessments, test batteries, and bespoke solutions, depending on the client.
Available in five continents and translated into more than 20 languages, the Psytech range of tests are designed to assess candidates with a series of short, easy to administer tests that cover the following competencies:
- General Reasoning
- Critical Reasoning
- Abstract Reasoning
- Clerical Skills
- Technical Skills
- Personality
Which Tech Employers Use Psytech Assessments?
The assessments you will face will depend on the role that you have applied for, and there are several tech companies - and tech roles in other industries - that use Psytech testing as part of the recruitment process.
Well-known employers that use Psytech assessments include:
- Toyota
- PwC
- Deloitte
- Emirates
How Psytech Tests Work
Psytech assessments are known by acronyms, which makes the catalogue of available tests easier to navigate. The specific tests you will face might be standalone like the GRT1 and 2, or a series.
The Psytech assessments take place in an online platform known as GeneSys, and in this environment, each test usually takes less than 30 minutes to complete.
GRT1 and GRT2
The GRT1 is the Graduate Reasoning Test, which is usually administered to those who are applying for graduate or management roles. The GRT2 is the General Reasoning Test, which is administered to non-graduate roles. They are both a comprehensive assessment used to test mental agility by asking questions in three sections - verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, and abstract reasoning.
This standalone assessment is used to assess competency and learning ability, alongside effective problem solving, and it is also used for employees already in a role to identify further training needs.
There is a computer adaptive version of this assessment, known as the ADAPT-g, which uses adaptive technology to ask progressively harder questions when a candidate is answering the questions correctly. This adaptive technology will ask easier questions if the candidate is getting it wrong, which makes a more accurate result with fewer questions - just 45.
ART
The Abstract Reasoning Test (ART) that Psytech publishes is similar in structure to other abstract reasoning tests - you will be presented with a series of shapes or images in a matrix, with one missing.
You need to analyse the images to find the pattern that governs the sequence in order to find the correct image that completes the matrix from a number of possible answers.
Abstract reasoning skills are known to be successful predictors of work and academic achievement, as they assess 'fluid intelligence' and demonstrate your ability to learn from novel experiences.
This assessment has a 20-minute time limit.
CRTB2
The Critical Reasoning Test Battery (CRTB) is designed to assess candidates for high-level positions like management, or for graduate positions.
You will have less than 40 minutes to complete this assessment, and it is split into two sections. The verbal critical reasoning section presents complicated, dense reports, while the numerical critical reasoning section uses tables and graphs - based on problems that are relevant to the advertised position.
This assessment is designed to test your ability to make logical decisions based on complex information and process information quickly, and in management-level roles is often used with the ART to get a more complete picture of the way you process information and use it to make logical decisions.
CTB2
The Clerical Test Battery (CTB) is made up of four tests that are designed to test candidates for clerical and administrative roles.
The test types are:
- Verbal reasoning
- Numerical ability
- Clerical checking (accuracy)
- Spelling
This battery assessment as a whole takes 27 minutes, but each test can be administered separately if there is a need for specific skills in a role - for example, great spelling - and is accessible for candidates who have a basic education level.
TTB2
The Technical Test Battery (TTB2) is a specialised assessment designed for engineering roles, testing candidates on their ability to understand technical concepts. As this is a psychometric assessment, there is no need for engineering-specific knowledge, but candidates need to have a good knowledge of mechanical and physics concepts to score well.
There are four assessments:
- Spatial reasoning - the ability to visualise and manipulate shapes and objects in 3D space
- Mechanical reasoning- the understanding of mechanical concepts and physics, including force, gravity, pulleys and gears.
- Fault finding - spotting errors in technical systems and flowcharts
- Visual acuity - finding key information in dense technical information and reports
This assessment is the longest that Psytech publishes, with a 45-minute time limit.
CCSI
The Contact Centre Scenario Inventory (CCSI) is a series of scenario-based questions based on realistic workplace situations.
These are situational judgement questions that are designed to test your work behaviour and how you react to problems. Each scenario will be presented with a choice of actions that could be taken to solve the problem.
The actions might be similarly effective, but the assessment is to find out your working style and how you prefer to deal with problems in the workplace. In these assessments, there are often no 'wrong' answers, but the recruitment team will have specific ideas about how they should be dealt with to compare your responses.
How To Pass Psytech Publisher Tests
Practice Under Exam Conditions
Practice is only effective if you are taking it seriously and working as you would in the 'real thing' - so when you practice, be sure it is under exam conditions. Establish a time limit, make sure you are somewhere quiet, and switch off notifications so that you won't be disturbed.
Practice Different Test Types
Having a good understanding of the structure, layout, and type of questions that you are likely to face in the Psytech tests will make you feel more confident, so practice different test types to boost your knowledge.
It is also a good idea to practice other tests of the same type to broaden your knowledge - so look for verbal, numerical and abstract reasoning tests from other publishers to practice, for example.
Skip or Pass
As there is no negative scoring in the Psytech tests (you will not be penalised for a wrong answer), if you do not know the answer then a guess is better than nothing. You do not want to spend too much time on one question and risk missing out on easy marks for a question that you do know the answer to.
Build Confidence
When you are practicing, it is usual that you will find parts of the assessment more difficult than others. You can build your confidence in these areas where you might struggle by focusing any revision here - for example, if you struggle a little with abstract reasoning and spotting patterns, try working through Sudoku puzzles as these use similar techniques for solving.
