If you have a pre-hire assessment coming up, it’s natural to feel a little nervous. There may be a lot at stake for you! That’s why we made this checklist for you to review before you sit down to take the assessment. Knowing you’ve got these items covered will help you feel confident and prepared.
- Do you know the purpose of the assessment? Know ahead of time: is this a psychometric or behavioral assessment? If so, focus on responding to questions thoughtfully and honestly. Is it a skills or knowledge assessment? In that case, you’ll want to dedicate some time to review and prepare before the assessment.
- Have you thoroughly reviewed the job description? Job descriptions will tell you much of what you need to know about the expectations for the role you’re applying for: specific skills the team needs, tools and technologies you should know, and other characteristics that matter for the job—like communication skills, collaboration, and time management.
- Have you researched the organization you’re applying to? This will allow you to dig deeper into the organization’s values, priorities, and culture—in addition to giving you a better understanding of the organization’s products or services, which could be an important component of your pre-hire assessment.
- Have you eliminated all distractions? You want to be “in the zone” and fully present during your assessment. It’s a good idea to close any extraneous apps and windows, silence your notifications, and let housemates know not to disturb you. Also, this might seem obvious, but low battery life has a way of sneaking up on us at the worst times — so make sure your computer is plugged in!
- Did you get a good night’s sleep? Studies have shown that getting more than seven hours of sleep is associated with up to 10% better performance on tests. You will most likely have some flexibility around when you can take the assessment. Use that to your advantage, and choose a time when you’re feeling rested and alert.
- Are you doing something to celebrate? You put a lot of hard work into this! We’re rooting for you. Do something to relax and reward yourself when the assessment is done.
Best of luck. You got this!