How to Ace an Interview Using Personality Tests
- 1). Move quickly through the questions. Remember that a standard personality test contains 100 questions, and you will have one hour to complete all of them. Avoid panicking about the time constraints. Read each question quickly and give yourself time.
- 2). Make a list of the most important qualities related to the job for which you applied. Include common traits, such as honesty, respect for coworkers and punctuality. Also, include specialty traits, such as money handling, customer care and cleanliness. Study your list before you take your test and consider how those traits may appear in a question format. Remember that personality tests question applicants about general ethical qualities, but they also evaluate ethical qualities that are specific to the job in question.
- 3). Read the answer options, which should be standard throughout your test. Remember, most personality tests use a five-answer system, with answers that range from "Strongly Agree" to "Strongly Disagree." Consider each question based on this range of answers, and read each question with this range in your mind.
- 4). Consider what each question is really asking you. Remember that personality tests use a number of strategic questioning techniques in order to discern information about your personality. Pay close attention to the specific word choice of each question, as these word choices can change the meaning of a question. For instance, the question, "I have never hurt anyone's feelings," sounds like it is asking if you are compassionate to other people's feelings. Unfortunately, the word "never" makes this question more complicated, as no one could honestly claim to have never hurt another person's feelings.
- 5). Look for questions with double negatives or disguised honesty questions. As an example, the question, "I have never told a lie," is inherently manipulative because if you answer "Strongly Agree," you are telling a lie on your test. Answer this question, and similar questions, with the answer, "Strongly Disagree." This answer is inherently the only honest answer you can give. Remember that personality tests use a lie scale.
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