what should i wear for recruitment test?

TeaBoy_2

i've been invited to do some tests for an intelligence analyst. It will involve..
Numerical Reasoning – 30 minutes (including administration).
Verbal Reasoning – 40 (including administration).
‘In-Tray’ Exercise – 45 minutes (including administration)
Personality Inventory – no set time limit but usually completed
within 40 minutes

first of all, what should i wear for this?
they say "It is important that you feel comfortable whilst taking the tests,
so please feel free to dress informally if you wish (we're not
assessing what you wear)."
would you still have a shirt and tie, smart shoes, etc?

also, anyone know what 'intray' exercise and personailty inventory are??

cheers

Blacksheep1979

if this is for the security service then most people do wear suits, but once you're there they do say you didn't need to and feel free to take off ties, open collars etc.

Oldernotwiser

Have a look at this example of an In Tray Exercise.

http://www.careers.ed.ac.uk/STUDENTS/Applications_Interviews/AssessmentCentres/in-tray%20exercise/intray_exercise.htm

saintstreaky

Very often these things are all computerised, with just an administrator to get you up and running who really couldn't care less what you wear! Last one I went to I wore decent trousers/shoes and an open necked shirt - certainly not super smart.

Personality inventory will probably ask you rather bizarre questions to try and figure out your personality, and whether you're suited to the job. Don't worry about it, and just give honest answers (not always easy!) - there's no point trying to figure out what they want.

3plus1

Oldernotwiser's link is quite useful. Often you have to read emails, and respond to them from a multiple choice list of options. You'll normally have access to information (could be in note form, statistical data, pie chart, etc) which will help you pick the most suitable option, but sometimes it's a case of just using your common sense. I think usually there are also some freeform questions, e.g. you have to respond to a few emails, and this tests how you interact with others in a written form, and if you can spell or not. (Anyone with dyslexia or similar must warn the testing centre beforehand, to ensure they don't lose out here, as no spellcheck is provided.)

The personality inventory could be anything, e.g. "In this situation, what would be your best course of action?" or "Do you like doing X?" You should aim to be honest most of the time, but some of the questions may give you an idea of how to answer.

For example: "You have finished all of your work, and X asks for you for a favour. What do you do?"
A. You have completed your tasks, so you help out and gain new experience
B. You tell X to sod off becauase you hate all people and detest working as part of a team

I wouldn't say the personality inventory is especially important - out of all the tests you've listed, it's going to have the least weighting in the decision of whether they'll offer you a job or not.

You don't necessarily have to wear a suit, but do dress smart-casual, as you never know who's going to be there. I had an interview recently, and was told to wear whatever I wanted, as the office was very casual. I decided to wear a suit, and hey, my interviewer was also wearing a suit. Had I turned up in jeans, I'm sure I would have damaged my chances. :rolleyes:

Nice shirt and smart trousers and shoes would be appropriate, as long as they're not uncomfortable as you will be sitting around for a very long time doing all of the tests. No tie, but don't go as a slob.

Best of luck!:)

PS If they don't say if they're providing a calculator, you might want to take one just in case, as some companies expect you to bring your own.

si1503

Most definately wear a suit. Dress smartly and to impress. Shirt, tie, jacket, trousers, shoes... I wouldn't dream of wearing anything less personally.

melancholly

sounds like the civil service test!

the in-tray exercise (if it's anything like the one i did a few years ago) involved you getting a huge amount of info about something and having to take a decision on some hypothetical (usually topical) situation and writing some kind of justified summary. not really easy to prepare for - it's meant to assess your ability to digest information quickly and to see if you can decide what the key points are. the most important thing is not to panic!!

tumbleweed261

was this by any chance last saturday (03/03)? if so I was there too! if not, good luck for whenever your test is

lellie

aren't they done online? If not - go in full dress like you would for an assessment centre - always best to be overdressed.

TeaBoy_2

Thanks for all the info guys. I went shirt and tie in the end and glad i did, although there were a few looking more casual. the tests were as u all predicted.

tumbleweed261 wrote:

was this by any chance last saturday (03/03)? if so I was there too! if not, good luck for whenever your test is

it certainly was! gchq @ gloucester. how did you get on? i didn't finish either of the first 2 tests. didn't have a watch and the clock was behind me so lost track of time. and the in tray thing was a b*tch, i listed everything but didn't write much in the boxes. i saw others scribbling loads down.
As for the personailty test, i lied completely! just second guessed most things. i.e. 'do you remember the last time you shook with rage?' my answer - no. truth - the night before when i missed my train due to dropping my passport down a drain in the big market in newcastle (lots of !!!!ed idiots walking past). once recoverd i had a sleepless night due to my friend being arrested and wanting me to come and collect him from the cop shop!! all this before a 6 hour train journey starting at 6am.

dont think i was meant for this job.

pavlovs_dog

at the very least i would say dress smart casual, avoiding jeans and trainers. this way, you can avoid looking scruffy yet at the same time avoid looking over-dressed.

personally, i would go shirt, tie, smart trousers and shoes unless you would be working in a formal office environment should you get the job, in which case i'd go full suit. at least it shows that you are taking things seriously :beer: