Session delivered November 2015

1. Selection tests and Assessment
centres
Welcome to the
Careers and
Employability Centre

2. Information about……
• Assessment centres - what to expect
• How to prepare beforehand
• How to deal with selection tests and tasks
• Resources and further information

3. Assessment centres- what to expect

4. Assessment centres- what to expect

5. Assessment centres vary widely
but typically include:
• Selection Tests and exercises including ‘in’ or ‘e tray’ - individually or
in groups you will answer questions, solve problems, make decisions
• Giving a presentation – address the audience, clearly and confidently
• Group tasks, role play and case studies - get everyone involved.
• An Interview - which may be in depth so prepare well.
• Social/informal events – also part of the selection process

6. Types of selection tests
Ability Tests
• taken under standardized conditions and with strict time limits
• paper and pencil or online, multiple choice questions, marked by trained
person or machine scanned, scored against norms
Personality Questionnaires
• provide information on a person’s preferences
• no right or wrong answer, usually get feedback

7. Ability tests
• Tests include:
Logical reasoning tests – critical thinking
Numerical reasoning tests – accuracy and problem solving
Verbal reasoning tests – accuracy and comprehension
Diagrammatic reasoning – logical thinking
 Used as a predictor of future performance in a job
 Aim to measure intellectual capabilities
– also referred to as cognitive tests and psychometric tests

9. Personality questionnaires
• Used to assess your suitability for a particular type of work
• Aim to measure typical performance – unlike psychometric tests
no right or wrong answers
• Sometimes called personality inventories

10. e tray/in tray exercise
Scenario:
It's a typical Monday morning the work has piled up and you have to
prioritise your tasks before a big meeting at 9.30 am………
• In your ‘tray’ there will be a selection of requests, memos, phone messages and
information for you to deal with.
• The principles for tackling e-trays are the same as those for in-trays
1. Read through all the information swiftly and start to prioritise
2. Decide on the most appropriate action for each piece of correspondence
3. Record and justify your decisions

11. Giving a presentation
What do you need to know?
• subject, length, facilities available, who the audience is
Basic ingredients for preparing good presentations:
• Structure
• Content
• Audience engagement
• Confidence with visual aids
• Adequate preparation

12. Group exercises:
Design a t shirt, build a bridge, write a jingle….
To assess communication, team work and problem-solving skills
Aim to show yourself as a good team player – flexible, full of ideas but
willing to listen to and help expand the ideas of others.
Tips on skills to demonstrate in the group exercise
You need to contribute, but don’t dominate.
Speak clearly and confidently. Listen !
Be diplomatic, ensure everybody gets a chance to talk
Keep an eye on the time and focus on the overall objective
Summarise the group's progress as you go along.

13. Dealing with case studies –
for example
• The scenario:
A publisher of scientific journals and books is looking to make a significant
acquisition. It has identified a target company and approached a number of
investment banks for their views on the merits of a potential deal and a target
price. Based on these presentations, the publisher will decide whether to
proceed with a bid and, if so, select one bank to act as their adviser.
• The task:
Your team is one of the investment banks bidding to win the mandate. You
need to analyse the figures provided; to review the marketplace, your potential
client (the publisher) and the target company; and to prepare a five-minute
presentation giving your recommendations, eg whether to go ahead, go ahead
under specific conditions, etc.

14. How to approach the case study
exercise on the day – 7 steps
1. You need to be clear about what you’re being asked to do.
2. Read through the information pack and assess what is relevant.
3. Manage your time, allow time to prepare for the final presentation
4. If you’re working in a small group you could divide up the tasks
5. Don’t dominate, but do contribute to discussions.
6. Don’t lose sight of your objectives.
7. The final presentation should be relevant, clear and concise, and
should include a summary of your conclusions and recommendations

15. Resources
• TARGETjobs - assessment centres
• Wikijob - assessment centre
• Graduate Prospects - assessment centres
• University of Kent - in-tray exercises
• In Tray Exercise - Free example with solutions
• https://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/engineering/284839-what-
types-of-exercises-are-used-at-assessment-centres-for-
engineering-graduate-jobs - engineering assessment tests
• www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/jobs/applyingforjobs/assessmentcentres

16. How can you get more help?
• Careers Advisers are available daily.
• Briefings – Selection tests, Interviews, CVs and Applications
• Book appointments and events via Career hub, on CEC home page
• Come along to the events – listed on news & events page
• Vacancies! – jobs, internships, pt work, work experience
• Follow us on Twitter & Facebook
www.sussex.ac.uk/careers
careerhub.sussex.ac.uk